Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-02-01
MAKING A TIME TABLE.

lIlHAllyu II lMlL lMLLi
4 Peep Into the Chart Room Of
a Great Railway.
WORKING OUT A. SCHEDULE.
Threads and Pins, That Enable the
Officials to So Place Trains. as to
Avoid the Danger of coIli.ien and All
Unnecessary Loss Of Time.
Travellers who consult the ever han
" time tables to the arrival or de-
partuge Of the particular train that is
to carry them probably never give a
thought to the manner In which d mod
ern time table Is made up, TO the IN
initiated 1t is a Chinese puzzle, and
even those well fversed In Its mysteries
often become confused. How are time
tables made? What AZ the procedure
~ determining the sbead OF d train
and the exact time and place 1t shall
meet another train7 The answer to
these questions Is TO be found In the
chart room. q ~ 3D. a;
The chart room Is usually in some
quiet corner Of the general Offices ofSa
railway company and fog weeks at q
time is locked. But every now and
then the word goes forth that tie
schedule is to be shortened or length
ened. new trains tothesp nt on Ok some
change made that necessita les ahests
vision III the time card sWhen from
Aistant ,points Of The aystsm the d.
sision sppeftntendents agafker tor a
conference Swlth Tie keals III the pas
senger and freight departments In or
DEE to learn the mest desirable time
for trains to arrive and, depart from
terminals, With this Information, they
retire to the chartroom. where, there
Is d separate chart FOR. each district.
NJ The Charts IRE white boards about
six feet wide and from two to ,Ave1feet
high. The names of the stations, ac-
cprately scaled, are printed ON the
boards at the side, and from the top OF
the board many colored strings bangle,
more suggestive 81 q parlor game than
4 tool for laying out tie path Of strafac
and commerce.. Al d f;ssA 3fssf an
The superintendent confer regard.
ing the time at junction Points on CON
Meeting trains and then work out the
schedule on intermediate points on a
chart Of his division.
Horizontally the chart shows IL
midnight on the left side. ana there is
u line extending across the chart, Tor
each FIVE minutes from that time until
the full twenty7four hours have been
shown. For convenience each third
line. representing a period OF fifteen
minutes, is il different color.
Superintendent are supplied with
various colored silk thread. pins and
tack hammer. Red is. used to designate
q passenger train. green for a second
class or freight train, and blaekis for a
third class or local freight train. When
ever train is scheduled out Of ter
minal at certain hour a pin is driven
at the intersection Of the station line
and hour line-this being the beginning
and such other times at various sta
tons as may be desired are determined
by drawing the thread over the board
to meet the intersection of the various
stations and hour lines at the proper
times. Where necessary tacks are driv-
en- to keep the thread on the proper
schedules
Westbound trains run down and d.
agonally to the right. Eastbound
trains start at the bottom, run upward
and diagonally to the right. Wher-
ever these threads cross, a meeting
point is indicated, and If this crossing
Of the threads is between station lines
1t is then necessary to adjust the time
on each train. so that the meeting point
will be at the most convenient station,
This is done by holding the lines cross
ed at station with pin. OF course
on double tracks these meeting points
are not necessary
After the chart has been strung
former issue of the time card with pen
and ink is brought into use, and the
superintendent begins at original ter
minal, looks at the station line, and
whenever any string representing a
train crosses this station line he notes
the time as shown on the proof of the
time card One train at time Is read
from start to finish. and after they
have all Neen checked they are re-
checked to see that all meeting points
are properly made and noted on proof,
after which the time table Is ready for
the printer. s5.s., /.
To make a successful time card a
superintendent must be perfectly IA
miliar with the grade and track condi-
lions and when stringing the thread
must allow more time for unfav orable
grade, railroad crossing and other un.
usual stops. 30 that the running time
Of the train will be uniform. When
ever 1t Is desirable to make meal
stop pin is put in at the proper sta
ton and the string run horizontally ito
the line until the required number OF
minute lines have been passed. when
1t is again taken down the board at
the proper degree Of speed. By max
Ing the string more vertical the speed
IL increased, as there are fewer mt.
mute lines crossed. BY swinging thread
to the right the speed IL decreased, and