H ere is the second in a series of posts from Calgary Chapter MTC Board member Larry Isenor.
Today Larry discussed the Timetable and why modifications for that were developed through the use of the Telegraph to adjust train operations.
You can start from the beginning of Larry's series with Part 1 here.
Enjoy
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The job of the Train Order Operator
and
Timetable and Train Order Operations
by Larry Isenor
Part 2
Timetables
The first part of timetable and train order operation is the timetable. If everything goes according to plan the timetable would provide the authority for train operation and no intervention by the dispatcher would be necessary. In the earliest days of railroading there may have only been one train on the line and no method of keeping trains apart was needed. Later as more traffic was offered most lines were double track with one track for each direction. Still no problem with more than one train on the line. It was soon seen that double track was not needed on the whole line but only at points where trains would meet each other. Single track lines with passing sidings were constructed as they were cheaper than double track.
A way of keeping opposing trains apart was needed so the timetable was invented. In order for the timetable to work some standard time was needed as most towns set noon when the sun was directly overhead. The Baltimore and Ohio, one of the earliest railroads in North America operated all its trains on Baltimore time. Other railways operated on the time at their headquarters city. This became very cumbersome and Sir Sanford Fleming who surveyed a number of early railways in Canada developed the system of standard time we use today where most clocks are changed only when we have travelled far enough to be 1 hour different from the adjacent time zone.
The timetable showed the points at which each train would meet another. This was no problem if trains ran on time but of course delays often occurred which resulted in trains waiting for hours for the opposing train to arrive. Because some trains were more important than others (For example passenger trains were more important than freight trains and through freights were more important than local freights), a system of train superiority was developed. Canadian Pacific used 4 classes of train. Since trains of the same class would operate in both directions one direction was made superior to the other direction. In Canada usually Eastbound and Southbound trains are superior by direction. If you are an Eastbound First Class train you never have to wait for another train.
Of course this helped Superior trains but the less important trains could still be left waiting for superior trains to arrive. Even First class trains of inferior direction could be left waiting if the superior train was late. On September 22, 1851 this was the situation when Charles Minot the Superintendent of the Erie Railroad was left waiting for a superior Eastbound train in upstate New York. He telegraphed ahead to the next station and inquired if the superior train had left.
When he was informed no he told the agent to hold the train. He instructed the crew to proceed and under the rules they refused. He took the throttle himself and ran the train to the next station. He then repeated the procedure until he arrived at a station where the superior train had left the next station. This was the beginning of train orders. Over the next few years procedures were put in place to allow the use of train orders to modify schedules. The officials of the major U.S. railroads met in 1889 to standardize the rules for operation by train orders and this system continued with some modifications until the late 1970's. The last train order operations were on the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1984 when it was ruled that persons other than operators (usually the train crew) could copy orders and instructions to trains.
The system used dispatchers to issue the orders and operators at lineside stations to deliver the order to the crews and notify the dispatcher as the trains passed their stations.
Train Order Operations
Three major players are involved in train order operations. These are the dispatcher, the train order operators, and the train crews.
The dispatcher is responsible for the smooth operation of the railway and for ensuring that train orders do not compromise safety. The main tools of the dispatcher are a large trainsheet (very similar to a timetable) on which to record the times and locations of trains, A train order book, and the telegraph (later telephone) line to the operators.
The operator is responsible for relaying train orders to the passing trains and relaying train passing times to the dispatcher (OSing trains). Train orders are copied from the dispatcher and repeated back before delivery. In most cases the order can be relayed by train order hoop to the passing trains but in some cases they had to be signed for by the crew (We do not do this at Heritage Park.) When a train has passed it should be recorded on the train register and an OS should be sent promptly by the operator.
The tools used by the operator are the telegraph, the train order signal, the train register, train order and clearance forms and the train order hoops for delivering the orders. Currently we are making up train orders at Midnapore and delivering them to trains but in the future we may try to transmit them by telegram. We have also been sending an OS when the train has passed although it goes to no one at the current time.
The train order signal is used to notify the trains that we have orders for them. Some stations have a 3 aspect signal (red, yellow, and green) but our stations only have 2 aspect signals (red and green) The red signal indicates stop for orders so we modify the aspect with a yellow flag to indicate orders may be picked up on the fly.
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Next month Larry will show some examples of actual Train orders and clearances.
For all of Larry's Operator-Agent posts click Operator-Agent in the labels box on the left.
