New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-21
WHAT CAUSES TRAIN DELAYS.
Annoying Little Accidents and Incidents
That Compel the Filters to Lose Time.

Perhaps one Of the most exasperating incidents
of the railway journey IS to be delayed that the
train Will be in arriving its destination says
THE Duluth Herald" 1t Is annoying in itself TO
be compelled to remain idle at some lonely siding,
but when one has an engagement to keep or
connection to make the ordeal Is rendered doubly
trying.
As a rule, most delays are caused by through
trains failing to arrive junction points, though
occasionally cars or the track, washOuts. broken
rails and other happenings which may be termed
accidents and In winter severe or stormy weather.
are responsible Such delays are aggravating
enough, but to DO held up for half hour
longer for apparently reason all IS sufficient
to strain ones patience TO near breaking.
OF these mysterious waits a hot box Is. per
haps the most common cause This is the heating
OF the Journal by constant friction with the moving
wheel Ordinarily the bearing is protected by OIL
soaked cotton waste. but often the latter is stolen
or works loose Trainmen who have strict orders
the smoke and sometimes by the flames from the
burning waste. The moment the discovery Is made
the train stopped and the crew the jOurne
with oil and water. Should a hot box be neg
away. with fatal results. '-'S
Frequently delays caused By the mismanage-
ment OF the trains on the local division A dis
patcher. becoming ratified. fears that he may give
sorp ta ms ~ rIS Of5e 4lG HTiGs
fOreseeu turns up after train has left the station
ago a passenger headed for Duluth left a small
town with orders to meet an outbound train mid
the last moment, unexpectedly delayed the latter
half an hour. The hrst train. waiting blndly on
the siding. held W for the same length Of
time. plus the running time. % the meeting point.
they are fully informed OF the passengers move
ments they carelessy block the main line IN yards.
or. starting out on an upgrade run with too heavy
load tor their engine 70 pull prefer TO Let them
gle up themselves. This conduct. which may make
too often passed unreprlnanded 0y the proper
VERY loose scheduie. engineers Who Ike to 60
fast sometimes get ahead Of time II therefore
suddenly slows down 10 a snaiTs pace or stands
traveller vairly cudgels his brain for the cause of
Ms tfat tbev are si merely ahead of tines
once IN while the delay is due 10 some unusual
Hnds IT Impossible to throw the switch unaided.
and once tra i less than mile from thg Union
OF the defect IN new switch lock while the frozen
was the accident which delayed limited train
isns from the Minnesota liichiFan game The
locomotive. which was since wrecked a fine
type OF modern passenger engine, began 20 whistle
crosses the Mississippi below s. Anthony FaIis 4
short distance hev5rd the university tho train
stopped. though the whistling continued undated.
traCtSd By fe sound fastened 10 the sP6 ana
passengers got out o. the coaches and CAPPED curt
conductor for an explanation The onlooker was.
indeed treated 20 the unusual spectacle Of a fire
train in perfect condition standing idly the
track and whstling for all its might. The reason
for the delay seemed absurd that many persons
accused the conductor of joking. Nevertheless the
latter told the truth. In some way the whistle
valve had damned that II would not close The
result that steam escaped fast from the
dome that enough could not be condensed TO run the
engine. II was. indeed very like Abraham Lin
coins steamer that took SO much steam to blow
the whistle that there was none left to run the
boat
But even worse than TO have ones train DELAYED
Is n be held up IN some snail town where the lim
tied" does not deigu 20 stop. and see the fier 70
dashiug by toward the city. where comfort and
civilization at least IL not home. are TO be found.
Called 10 desperation by such an outlook two trav-
ellinE inspired to adopt novel means
OF stopping fast train one OF them. eSpytng q
small boy herding COWS. bribed him u drive them
on the track and keep them there when the train
came in sight. giving the lad his word that he
would not let the engine hurt them. The engi-
Of violent blasts from his whistle, was compelled
70 apply the emergency brake and bring the train
a fun stop. affordlng the two schemerS a chance
to board IN safety. Although successful. had one
OF the herd been killed the drummcrs would have
found IL a rather costly experiment.