The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-06
RAILROAD COMEDY
Methods Of Operation In 1852
Seem LaughahIe Today.
QUAINT RIGHT OF WAY RULES.


On the Western and Atlantic When
Trains Met Between Stations and q
Dispute Arose the Conductors Dseid.
ed Which Train Had to Back Down.
A most interesting exhibit Of the
early days OF ~railroading In this coun-
try has been found by the Railroad
Age Gazette. 1t is a schedule for pas
senger trains and rules for the conduct
of englnemen and conductors on the
Western and Atlantic, which was at
the time and still is owned by the
state Of Georgia. The table Is dated
March !, 1852, and was issued by Will
liam M. Wadley, superintendent, ia
Their of George D. WadIey, the latter
for many years manager Of the Cen
trail Railroad of Georgia.
The schedule shows a picture Of an
engine and cars at the top. Under 1t
the numbers and names Of the sta
lions, the times for arrival, the times
for departure and the time taken to-
run between stations as well as re.
marks about passing s~idetracked
freiGhts are all carefully tabulated. "
In the rules for enginemen and con-
ductors are many which seem quaint
in this age Of colossal ~railroading. or.
course the road had only one track,
and rule Il for passenger conductors
shows that there must have been soma
dispute when trains met as to which
train had the right to keep on its way
uninterrupted. This rule says: Z
"As a general rule. when trains meet
between stations the train nearest the
turnout will run back. Any dispute az
to which train Is to retire is to be de-
termined at once by the conductors
without interference On the part of the
'enginemen. This rule Is required to be
varied in favor of the heaviest loaded
engine or worst grades II they meet
near the center" Il
Rule Z gives the conductor directions
for reporting on the number Of passen-
gers who are paying and the number
Of ministers OF the gospel who were to
be charged half price when on bust
ness connected with their calling. The
same rule indicated that the governor
Of the state and the general superin-
tendent of the road were the only indi-
viduals who had a right to give passes.
The conductor was ordered to in
spect the running gear Of his train at
every station and in rule Is was ad-
m%onished eve to leave Atlanta or
Chattanooga without the mail or with
out first sending to the postofiee after
1t. Rule II says that a train stopping
at any station at night must invariably
be run on the turnout 80 as to leave
the main track clear, and that strict
watch had to be kept in all cases
where a train stopped at night.
In the regulations for passenger 'e1.
gtnemen there are a number which
seem almost humorous in this period
OF railroad management. For instance,
the engineman was instructed that4f
his train killed any stock and threw
the COW or lows in such a position tas
to endanger the safety of the next
train he was to stop his train and SOC
that the track was cleared.
Passenger trains were not to exceed
the speed Of their schedule except
when behind time, in which case the
speed might be increased three miles
an hour generally. In passing turnouts
(the turnout evidently was the switch
ing track the speed had to be dimfn-
1shed to six miles an hour. *
Rule 6 might be put in force today
with good effect and to the delight of
Ia much 5olted travelling public. III
reads:
In connecting and in starting with
his train the engineman will be ex-
Iceedingly careful In the management
OF the throttle so that the cars may not
be injured or the passengers annoyed
by the sudden violence of the start
This paragraph is found at the end
OF the regulations for enginemen:
"For n violation of the abeyys
rules, for running of at turnouts, for
killing Of stock by daylight and for all
other irregularities the general super
.intendent will impose such fines as he
deems just and called for by the ma
ture OF the ofTense."
The freight trains took two days TO
make the 1877 miles between Atlanta
and Chattanooga. The stops at the
stations varied from ten to sixty min
iutes. One OF the rules for freight COM
ductors about keeping a certain dis
lance from the trains ahead of him
and behind him shows that there must
have been a delightful uncertainty
about the provisions for changing
meeting points In case trains were de-
Ilayed. 1t is evident that there was no
telegraph communication along the
line, although this was eight years
after Morse had demonstrated that he
could send messages oyer the wire
from Washington to Baltimore. Sew
teral months before Charles Minot also
had made use Of the telegraph in
ordering the operation Of trains on the
Erie.