Evening star., 1928-04-28
HANDLE 3D1 TRAINS
DAILY AT TERMINAL
Five Men in Tower Keep
Traffic at Union Station
Running Smoothly.


the semaphores Straighten up. No. 40'
rolls into Washington Terminal over in
Vulnerable switches and up TO Unioi
Station.
1t all seems perfectly simple II yot
are sitting in one of the coaches of No
4os. The track is all clear and yot
stop on track Is with a flock of reocapS
waiting on the platform To take youl
hsggage. Everything has been set tc
take care of YOU, and you probably
walk through the gates with the idea
that your train is the only one any
body is paying any attention to on this
particular day.
AS matter of fact your train is one
Of xactly sol which use Washington
Terminal regularly every day. For the
use of these 30l trains there are nine
tracks leading into the terminal. these
nine 6iverAng into 80 at the station
That is an average Of about 10 trains
for every track. not counting special
trains and the shifting engines which
are huzzing about all the time. There
are l9l switches and signals TO be
watched all the time Yet every one
of these sol trains come i'll on its right
tarck.
Center of Direction.
Right in the heart of the maze Of
tracks that is Washington Terminal IS
a little house Two stories are occupied
by contacts for automatic switches -
700 Of them. The third floor Is IN
closed on all four sides by glass. Look
in any direction and YOU will see
nothing but tracks and signals.
LII this little room are the five men
who direct the destinics OF the 3gl
trains that enter or leave the terminal
each day This is X tower, the central
unit Of the terminals signal SYSTEM.
There are two other towers. c tower.
at the entrance of the terminal, and
tower, at the station. but IL Is in *
tower that most of the complicated
work Of switching and routing is done.
The most conspicuous feature OF the
room is a huge board on one side OF the
room with every track. every switch
and every signal marked upon 1t. The
tracks are shown by narrow lines cut
out of the board. behind which are
electric lights When the track lire
shows UP lighted the track is empty.
AS soon as a train passes a switch ara
gets on one of the tracks a contact IN
the rail flashes the signal TO the board
and tie line goes dark When 1t passes
the next switch the first section lights
up again and the next section becomes
dark. BY looking at the board you can
see at a glance the position OF every
train IN the terminal.
Safety Devices Abound.
In the middle Of the room is long
table. On its sides are the i9i switch
and signal levers. Under its glass top
is the mechanism which works the
lock system that prevents the throwing
- -,
controlling signal has been thrown.
This lis one of the principal safety de-
vices Of modern railroading and IT
eliminates accidents caused by switches
being thrown by mistake.
Al each end of the room are dials
corresponding with the track signals.
A miniature semaphoTe on the dial
shows the position of the semaphores
on the track and tells the men in the
tower at a glance whether the track
Is clear or occupied.
All the routing is done by two train
directors and an assistant train di-
rector. who sit at one end OF the tower.
On all sides of them are dials. lights,
signals, buzzers and innumeyable de-
vices which show them the position OF
sH trains, the condition Of all tracks
and everything in fact. that is going
On IN the yards. To the stranger 1t
Is a tumble OF unintelligibie signals. To
the men familiar with it all il is as
clear as motion picture Of the whole
terminal.
How II All Works.
Suppose We see how IL ali works. We
have taken trip up into K tower, es-
co-ted by Signal Maintainer G. T. CAL
latan. Mr.. Callahan has explained how
everything works. and we have tried 10
remember so much that we have regis
tered nothing. At the end Of the tower
are two train directors, G. z. Thompson
and C. b. Won Drehle. and their as
sistanf, W L. Babbitt. In the middle
Of the room, near ths levers. are the
tao ieYermen, W. l.. Keili and ID. W.
Sullivan. Mr. Thompson is IN charge
for the day II Is s.45.
A Voice speaks from a loud speaker:
'tEend 81 IN I3." Eixty-one is Baiti-
more IL Ohio train from Baltimore. and
10 is sne number Of It's assigned track.
The train is due at $50.
Mr. Thompson begins working but
ton while Mr.. Callahan explains
That's TO get the track clear" Dials
begin TO move and a buZzer somewhere
sends a signal
a moment later the loud speaker
talks again: "One- -foYty-seVen on 49,"
Another Baltimore H. Ohio from Balt-
more. Mr. Thompson starts working
with both hands and listening With
both ears. HE shouts 10 the ievermen
something that sounds ike this: 'Brrup
blakup tanarup."
Worked by Compressed Air.
Apparently IT was intelIigible TO the
tegeTfnen, They start moving things, a
req lever. then two black ones: another
red and another black We look hastily
oat Of the window and see senaphore
rsge 10 the vertical position. and sec
9nd later there is a hiss of compressed
air and switch jumps.
Ng. Callahan explains again: ".rhe
witches wOFk by compressed air and
sock By electricity. They run In relays
When that semapil0re' pointing down
ne tracks, up none of these switches
can he thrown until the signal Is
changed" lie illustrated by trying 10
tl2TgW switch. The lever won't bulge
That's for safety" he says The only
thing that can err is human judgment
II the power should fail the semaphore
@oulc fall of It's own weight and hold
ap the train"
He points 10 the big board In the
HAsle " lines Two can be- dsseeTned that
are lighted from one end Of the board
" tne other
Train Soon Passes BY.
Here she cornes" The long. bright
asne That Is track Is becomes dark al
me end 4 moment later second SEC
ion daTkeg1S and the first becomes light
again The dsrk strip moves on toward
lie square IN the middle of the board
mat iiao1eates the position Of the tower.
ia another minute tie locomotive APP
peafs. i9rabefs past the tower and goes
% 18Barc tke station. The dark strip
NOES down the DoSfe ~ the end and
stops. no 81 lg in. It Il $50.
@Hefes l47." says Mr.. Callahan, and
the process IL repeated gD track iG
RIO. ~ stops At the station 81 ez-
sef5y q b5
ran.-a....l.all a..n.an4ltlran aaaA keer nl,art