The daily sentinel., 1913-12-30
TELEPHONES PROVE
FOR
TRAIN D|SPATCH|NG
Superiority Of System Over TEL
egTaph Is Demonstrated on
D. & R. G. Railroad.


Telephones demonstrated their
superiority over the telegraph in
train dispatching on the Denver &
Rio Grande during the recent snow
storms. Freight trains which had
been stalled on the road between sta
tions had extra engines sent them
within short time and were under
way in less time than the conductor
could have walked to telegraph
office and get into communication
with the dispatcher. Passenger
trains and fast freights were run as
near to schedule as possible in view
of the heavy snow and were not de-
layed by being held behind freight
trains which had been stalled.
The severest test which the tele-
phone was subjected to was last
week, when the tracks were covered
with snow. Heavy freight trains
were held up at various points on
the road because of slippery rails
and SHOWS. Heretofore this has been
one great trouble in the operating
department, but through the use of
telephone box which is placed on
every thirty-seventh telephone pole
the conductors were enabled to COM
municate with dispatchers without
delay. AS soon as the condition of
the train was made known to the
dispatcher another engine was sent
to the assistance of the stalled
train.
All train dispatching between
Grand Junction and Salt Lake is
done over telephones which have
been in use only about thirty days.
Telegraph offices are maintained and
operators are kept in reserve for use
on the telegraph wire in case the
telephone system should be over
worked or break down. When
train crew calls for orders they are
given through the operators in tow
ers and the conductor or engineer
can talk direct to the dispatcher and
explain fully the condition of the
rails. the engine or the train and II
assistance is needed it can be sent
at once. II the train is caught be-
tween telegraph stations the con-
ductor or the engineer can so to
telephone box and get into communi-
cation with the dispatcher without
being compelled to walk several
miles to telegraph office.
Wire Trouble Avoided.
The telephone wires are of copper,
while telegraph wires are of iron.
The ground circuit is used in tele-
graphing and the metallic circuit in
telephoning. This does away with
much wire troubles in stormy wealth
er and during the recent storms
there was no trouble with the tele-
phone wires while the telegraph wire
trouble was frequent. Communica-
tions with the dispatchers offices
in Salt Lake, Helper and Grand
Junction has not been once inter-
rupted since the installation of the
telephone system of dispatching.
Trains have been kept moving day
and night with the least possible
DELAY and the showing made so far
by the new system has so impressed |
the Denver & Rio Grande officials
that plans are under way for ex-
tending the telephone system of train |
iispatching over the entire system.
At present the Pennsylvania, San
ia Fe and the Baltimore g. Ohio
are the leading railroads using the |
telephone system of train dispatch
ng. The trial by the Denver & Rio
.srande is said to be the most severe
est which the system has received.
is this road passes through rougher
country than any of the above roads
md at a higher altitude. Heavy
'nows make telegraphing and rail-
'oading hard. With the new system
he Rio Grande hopes to keep traf-
ic moving at all times. All passen-
ser trains have run on their sched-
lies between Grand Junction and
SALT Lake since the installation 4of
he. telephones, which was not the
ase with the telegraph.
J. w. Baldwin is here from, ped