The Winslow mail., 1912-09-21

tematlzat1on OF
Dig business machine.
From a sentimental point Of view
he gradual disappearance Of the tele-
graph operator. loungiIg carelessly
,ver the table on which his sounder
clicked and clattered, until he awoke
With start at the call Of his own
station. is to be regretted. To an ex.
ent far greater than the ordinary
traveller realizes, the telegraph has
given way to the commonplace tele-
phone Of everyday use
1t was not many years ago that
'ailroad first experimental with the
telephone as a 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. A
recent report Of the insterstate com.
nerce commission shows that by the
drst OF this year the telephone was
being used for the transmission OF
rain orders on nearly $4,000 miles OF
'oad. This Is more than one-third OF
he mileage which is still protected
~ the telegraph. Nearly all Of the
important roads are using the tele
9hone over part Of their lines, and
lew mileage 10 being added at rapid
ate.
The Atchison. for example. Is now
asing the telephone for nearly 5000
niles and the telegraph for less than
1000. The Atlantic Coast Line. Bal.
imore & Ohio. and Boston & Maine
are using 1t for a few hundred miles
each. probably with view to finding
aow It compares with the older sys'
:em for efficiency. Among the rail-
'oads 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.
size. Many other railroads are
squipped with the telephone service
over several hundred miles of line.
snd are increasing their facilities as
last as the extension seems warranted.
Following the receipt OF the inter
state commerce commission bulletin
with these figures The Railway Age
sazette communicated with the vari'
5us roads. with view to ascertatnins
kl1e 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
mitting 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
imizing delay of trains disabled. but
OF other trains which. would have
been held up. An extra westbound
train ran out of water, making 1t nee
essary to cut the engine loose from
the train and bank the fres. 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
westbound passenger train. which
would have been blocked. around the
stalled trains without delay.
With each portable telephone there
Ia carried an 18-foot sectional FISH.
| pole" These are being installed on
| all caboose and baggage cars. Each
| telerhone Is fixed in a box under
switch lock and is accompanied by
printed instructions for use. This out.
at is also supplied to bridge and rail-
laying gangs. track supervisors, work
trains, tool trains, train masters, and
superintendents. The construction OF
the lines costs about 800 per mile
'or a metallic. circuit OF copper. strung
On poles already in position. The
portable telephones cost from SIS to
e25 each.