The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-09

How the Railroad Trafnmnster Ar
ranges the Running of Trains.
New York Sun.


time table in course of construction. As
matter of fact comparatively few have seen
a time table after il has been completed.
About the only piece Of literature OF this
kind that the average citizen has need Of Is
the little book handed out 10 him by the
ticket agent. But that is very far from being
a complete time table. Only small per-
centage of the trains that run on the road
every day are TO be found there. The table
prepared by every railroad division for the
other employees in need of knowledge of the
movements of trains is printed on sheet
of paper about four feet long and two feet
wide. This contains information about every
train, passenger or other, that has regu-
lar daily, weekly or bi-weekly run, or which
is otherwise entitled to place on the sheet.
The time table Is, in reality, begun in the
general passenger agents office in New
York, or wherever else he may have his
headquarters. This official is responsible Tor
the through trains and for those passenger
trains which will travel over more road
than is under the control of single divi-
sion. He decides upon the time that these
trains shall begin and finish their runs.
Then he divides the proposed running time
according to the divisions which the train
will traverse, and merely notifies each divi-
sion superintendent that after a certain
date these trains will arrive at his divi-
sion, and tells him what will be expected
of him in the way of running time: Tnen
the passenger agent waits TO be advised or
necessary corrections. Formerly all the de-
tails of timetable making were done in the
central office, the division superintendent
a
late years each division has come to be
more and more separate concern, the gen.
eral officers exercising only the broadest
supervision.
This passenger train schedule from the
general office is the basis of the division
time table. 1t is turned over to the train
master who locks himself in his office for
two or three days and swears when he, Is
disturbed. For the purpose OF plotting his
time table. as the vernacular of the rail-
road has it. the trainmaster has a wooden
board covered with stiff paper. 1t is about
six or seven feet long and four feet wide. 1t
is ruled vertically in two hundred and
lightweight spaces, each space being made
to represent five minutes of the twenty-four
hours of the day. The hours are printed
in large figures at the top, and are sepa-
printed all the stations at which the trains
stop, and these are arranged upon a scale
according to the distance which separates
them
The trainmaster proceeds to tack threads
upon the board in such way that the ieav-
ing time at each station becomes apparent.
Train No. l, for example, Is scheduled 10
leave at IL and to arrive at 3 at A. The
thread is tackled on the board under the
figure XII, at the top and opposite the
tackled opposite the station and directly
under the figure w. Tacks are also In
serted opposite all intermediate stations AZ
which the train will stop. the vertical lines
| indicating the time. The result is not
always a perfectly straight line, for the
trainmaster knows that train VIII MAKE
slower time on one stretch of track than
on another of equal length. Grades and
other physical characteristics of the roadbed
are TO be taken into consideration. mis- is
an important detail in the case of trains
| of which the utmost safe speed Is required
| After his passenger trains are all In place
| the trainmaster notes where the east-Dound
| and west-bound trains cross. This must not
| be in the vicinity of station at which any
| of them makes a stop, for the obvious rea-
| son that it would occasion more or less de-
| lay and for the further danger OF musSlng
| things up. The leaving time of passenger
| trains at intermediate stations when Il Is
! finally worked out satisfactorily, is Tor
| warded TO the general passenger agent.
When he has reached this point the train
master is amiable for brief period; Ine e
| he locks his door again and WadeS into tne
| much more distressing task of arranging
other trains that must have a regular pace
! on the time table. THESE are fast fTelgnls
| milk trains and other distinctively DIVISION
| trains. They are strung over the board the
| same as before, but the result is sometimes
! startling. They use much more string than
| the first kind, and they are continually be-
| ing interfered with by some line belonging
| TO faster train. Now, il is one of the first
things taught on the railroad that TWO trans
| should not be allowed to pass on the same
track. When the arrangement of strings
| indicates that this is liable to be the result
some switch or siding must be provided as
| a refuge for the less important train. Very
| often the trainmaster must simply expert
ment until he brings the slower train up to a
point where these facilities exist before il
| shall be overtaken by the flyer. In making
| time table for a single-'rack road the diff
culties of the situation are increased in pro-
portion to the number of crossing places
| There is no short cut TO the completion OF a
| time table. 1t must be worked out exactly
as one would untangle ball OF yarn. The
| trainmaSter cannot figure 1t out on paper.
There are still a great many trains par
| ticularly on a big freight-carrying road that
| hustle back and forth every day without
| appearing on the time table. The number
| of these trains depends upon the varying
amount of business but these are things
that, for the time at least, do not interest
| the trainmaster. The situation must in each
be studied out by the conductor of the
/ train. There are two ways of running these
| extras and specials. One is by making them
| successive sections of a first-cass train and
| endowing them with all the rights and privi
| leges of their godfather. For the time being
| the orders undeR which they run are a sup
| plement to the time table then i'm operation
| The second way, and the one in common use
| is 10 let them wildcat 1t. The conductor
| moves at his own discretion. sandwchng
| in as many miles here, there and every
where as he can without interfering with
| train of equal or superior right.