The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-07-01
TIE Train ~DIsPArCHER
Duties and responsibilities Prom Which The
Unframed Mind Shrink. Aghas,

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editorial article from the various daily
papers o. Mr.. Hearst It has come n
Us from New York. san Francisco and
numerous points between. In the main il
does no more than justice to a highly
useful citizen The editorial follows
Every day and every night many thou
sands OF people travel 10 and fro on
the railroads OF this country and never
suspect that their safety depends or thc
sagacity and fidelity o. one man on each
line OF railroad.
on every railroad there sits the train
dispatcher in his office, and the running
OF all the trains and Tho lives OF all
the passengers lie in the hollow of his
hand.
Give some thought TO this hero OF in
dustry. He is really 4 marvellous figure.
The common impression is that The
general manager or general superinrenl-
ent OF a railroad manages the departures
arrivals and operating arrangements OF
trains This is true only in a general
way. or necessity. all the details Of de-
p~arture, speed. meeting points and time
arc in the hands OF the train dispatcher.
who has practically unlimited power 10
exercise his Judgment and whose inces-
SAINT orders to engineers and conductors
are absolute.
We are going to dwell for a moment
on what this official does, because it is
a good object lesson in the power OF the
human mind to master intricate combf-
nations.
The time table OF the railroad is made
out so as to allow for the passing and
meeting of trains on the length OF tho
rcad-passenger with passenger, pas
senger with freight. both ways, for the
fast trains must overtake and pass the
slow.
Now if all trains were able to follow
this schedule, it is apparent that tho
successful operation of tho road would
be merely a matter of studying out in al
vance the relative speed of trains and
the Convenient passing points.
But as a matter OF fact not a dav
passes that trains do not fall behind
their schedule time. 1t is inevitable.
particularly In times of heavy traffic and
bad weather.
The train dispatcher's function. there
fore, consists in the instantaneous manu-
facture of an entirely new set OF time
tables for trains, all day long.
Otherwise the operation Of the road
would practically cease.
OF course, a train late at the beginning
of it's journey at one end of the line
diSarranges the schedule OF every other
train that it was to meet or pass. For
each of these trains a new meeting OF
passing point must be chosen. But as
these points are varying distances apart,
the one late train may result in twenty
other late trains, which in turn may re-
suit in more combinations of changing
expedients than the unframed mind could
even partly apprehend.
These complications exist on all roads.
but they are naturally greater on the
single track lines. On a single track
line one late train may derange every
train On the road. On a double track
line there is obviously a larger chance
original schedule.
There is in the United States a larger
percentage Of single track railroads in
proportion to the total trackage thai in
any country in the world-many times
larger.
The great majority of the railroads
in the United States are single track
lines. The great majority of the rail
roads of Europe arc double track lines.
Some very busy railroads in the United
States are single tracked. Some of them
carry a far heavier traffic than nine in
ten of the double tracked railroads of
Europe.
The operation Of these long lines Of
single track, crowded with trains, often
embarrassed with heavy grades, exposed
to the contingencies of delayed trains
On connecting roads, exposed at times to
long periods Of unfavorable weather, is
a problem that never would be attempt
cd in any country but this.
That it is not only attempted here but
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and so masterfully ought to make US
proud of the kind of minds our schools
produce.
For all mental feats on record none is
really so wonderful as the daily work
Of the train dispatcher of a single track
railroad, sitting quietly by his telegraph
instrument and SO adjusting, combining
and regulating the movements of a null
titude of trains that vast traffic goes
on steadily and safely.
There he sits, and in the corners OF
his mind are stored away the position
and length of every side track on his
road, the nature Of the road between
different points, the hauling capacity of
locomotives, the possibilities of speed,
and perhaps one hundred thousand pos
sible moves on the strange, great board
whereon he plays.
The frightful responsibility would I'M
nerve the unframed mind One misplay
might mean the loss Of two hundred
lives. There are very few mlsplays.
Considering the monstrous traffic and the
| amount of single track mileage, the &C
cidents are really very few.
So much of this security is due to the
intelligence, fidelity, quick wits and So
| briefly of the unknown and unsung train
dispatcher that we are moved today to
pay HIM a tribute Of our sincere admira-
| ton. Not many men are Of more pTac-
teal service to their kind.
PAMLICO COUNTY CONVENTION.