Gilpin observer., 1905-10-19
SEVEN HOURS DELAY
TROUBLE CAUSED BY TRAINS IN
"DEAD HEAT"
Dispute Over Right Of Way In the
Early Days Of RaiIroadlns Led to
Radical Change In Method Of "Run.
ming Curves"

When the Pennsylvania railroad
started its eighteen-hour special" be.
tween New York and Chicago it's old.
est surviving locomotive engineer,
Thomas Ridley, was invited to accom-
pany officials and others on the first
trip. says the Pittsburg Gazette. Mr..
Ridley shook his head and said:
mo. That's too modern for me- I'd
rather go back to running curves"
That remark brought out an inter-
esting story and acquainted some of
the older officials with bit of rail
road lore they had never conned
Running curves" indeed, and what
might that mean?
When the Pennsylvania railroad was
started there was no telegraph. A
canal boat, trailing behind husky
mule, was rapid transit Train orders
were given at one terminal and fol-
lowed until the other terminal was
reached. There were fixed rules about
the passing of trains on the single
track line and eternal vigilance was
the price of safety and progress.
At the middle of each sharp curve
post was planted. When a train ap-
preached from either direction 1t
stopped at the beginning of the curve,
the flagman went forward to the post,
and II he found no one there signaled
his train to come on, as it had the
right of way. Often two trains going
In opposite direction would reach
curve about the same time. The flag.
hot oI,
cured right of way for his train, so
the other must back to the first siding
to pass. 1t might be put in a second or
third time by other trains following
That was running curves
Naturally this system led to keen
rivalry. A Hagman with reason to
anticipate a meeting with another
train would work up over the draft"
so that when his train reached the
curve he would leap from the pilot of
the locomotive and race at top speed
for the post.
On one occasion two fagmen racing
from opposite ends of the curve met
at the post Each claimed priority.
They wrangled. In fact, they struck
some blows. Their respective crews
came up and the argument grew ami
mated. Other trains fell in behind,
including passenger trains. The crew
at the post explained, but the deadlock
continued. Seven mortal hours and
then one man arrived who had suffi-
cient authority to decide who had the
right OF way. 1t required another
seven hours to unite the knot, back,
ing forward, getting in and out OF the
sidings, to give each train it's rightful
place.
From that awful experience come
the rule:
Train westbound and having odd
numbers have right Of way trains OF
the same class eastbound having even
numbers. Train southbound having
odd numbers. have right of way over
southbound. even numbers. Passen-
ger trains have right of way over
freights in either direction.
Mr.. Ridley was a fast runner" in
his time. after the Introduction Of the
telegraph. He made record for the
Pittsburg division-Altoona to this
city-that stood for years as tho
beacon to venturesome engine drivers
He was running the famous John Bull
locomotive and his time was little
more than five hours. Engineer Cour-
son holds the record now He brought
No. 20 over on its third run In two
hours and five minutes. This record
may stand as long as Ridley's. as a
quarantine" order has been issued
making two hours ten minutes the
limit of speed for the division. The
schedule of No. 20 is two hours twenty
minutes.