The Winslow mail., 1912-11-09


tematization of a
big business machine.
From q sentimental point Of view
he gradual disa ppearance of the tele
graph operator. lounging carelessly
>ver the table on which his sounder
clicked and clattered, until he awoke
With a start at the call of his own
ltation, IS to be regretted. To an ex-
ent far greater than the ordinary
raveler realizes, the telegraph has
given way to the commonplace tele
ehone of everyday use.
It was not many years ago that q
railroad first experimental with the
telephone as q substitute for the tele
graph. key on an unimportant division
At that time there seemed to be many
good reasons to believe that the
speaking instrument could never re
place the key for train dispatching
recent report of the insterstate com
nerce commission shows that by the
first Of this year the telephone was
being used for the transmission Of
train orders on nearly $4,000 miles OF
road This is more than one-third of
The mileage which is still protected
by the telegraph. Nearly al Of the
important roads are using the tele-
phone over part Of their lines, and
aew mileage is being added at rapid
rate.
The Atchison, for example, Is now
lsing the telephone for nearly 5000
niles and the telegraph for less than
1000. The Atlantic Coast Line, Bal
imore B Ohio, and Boston & Maine
,re using it for q few hundred miles
each. probably with a view to finding
how It compares with the older sys
TEN for efficiency. Among the rail
roads which are using telephones on
stretches over 1000 miles in length
are the Chicago & Northwestern,
Burlington, st. Paul, Rock Island,
Great Northern. Illinois Central, Louis
vile & Nashville, Lake Shore, Big
Four, Northern Pacific. Pennsylvania,
Seaboard Air Line, and Canadian Pa
cific. Many other railroads are
equipped with the telephone service
over several hundred miles Of line,
and are increasing their facilities as
fast as the extension seems warranted.
Following the receipt of the inter
state commerce commission bulletin
with these figures The Railway Age
Gazette communicated with the varl
Dus roads, with a view to ascertafning
the character of the service rendered.
Practically all of the roads replying
said that much time IS saved by the
use of the telephones, not only by re.
ducing the time necessary for trans
hitting orders and messages, but also
by having phones accessible night
and day at all meeting places, includ
ing blind sidings. A record which was
was kept on the Wheeling & Lake
Erie. where the service was recently
introduced, showed that in 20 DAYS
during which results were checked up
the time saved to freight crews was
equal to 40 hours for one train and
engine crew
Some interesting experiences with
the new service were reported by the
Lehigh Valley. showing not only the
effectiveness of the telephone in min
inning delay of trains disabled but
of other trains which would have
been held up An extra westhound
train ran out of water. making it nee
essary to cut the engine loose from
the train and bank the fires Another
train was following and this. too, was
he'd up Both conductors got out the
portable phones carried on all of the
trains and notified the dispatcher
who was thereupon able to run a
we tbound passenger train. which
would have been blocked, around the
stalled trains without delay.
with each portable telephone there
Is carried an 18-foot sectional fish,
mole" These are being installed on
all caboose and baggage cars. Each
telephone is fixed in box under
switch lock and is accompanied by
printed instructions for use. This out
TT is also supplied TO bridge and rail
aving gangs, track supervisors, work
trains. tool trains, train masters, and
superintendents The construction Of
The lines costs about 500 per mile
for a metallic circuit of copper, strung
IN poles already in position. The
portable telephones cost from SIS to
s25 eacn
Government to Aelp