The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
RUNNING OBSERVATION CARS
NOT AN EASY JOB OR A PAYING
y ONE, SAYS THE WEST SHORE.

she special Trains After the Race.
The general belief among those who
attend a college boa race is that running
an observation train must be q paying
thing for a railroad, since each spectator
pays % for an afternoons pleasure OF
about three hours. The railroad men,
however, do not look at it in this way.
They say they run the trains TO accommo-
date the people and really for advertising
purposes. That, at any rate, is what the
West Shore officials say, and they ran a
train Of thirty-nine cars at the Poughkeep-
sic races recently.
Last year the road ran open fat cars on
the observation train. Everybody got
drenched In the terrific shower that broke
Just as the varsity eight Dared race started.
1t was decided to cover the cars with stout
canvas this year and hat cost SITS a car.
Then special guards had to be hired for
each car, with special police. As the road
at the most got only $500 a car out Of the
proceeds, IL can be seen that little money,
IL any, was made.
These fiat cars had to be withdrawn from
the regular freight traffic for nearly q week.
Each had to be fitted with seats and rail-
ipgs and had to be covered. or course the
fittings are to be stored, but each car had
TO be dismantled and shifted before il
could be used again.
IF YOU can show me how we made any
money out Of that observation train I should
be much Obliged said q West Shore OFF,
cial to a SUN reporter.
II is no easy Job running one Of these
trains, but the man who u n the train at
P~oughkeepsie has been at It for several
wears and IL was the general oommen this
year that it could not have been done better.
The operator stands on q high platform
erected over the middle car Of the rain.
A locomotive is at each nd. He Ia con-
nected with each locomotive by electric
bells and signals TO start, stop, slow up or
60 faster.
The trick Ia to keep the middle of chs
train exactly sven with the leading boat %
that those in tho end cars can have as good
n view Of the contest a. possible. Some
times the train inches ahead two or three
car lengths or drops behind that distances
In the course Of O four mile run. The boats
10 in an absolutely straight line. The
train has to curve slightly here and there
and to adjust the speed to these curves
requires u skill
Tho West Shore train was also equipped
With q telephone connecting with the judges
boat out In the river at the finish line. This
was news 60 most OF the spectators, but II
ono Of tho stewards In charge OF the race,
who was ct tho starting linz in 2 yacht,
raised q m~eRaphone and asked the train
operator to telephone TO tho judgesf boat
1t the finish TO use their largest nag 20 mdi-
In three minutes the angwer came back
that it would DO done. For n boat az
the beginning Of . boat race % send Q tale
phone message to another boat. both In
midstream and four miles apart. was
novelty.
Announcements were made on b train
from time to tina Of what Wa going on.
Tho shooting Of bombs that GOULD be heard
for miles told exAotty how the crewe bad
s c14sIss % sa 3. S pS.is,cu ss y , 6. o sssss ao ~
over q bulletin board was established on
shore Just opposite tho judges boat. wmch
told how tho crews hniehed D gAye ~
proper time Of. each Collage n.ss were
a5s0 P pesu asd Briggs vSssS tod d
'aR' va p 6e.c.uss tho msn.esmsus Of The
observation train had besn - sncsIsps
that the SPECTATOR were en- - more az
After tho races tbs task = 10 % chs
special trains away a. speedi0 e pcssDe.
Two trains Of parlor oars wero aus away
naedilv. One train OF p0xi0Y c1r8 y
cosches and two trans Of ooocheS were
heid FOR moro than an hour md Q haN be-
10 the river below the Starting point.
ma lsst OF theee three trains did not get
svav until Alter ESQ O'Clock. Tho coaches
vere Slled With hungry and angry mon
and women. md Committees were even
spnointod to hunt for the responsible man.
M rod wa oIear because only one train
had been ailoVod TO 70 down the river
duyinS ~ aYternoon,
In one of TIE trains q conductor oame
IN "a punoh tho tickets before the start.
A howl arose and NO one would give up
4 ticket. In one car there were no hghts
and thoee Who had some luncheon left
had to eat II by feeling. Then some asked
ara conductor II the special tickets were
rood after midnight and whether the people
vere heins bald up 10 net extra fares. Few
trsin crews have over been 80 badeered
a. the men Who wore in charge of those
West Shore cars. Finally a scout got back
tho dead locomotive on the track.
WAS clear, but hs could get no starting
Or0oT8.
Train Iosti' was the cry that went up.
In ono Of the parior cars OF the MIXED
steau P1,io1 eDl 49,