Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-04

ber-neck trains. These are cars which
have been put on to take visitors through
the canal. They make special trips
through the various divisions, with :
loud-mouthed conductor. and the charg,
is a dollar trip.
1t is a big job to handle $50 trains a
day on fifty-mile line and its branches
and i am told that that Job is better
done here than it has ever been done
elsewhere. The trains move like clock
work. and every engineer and every
brakeman has to be Johnny ON he-spoi
to catch the signals and not cause com
plications.
In the first place the labor trains
have to be on time to get the men 10
their work. and the scenes at the round
house when the engines start out are
worth notice. There are 100 and more
engines at Pedro Miguel. all of which
leave at $50 am. Every engineer is
ready before that time and when the
whistle blows the conductors and brake
men are ali in their places. We have a
record of dispatching loo engines from
that yard within five minutes and the
usual time required is only seven min
utes Some of these engines go to Mira
flores. some to the Culebra cut. and
others to other places.
At the same time other engines are sent
out from other yards and the whole sys-
tenn moves like one fine machine. Ir
order to keep the engines in shape they
are gone over every night as soon as they
come in from the work and are cleaned
up and repaired before morning. Those
which need it are sent to the repair shops
where the work is done chiefly by electric
light. all the defects being remedied be-
tween pm. and am.
In addition to the regular trains there
are wrecking trains, which keep up steam
night and day. There are hospital cars
which are especially fitted with mat
tresses and berths for carrying the sick
or those who meet with accidents, and
there are coaling trains, which go through
the canal when the work is not in prog
ress and load the steam shovels and sup
ply the blacksmith shops and other places
where coal is needed.
-
The handling Of the trains and the
managing of the switches is q great work
The trains are moved by flags and sig
mails, a green flag meaning south bound
and yellow one north bound. The soma
phore is also employed, and when the
steam shovels are working in the cut a
negro stands at each switch and turns it
as the yardmaster signals. Indeed the
system is such that the accidents are
comparatively few.
The machinery and equipment of these
railroads are of the most modern de-
scription. The engines used in hauling
out the earth and rock are the largest
railway proper are modern and first
class in every particular. AS we came
across the isthmus on the road we were
surprised to see that there was no dust
nor cinders and very little smoke. and
when We asked why We were told that
the engines were oil burning. During my
stay here l have taken a ride on one OF
thsGe oil locomotives and after riding
OMIT from Ancon to Culebra my face
was as clean as when l left Panama
My engine was No. G5S, constructed by
one Of our American locomotive compa-
MES. and its only fuel was crude petro-
leum. The trip was arranged for me by
Mr.. A. X. Stone the master of transpor-
tation of the Panama railroad and
brother of Warren s. Stone. the grand
chief of the International Brotherhood