Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-09-05
HOW The RED BALL
SYSTEM WORKS
ON SANTA FE
Interesting Article in Employees
Magazine by Former AIbu-
querque Journalist Explains
System


Many people who have watched
freight trains passing through the
city all their lives have only a hazy
idea rs to how the freight movement
on a great railway system is handled.
In the last issue of the Santa Fe
Employers Magazine, Chalmers L.
Pancoast, formerly of the Morning
Journal, now a well known magazine
writer describes graphically the in
genious and we'll organized system
whereby the Santa Zee company gets
its freight across the country. The
article follows;
CBy Chalmers l.. Pancoast.)
The movement of freight and pas
sengers with safety and dispatch
from point to point is the main pur-
pose for which railroads are created
and maintained. TO this end the la
bors OF all departments and employees
should coordinate. T%hereforc, the
roads which most efficiently and sat
isfactorily perform this service are
those which have developed TO the
highest degree systems of operation
calling for the greatest perfection of
cooperation.
one of the important and interest
ing phases OF this idea Of team
work finds expression on the Santa
Fe in the red bali system. Due to
the growth in business n mileage
of the system and its splitting up into
grand operating divisions under sew
eral general managers, it became es-
anntial fhos cnf,nn haftnr nlgn for
keeping track of our important
freight in its movement over the sys-
tenn should be devised than formerly
existed. To this end, in 1899, C. w.
Kouns, then superintendent of trans
%portation. conducted q number of eX-
periments with the object of perfect
ing a plan to accomplish this result.
and in this way the red ball system
had its birth.
Among the things considered in
establishing this scheme were: First,
to ascertain the character of freight
being handled and, second. to keep
track Of II without numerous repeti-
lions OF the same information in re-
porting kilograms. so that the great
est efficiency should be obtained with
the minimum Of expense. Finally, a
series of symbols was adopted, which
served to represent the car and its
contents in all movements subsequent
to the first one. the basic idea under
living this system being that the diff
ferent classes of freight should have
precedence of movement according 10
their importance, and that this move
ment should be so checked by the
operation Of this scheme as to insure
the movement of the business in It's
| proper order at all times. This move
ment must be so supervised as TO as
sure patrons regularly OF service,
something OF greater value to them
In the conduct OF their business than
would be the attempt to maintain a
| fast scheule unguarded by any pro-
vision as to the regularity of move
ment.
To show how these highly desirable
and advantageous results have beer
accomplished in the movement OF
Santa Zee business, the following brief
description of the operation Of the
| red ball method Of handling and trac-
| ing freight is given.
In order to put this system into
| perfect working order a set of stan
| dard forms has been provided.
| Through these forms the plan is sim
plified so that agents. yardmasters
and trainmen Il assure promptness
and regularity in the transit OF
| freight.
For instance, when q red ball train
| IS made up Of Los Angeles the agent
| gives each OF the cars in this train a
red ball symbol and number for the
purpose of thereafter designating this
| ear in all movements to. its destina-
! ton.
Each red ball billing station is
| given y letter or letters and is as
| signed a series of numbers to be used
in numbering the envelopes carrying
the waybills for cars loaded with rcd
| BAH freight. For instance. the sym
| Dol letters Of Los Angeles are IL. A.
and the symbol numbers are from |
to 500. The AGENT at Los Angeles
uses these numbers consecutively,
| commencing with the lowest number
When the highest number has beer
reached. he start again with / and
| repeats indefinitely.
\ special red bali card. which is a
FAMILIAR sight TO every employe-the
| large red ball on the white cards
attached 30 every car Of red bal
| freight. one on each side. by the
agent NJ the red ball billing station.
4 special rcd bail envelope accom-
panics each car 10 its destination.
Immediately after q red ball train
leaves the station the agent tele-
graphs q consist % report to the
red ball bureau in the office of the
car accountant. This report is made
up from information shown on the
face Of the red ball envelopes. which
information consists Of the name of
the station the Ger is from. also date,
train number. train symbol. engine
number. hour departed and conduc-
tor. This report furnishes the red
bali symbol. letter and number, the
initials and number. contents, con-
| signce and destination of each car.
when the consist % report tele-
gram is received 81 the red ball office
q duplicate train is made up by us
ing small wooden pegs. on top OF
each IS pasted a self-gummed labe
containing the symbol letter and
49, a. 80 aUnh 90 in