Evening star., 1937-09-05
By Malinche Macev0y.

himself has said, How
- would like to ride In the en-
gine cab!"? The answer is, Of course,
NO" for from small boyhood and
Eirlhood all of us have nursed a de-
sire to ride the iron horse, to get
right up there with the engineer, to
zee, perhaps to handle, the gadgets.
Often while travelling on train
I've had this yen, just like any one
else, and now I can recapture the
experience for you, tell you what 1t
feels like. It wasn't an ordinary en-
gine that I rode, but the most mod
ern creation in rail transportation
Diesel streamliner.
My experience began when was
turned over by the conductor of the
Baltimore & Ohio's Royal Blue to
the "maintaineer" or keeper Of the
four Diesel motors. The "maintaineer"
wore striped overalls and a long
visored trainman's cap. but might
Just as we'll have Worn linen suit
everything was so immaculate.
My guide looked as clean as if
he had been in a surgical operating
room. He led the way along one Of
the narrow catWalks that run be-
tween the trains sides and the huge
Diesels that occupy the entire length
of the two cars just behind the cab.
The steady whirring and throbbing
Of the engines made conversation out
of the question. I started to say
something only to find 1 could not
even hear myself. The "maintaineer"
and I both laughed and went on
through the doors and into the next
car, where the other two motors were
installed.
Following the catwalk as before,
We arrived at some small metal steps,
up which We went. My guide opened
the door for me to enter the cab and,
following close behind, closed the
door. What difference! One could
hear and speak again, and all was
as calm as in the passenger cars to
the rear.
I was introduced to the engineer,
fireman, a factory representative and
= special train dispatcher. The dis
patcher offered me his seat, which
was similar to that occupied by the
engineer, but placed on the left side
of the cab, while that Of the engineer
was on the right. The seat was sur
prisingly comfortable and like a bus
seat, only larger.
My first impression upon entering
the cab was a startling one. I don't
know why it had not occurred to me
before, but l had expected to see more
engine hood or something in front
of the cab. Instead, here was, look
ing out of shatterproof glass windows
shaped like aviator's goggles, each
equipped with giant windshield wiper
and a black-enameled sun visor.
The fireman said, We are doing 80
miles per hour right now This is a
down grade 1 could hardly believe it.
1t did not feel as fast as so in my own
car, but there was a sensation of
"rocketing," and when we rounded
curves felt as If in the front seat Of
q roller coaster car.
The train dispatcher explained the
signals to me before he left the train,
so now that We we're approaching
clear green light, high up above the
tracks on a tall pole, it indicated to
me that we had a clear track for two
blocks A block in railroad par
lance means the distance from one
signal to another. If the high light
had been yellow, it would have been
An indication that we had a clear
track for one block In other words,
when we reached the next signal the
engineer would reduce speed. BY high
light is meant the top light of the two
always on the same signal block. The
bottom one is red.
Ordinarily daytime signals are arm"
signals, arms" that can be moved
in various directions set up high on
"signal bridges shafts suspended by
uprights over the tracks. When the
arm is in horizontal position it cor
responds to the one-block yellow light
signal, and when it is set at almost
e0-degree angle it corresponds to
two-block green light signal.
EVERYTHING was serene when
suddenly I was startled by
series of loud explosions that seemed
to come from under the train. I
had visions of exploding motors and
destruction and exclaimed. What on
earth is that?" The factory repre-
sentative smiled and said, Those are
torpedoes. They are set OF as an
emergency warning measure. They
warn the engineer that something is
ahead on the same track; that he
should cut speed and keep sharp
lookout"
The reason for the explosions soon
became apparent-a long freight train
on a local track. 1t had been moved
from the express track (the inside
tracks on a four-track stretch are
express, while the outer two are for
local trains)
We sped past but had not gone
very far when l was startled by more
explosions. This time I laughed be-
cause I was educated" and knew
what it was all about. The tor
pedoes this time were warning to
vorkmen on the track, and as we
approached I could see them scram-
bling hurriedly to one side.
While looking intently ahead I no.
ticed strange array of what re-
sembled giant fringes strung from
rods placed high above the tracks
and several feet from the approach
to overhead passes, such as bridges
and tunnels. The factory representa-
tive explained, They are placed there
to warn trainmen who might happen
to be riding standing up on top of a
freight car that the train is coming
to a low overhead The dangling
ropes touch him on the head and he
Immediately knows that in the next
minute they will be in the danger
zone, 50 he ducks while he can"
I then followed my guide back
through the engine cars and away
from the deafening hum of motors,
where We could talk. I was very
anxious to hear something about the
various things he had stopped to point