El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-17
THE Train Dispatchers' association

. L
of America will meet in annual
- convention in Baltimore this
week. 1t is probable that the conven-
ton will amend the code of rules un-
der which the trains of the country
are handled. Although the dispatchers
have no authority to amend these rules
the American Railway association,
which does possess the power, natural
~ will give much weight to the ac-
ton of the Baltimore convention.
Another matter which will claim
consideration is the bill pending in
congress to require all railroads to
operate their lines under a standard
signal system. This bill was intro
duced by senator Wesley L. Jones, Of
Washington, having been prepared by
the railway commissioners of that
state. II is intended to overcome one
of the principal causes of accidents =
train operation.
Where Confusion is Possible.
A striking incident of the sort of
condition this measure is intended to
remedy is afforded in the case of the
train service between Portland, Ore
gon, and Seattle. Washington, over one
of the principal lines. Between these
two cities a train travels over five
separate and distinct roads each hav-
ing its own peculiar system of signals.
Sons times the signals mean one thing
on one part of the line and diametri-
cs.1ly0 the opposite on another par.
Each road has about 100 different
rules, making 500 rules with which
the trainmen operating between these
two cities must be familiar. Under
these conditions it is. inevitable that
dangers should be involved which
would be absent with a uniform SyS
tenn and no contradictory rules.
No innovation ever made in railroad
ing has spread as rapidly as the new
idea of train disDatching by telephone.
1t is only n few years since this sys-
tenn was taken ur but 50 succe ssful
has it been In Practice that it is only
a question of tine until the telegraph
will serve only as an emergency re-
serve.
DispatchinE BY Telephone.
One of the largest telephone dis
patching systems now in use is that of
the Lake Shore& Michigan Southern.
between Buffalo and Chicago. The
system has worked so well that it is
taken as a model by other roads in
their installations of dispatching tele-
phones. With few exceptions train dis
patchers are enthusiastic over the ad-
vantages Of the telephone in their
work. On one line it has been shown
to be possible to call IS stations in
half a minute. The dispatcher. by the
use of a selector which is an attach
ment by which he can ring any bell on
the line without ringing the Others, is
able to call four stations with a single
ring. In most instances the telephones
are so equipped that when the dis
patcher presses the button the tele-
phone bell in the station called rings
and continues to do so until the OPP
orator answers it,
The dispatcher wears what is known
as a breast transmitter, and a head
piece receiver. which permits him TO
have his hands free His telephone is
in the circuit at all times. and any
operator on the line need only take
down his receiver and pronounce the
name of his station to command the
attention of the dispatcher. He has
full control over the line, and no OPP
orator is allowed to call up another
station The dispatcher will do the
calling for him if business requires it.
With the telephone there is no such
thing as talking by proxy The dis
patcher can talk with any man on the
line. 1t frequently happens that in
case of an accident or other emergen-
cy, the dispatcher, Al a ten-minute con-
versation with the conductor over the
telephone. can do more TO stFeighten
out tangle than could be done in an
hour with the telegraph key.
Repeating the Messages.
BY a system Of repeating all mes
sages and writing them down as they
are sent and delivered, the operator
and the dispatcher are able to keep
even a more complete record of all that
transpires than if using the telegraph.
Practically the only difference. be-
tween the two systems is that the tel
ephone uses direct conversation and
the telegraph only written words
Morse alphabet With the telephone.
the dispatcher gets in closer personal
touch with every man on the road
through the use of that instruments
than he ever was able to do with the
telegraph.
Some dispatchers do not like the
new system. They say. for instance.
that the dispatcher who uses Il tele-
phone is figuratively tied with a hall
ter, and cannot get around his office
as readily as the man with the tele-
graph instrument The latter. they as
sert can go to any part of the room
and still listen to the message coming
in on the telegraph keys. A new idea
in the use of the telephone in handling
trains is being tried on the Pennsyl-
vania railroad. A telephone is in
stalled in the engine cab and another
in the caboose They are connected
with copper wire and the conductor
and engine man may be in intimate
contact throughout their run.
A bill recently introduced in the
Missouri legislature declares that the
duties Of the train dispatcher involve
a great strain, and that therefore, for
the safety of the travelling public his
working time ought to be limited to
six hours at a shift. The dispatchers
themselves are inclined to oppose such
legislation, feeling that this is a mat
ter which can be adjusted between
them and the railroad
Work Is Exacting.
The work of the train dispatcher is
one of the most exacting in the whole
field of railroad management He is
always confronted by the necessity of
getting his trains over the road with
all possible speed consistent with safe
ty. His mind is in reality a sort of
emergency time table. A railroad
adopts time table for the move
ment Of all trains. yet it absolute
ly is impossible for every train on the
line to live up to that schedule. A