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

"3ASHlNGTONS railroad yards Is
w always a place of mystery to the
uninitiated; and particularly Sc
at night. The layman cannot even begin
to comprehend how, in the dark, when
one can scarcely see foot ahead, the
movements of perhaps two-scOre engines
and hundreds of passenger and freight
cars are directed through the intricate
maZes of the myriad tracks, switches and
crossings, down at the terminal. Many
will wonder why, in the dead of night
when traffic is practically asleep, II
should be necessary for the yards to ex-
hibit any marked activity. And. the an
swer to these queries can best be found
by visiting the yards at night and chat
ting with some of the members of the
night shift.
The movement of every piece of rolling
stock in the terminal, from the merest
switch engine to the finest Washington
from one switch tower. known to the
initiate as tower K" No train may
leave the station, no cars may be. shifted,
no engine may desert the round house,
unless under orders from K tower. From
this tower are directed all movements
in the yard, but for handling movements
in the tunnels and out on the main line
from the north and west there are two
other towers, 'A'' and &C." which oper-
ate under the direction of *" tower.
All the towers are fitted with electrical
Devices signals and safeguards for facili-
tating their operation. The most striking
of the devices in use is the track model
a blackboard crossed by glass-covered
the tracks and switches under the con-
troll of the tower.
4 x
The slots in this board are electrically
lighted and the arrangement operates SO
that any movement in the yard is re-
corded on the board by a darkening of
that portion of any slot corresponding to
a similar portion of some actual track
where the movement is taking place. BY
means of this board the men operating
switches can tell just where shift is
taking place at any given time and can
watch tnat shift, as it nears a switch,
and then throw the switch at the proper
moment.
The switchboard itself. by which the
flat box supported at height Of about
three feet from the floor and containing
maze of coils and wires. It Is oper-
ated by means Of levers some six inches
In length ranged along its outer edge.
Compressed air is used to throw the
switches. but the air is electrically con-
trolled from the switchboard. The three
towers keep in touch with each other by
means of electric signals and phone.
The train director is the man in
charge at * tower. His power in the
yard is absolute; he is the car Imme-
diately under him are four assistants in
his own tower, and he controls indirectly
every man in the yard, from the yard
master down. 1t is nothing short of awe
inspiring to watch the train director at
his work. Outside everything Is dark
as the pit except where the red and green
signal lights glow. He is without the aid
of daylight and must have in his head
a mental picture Of the layout of the
whole yard.
He sits at his desk. pencil in hand. jot-
ting down the descriptions Of the various
movements that he from time to time
calls for. At his elbow is a telephone
and he keeps an assistant always at
work at telegraph instrument. Without
looking up from his desk he calls out
strange combinations of numbers and
Letters. which indicate tracks and switch