Evening star., 1926-11-14

NO. 314a runs Iikc Il fresh horse.
Her whistle shouts 4 deep thrnI,
bing warning to anybody who might
be in the way and tells them IT, c'.tl.
the track. She rocks ironj ~ide IT,
side like a ship il, "a :;a'r AMI SIN,
makes rthe rails sing as size pounds
them for footing To move ahead still
faster. Black dorI. rushcs past the
cab window. broken now and then
I by flashes of light tha; 50 for way
side stations or brilliant Stre;akS oi
yellow that are factory Windows. Bush
las her wide open and she's hitting il
up. Hold your hand out of the Cjtt'
window. the rushing wind grabs 10
/ 9 id tries 10 snatch it away. Bush.
hunched on his seat like - jockc!
coming down the home stretch, peer
always ahead. ON his eyes alone dr
pend the safety of this numbering
: mass of steel and the passengers care.
lessly and leisurely sprJWling in thei'
cushioned seats rcadin@ na@42incS it'
/ the coaches behind We are running
almost in pitch dark. Hush has his
| headlight dimmed mos uf the time
| to keep from binding the eyes OF the
, engineers on the trains that pass u
/ going the other way i;Ish Jerks
down on his whistle now and then,
| footing a. warning for a Grade cross
| ing. Bur there's no slowing down.
| the public wants speed. aud the lin
! tied is late. The chances of the moron
| driver who finds himself ON u grade
crossing in our path are less than ON"
| in a thousand. Bush depends on thu
| other fellow to keep himself out o.
| the War just as he depends on th"
| other fellow 10 give MS q right Of way
| down that shimuierinS path in front
| If the other fellow fails-hut that
| railroading.
| Somebody ia a lonely switch tower
| along the hunmiug rails pulls loveI-
| that shunts the limited from the fasr
passenger track we've been trdyclin:
| To a freight track The difference Is
| almost as marked az the change from
| n concrete to a dirt road. Number
| 3749 increases her rattle and her bangs
| and her crazy lurChes IN proportion
| She also slows down some. The speed
limit on a freight track is only ="
| miles an hour.
| Phelps, perSpira tiOn streaming iron.
| his ruddy face. comes over ana
| screamingly explains the change
| Even the limited gets shunted off the
/ ms To take "A freight track This
| time it is probably due 20 No. s.
| difficulties with the careless autom"-
| bile. Phelps has had SO much -
| planning 10 do that he is beginning ("
get hoarse.
| A string Of yellow beads ahetd
| signals Manhattan Transfer. ~"
! 3749 slows down and stops. painting.
| at the far end OF the platform, Will"
! DonohUe. conductor, runs up along
| side, watch In hand, checking UP with
| his engineer over the cause Of theii
running late. They both agree tina
| It was No. 8s fault.
| But there's little time Tor expland
| tions. The limited Is allowed two
| minutes at Manhattan Transfer amt
| in this time No. 3749 bids sOod-by
and hustles off for q rest and
cleaning In u roundhouse a short dis
| tance away, while u sleek electri"
/ locomotive takes her place as pilot
of the Congressional for the remain
! Ing nine miles into New York.
! The new pilot is a colorless thing
| but highly efficient. as most colorless
| things are. IL is quiet and clean. II
moves over the rails with IL smooth
purr instead Of the clanking, grind
| ing. kissing roar that marks the
progress Of No. 3749.
| Instead of Bush, iron mustache and
gray hair. hand on his throttle and
peerins far out OF his cab window
through goggles that protect his eyes
from the clouds Of smoke. his figur..
half Obscured at times by swirling
steam, young man sits in q chair
manipulating Il lever and conVersin2
easily in q drawing room voice. In
stead of Phelps. balancing himself
on swaying platform OF slippery
steel, tirelessly throwing shovel after.
shovel of coal into Il white-ho: fire.
another young man sits cOmforta bly
IN chair, smoking q cigarette ana
leisurely announcing the signals a.
theS bob up out of the dark Behind
them comes the swaying line OF
lighted coaches. just as speedily and
just as faithfully as they followed
old 3749. But the thrill OF riding on
| an engine has gone. with No. 3749, L.
the roundhouse.
The Congressional slips silently
into the tube under the river and .