Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-08

es in the yard. on which some movement
is to take place. The two men who are
on the alert to catch these numbers in
order to throw the switches indicated.
x
The switchmen operate their compli-
Gated machine with the ease and assur-
ance that a trained typist exhibits in run
ming a typewriter. Apparently they use
the touch system for very seldom do
they need to glance at the levers which
they are manipulating. Should the train
director wish a movement to take place
. on. a set. of tracks not controlled by the
switchboard in * tower, he cOmmuni-
Gates with a. or &c" tower according
to which of them controls, the tracks
needed, and the assistant train director
IN 1t. safter hearing the description of the
movement. takes care of it.
After midnight the passenger traffic
dwindles to. almost nothing. there not be-
trains between ~ midnight and ) ip the
morning. And yet the yard is full Of bus
tie and life. If the night is clear one may
discern here and there the vague outlines
ders, the white smoke from their stacks
rising in billowy columns, outlined dimly
against the dark sky, and here and there
long lines of darkened Pullmans and
coaches being showed and tugged about
over the clanking switches. Yard men
swinging lanterns hurry about keeping an
eye out for any trouble that may arise.
Next to the train director the yard
master" is the man who has the greatest
authority in the yard. When he is not re-
out difficulties he is stationed in little
cabin alongside the tracks. whence he
directs the yard crews and engine men.
who do the actual work Of shifting the
,tl<,rk Ii
orders from the train director. and trans
mits them to his assistants. He must
know exactly where to find any car that
"k tower calls for He must know the
most expeditions manner of separating
that car from the mass Of coaches about
it, and he must be able to calculate the
shortest route for getting the car to its
destination.
The hurry and hustle in the yard at
night is caused by the necessity for
cleaning up while the traffic is light
When the days work is over cars that
have been separated from their trains
during the day are standing about block
ing the tracks. 1t is the duty Of the night
shift to see that all such dead" cars are
rushed to the coach yard out of harms
way before morning. Besides this CLEAN
ing. up it is the aim of the terminal
management to unload all the freight
possible at night, and also to maze up
all early morning trains. In order to do
this within the allotted time the yard
force at night is kept as large as the
day force.
Out at the shops, about a mile from
the station. there seems to be the least
activity. The great lathes for smooth
ing and grinding car wheels are motion
less, the cranes are laid up for the night,
the hammers. of the workmen are silent.
There may be man or SO puttering
with casting or sharpening a tool, but,
for the most part, everything is dead.
The roundhouses present a more lively
scene. but even they are only half awake.
Here is an engine from whose bowels is
sues the sound of hammering; two men
are cleaning out her frebox. which is as
large as many a room. They work in
it standing up and at their ease. I'm
der a, bench, on the hard, concrete floor,
sleeps greasy, grimy hostler, tired out,
his head pillowed on his arm. Over yon-
der, is big ...mogul'. with the front of