Year: 1874

u
1smes recently visited the signal office at
the Grand Central Depot in New York.
and thus tells how 14O trains of cars are
received and dispatched every day:


"This is a little room at the northern
entrance Of the depot, about thirty feet
above the pavement. It is reached by a
Looking down the depot there was space
of more than 600 feet extent by 200 feet
breadth, covered with an iron roof and
lighted from the top. Trains of cars were
coming and going necessarily; but no
as my friend said, went on like clock
work. There were two operators in SER
vice here, relieving each other during a
m. to eleven at night, their motions being
regulated by large and costly clock.
The gentleman in charge received us very
politely; but before we had hardly
thanked him we heard the sharp and rapid
ring of bell overhead. 1t was marked
Ninety-si1th to Seventy-fifth street.
You see,' said the operator, there's a
train coming in, and it wants to know if
ring that bell?' BY electricity was the
A~PAys Al q ~" A1luUtCo 0AOGA1CA OCl1
rang. 1t was marked 'Sixty-drst to
reports itself again. said the operator; !;
for it or to signal it to stop He
touched telegraphic machine, and then
said: This throws up the signal to come
in.' And sure enough, in few minutes
the train arrived. One hundred and forty
oSy7o nd vt IN Ind
ing the Central Hudson, the Harlem and
nal service is one of incessant activity.
The operator then Informed US that each
road has four starting bells, Of different
keys, all of which were rung by him by
means of electricity. Three started pas
cars as soon as emptied. You see,' said
he, this train which has just come in.
The passengers are gone and l want to
know if the baggage is taken OUT He
touched stop and rang bell las he said)
600 feet distant. In moment a bell over
head struck twice. Baggage is OUT he
said, otherwise he would have struck
once, and l would have waited. I must
order the train ont. Do you see the loco.
motive just ahead? Well. now see it
d
letter z displayed at window in side
building. He hears bell ring, also,'
said the operator. The engine backed
down and hitched to the empty train and
the q disappeared. Il shall now send
him out said the operator, as he touched
another stop; and the empty train at once
moved forward and left the depot. The
letters X Y z Il may add parenthetically)
designate the locomotives Of the Harlem,
Hudson River and New Haven Roads, and
are the signals to back down and connect
with trains.


al am now about to send out a pas
senger train,' continued the operator. A
half hour ago struck twice to open the
doors and let the passengers pass from
the sitting-room to the cars. Now I shall
soon close that very door; but first I
must stop checking baggage A small
knob was touched by his finger. Now
said he, the next trunk that comes must
wait for another train. There (another
touch with The finger), the baggage car is
hauled out and switched on to the right
track. Five minutes more and she is Off
Here goes the close-the.door bell "a
touch) no one passes in after this. Now
l say: "All aboard!' IA touch), and we
echoing through the vaulted roof Now
it moves (another touchl and the rumb-
ling motion was Immediately perceptible,
and in few moments the train left the
depot: As the cars go up the road they
signal their progress by ringing bells in
this same Office until they have got
through the city streets, and thus give as
surance of clear track for all that may
follow. The depot will contain twelve
frains of thirteen cars each, and by means
to this wonderful system they are all
managed with dispatch and safety"