The gold leaf., 1905-11-16
UNUSUAL TRAIN SERVICE.
How Trains are Successfully Handled
On the Great Chicago & North-Wes-
tern Line Under Stress of Difficulties

The well-knoNn writer on railroad
subjects, Mr.. Frank H. Spearman.
in his book entitled, "The Strategy of
Great Railroads. describes the sur
prise of the general manager OF ~one
of the eastern trunk lines. on a hunt
inc trip in the North Woods, who
suddenly found himself on the right
OF way of a splendid, well-built rail
way line, apparently OF a construc-
tion and equipment similar to the
New York Central Or Pennsylvania,
along which thundered in quick sue
cession heavy trains Of iron ore,
splendid passenger equipment and
general freight service OF surprising
proportions.
This was the Peninsula Division OF
the Chicago & North Western Rail
way. which covers the Upper PENN
sula of Michigan, including the hard
wood district and Lake Superior iron
and copper region, with surprising
ly efficient network Of lines that con-
meet the mines and forests with i'm
portant lake ports, and with through
rail service to and from the outer
world.
Along this busy ore-carrying line Il
splendid exposition of the loyalty,
Intelligence and general good team
work that can be expected of the
average railroad man and the eff
cheney of the rules laid down for his
guidance i'll all emergency, was given
few days ago. which so greatly
pleased the superintendent and other
officials that the story has finally
crept into public print, and it is well
worth repetition in these columns.
1t was all occasioned by a very
heavy sleet storm that fell in the Up
per Peninsula a few days ago, which
threw down practically every tele-
graph line in the region in a few
hours, and left the 464 miles of the
division absolutely without tele-
graphic service for no less than forty
eight hours.
The ore movement has been es
pecialIy heavy this year, more Lake
Superior ore being transported on
the Great Lakes than ever before in
the history of the iron industry, and
in this emergency every mine would
have to shut down on account OF the
shortage of railway cars to move
their product unless the road was
kept open in spite of the storm.
There was nothing that could be
done by the Chief Train Dispatcher;
both he and the Division Superin-
tendent were temporarily out of the
game. 1t was one of these emergen-
cies where the imam behind the gun
must make good, or the case was a
hopeless one. Aud make good he
did, in true blue. loyal style, with
that splendid initiative that makes
the average train crew typical of the
qualities we admire in our American
troops.
There was no way in which to get
orders for train movements, no
means by which division headquar-
ters could be kept advised of where
their trains were, and to the on
LOCKER no means existed by which
the train crew could keep track of
the whereabouts of trains going in
the opposite direction. 1t was an
emergency of the gravest character.
and was met with splendid exhibit
ton of good Judgment and intelli-
gent grasp of the science OF railroad
operation that is perhaps without an
equal. They managed on a single
track line, without telegraph lines,
for two whole days and nj ghts, to
keep every iron and copper mine in
the district supplied with equipment
and moved all trains practically on
time.
1871 ears were moved over the
division Friday and Saturday. Octo-
Der Goth and Dist. and 125 freight
trains and no less than 34 passenger
trains were taken care of upon the
division, all handled on time on a
single track, without accident, mis-
hap, or delay and without the help
of a train dispatcher.
Can any one beat that record of
loyalty to employers, hard work and
intelligent grasp of conditions?
Any man who has ever handled the
train movement of busy railway
division will appreciate how very
much is involved in the work these
trainmen did, hurrying to and fro
over sleet covered cars, keeling cool,
and ready to meet every emergency
by application of the operating rules
provided for their guidance.