The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-06-29

SAINT orders to engineers and conductor
are absolute.
We are going to dwell for a moment
on what this official does, because it Is
u good object lesson in the power of tAC
human mind to master intricate combi-
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 the
rCad-passenger with passenger, pas
senger with freight, both ways, for the
fast trains must oyertakc and pass the
slow.
Now If all trains were able to follow
this schedule, it is apparent that the
successful operation of the road would
be merely a matter of studying out in adj
vance the relative speed of trains and
the convenient passing points.
But as a matter of fact not a day
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 or
passing point must be chosen But as
these points are varying distances apart,
the one late train may result in twenty
n lat oh in fttrp
suit in more combinations of changing
expcdients 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 single track
line one late train may derange every
train or the road. On a double track
line there is obviously larger chance
of adhering in part at least to the
original schedule
There is in the United States larger
percentage of single track railroads in
proportion to the total trackage than 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
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
embarra ssed with heavy grades, exposed
to the contingencies of delayed trains
m rnahS aynOSpd a timpS n
long periods of unfavorable weather, is
a problem that never would be attempt
ed in any country but this.
That it is not only attempted here but
solved every day so safely, so efficiently
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
differ snt 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 misplays.
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 tribute of our sincere admira
ton Not many men are of more prac-
| teal service to their kind.