Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-03-30
WILL USE TELEPHONES
Pere Marquette Plans Change at
Grand Rapids
Success of Experiment Causes Decision and
Work Will be Completed by July

As a further measure in the pro-
gram of general improvement adopt
ed by the management of the Pere
Marquette railroad, il was stated Of
hcially last Friday at the offices OF
| the company in Grand Rapids that
AS miles OF the road in Michigan
at once will be equipped with the
telephone circuit method OF Dispatch
ing trains
The experiment of using telephones
instead of the telegraph for handling
trains was made first on the Saginaw
Toledo division Of the road, where it
has been in operation since last fall
The success Of the new and simpler
method has been so marked that in
all probability the entire Pere Mar
quette road in this state, which covers
| nearly 1000 miles, may be equipped
for telephone dispatchng in the near
| future.
Material for the change to be made
( this spring has already been ordered.
1t is expected that the new work will
be completed and the lines in use by
July / next. The particular lines of
road affected are those running from
Chicago to Grand Rapids, from
Grand Rapids to Detroit and from
Saginaw to Ludington About 1000
miles of extra heavy copper wire will
be required TO equip these divisions
The whole investment probably will
cost above 100000 In order to
carry the new wire the present tele-
graph lines on these divisions will
have to be rebuilt at once with heav-
Ter poles than are now in use
1t is stated that only the very latest
devices in receivers and transmitters
will be used. No change will be made
in the dispatchers' offices so far as the
handling of trains is concerned The
new system, however, naturally in
cludes a change OF instruments at
every telegraph station on the lines
mentioned, where now the handling
of trains is done by telegraph. 1t
took As days of fast work to make
the change from telegraph to tele-
phone last fall on the Saginaw-Tol
division and not much longer than
that will be needed this spring for
the further Improvement.
Reasons assigned for making the
change are the general advantage of
the telephone method in every way.
Chiefly mentioned is the fact that any
employe of the road can talk with the
dispatcher and not be dependent on
telegraph operator.
1t is a daily occurrence for passen-
ger and freight trains TO be run on a
siding, as when two trains are pass
ing and where there is no telegraph
station no communication can be
opened with the dispatcher Often,
also. unusual delays occur iii antici-
pated either by the dispatcher or the
men running the trains, and at pres
ent it is a serious handicap when the
train must be held till messenger
is sent. often on foot, to the nearest
telegraph station Such delays on the
main line often imperl the train or
trains in that vicinity.
g With the possibility of allowing
any employe to open wire and talk
directly with headquarters 1t is
PLANNED TO increase the number of
telephone booths or stations This |
will mean a great advantage in train
operation. both as to speed and safety |
Delays may be obviated entirely in |
many cases and the ease of commune |
cation with the dispatcher in many |
instances will place the conductor and |
dispatcher in such close touch as to
prevent possible collisions between
moving trains.
1t has been proved by the expert
ment on the Saginaw-Toledo division !