CHAPTER II.

THE DISPATCHER.

The Train Dispatcher holds a most important position as respects safety of life and property. He may perhaps do more than any other official to secure it by care or endanger it by lack of vigilance. His relations to economy, too, are important. As the time of engines, cars, and employés, and of the persons and things carried, is of value, delay avoided is money saved.

It cannot be too strongly insisted upon that the man who issues train orders should make it his especial business, and should have no interference from others. None but a very limited business will warrant the performance of this duty by the superintendent in person, or by any one engaged in other work. If it is such as to call for any approach to continuous attention, persons must be specially assigned to it. The hours of duty and the question of other occupation must depend upon the frequency and constancy of the demands of the work specially in hand. Upon a busy road where the trains are run much on orders, safety as well as efficiency will be best promoted by excluding other occupation and anything which may distract the attention of the "Train Runner," and under these circumstances a period of duty of eight hours is as long as can prudently be assigned. This conveniently divides the twenty-four hours between three men, and does not overtax them. With lighter duties a longer time may be admissible. With very heavy work, six hours may be long enough.

The importance of confining the work of dispatching, for the time being, to the individual charged with this duty, has already been referred to, and cannot be too strongly urged. The office where this work is done should be separate from others, and should not be subjected to the visits and conversation of outsiders or of employés whose business does not call them there. The Dispatcher should be a proficient operator. He may not himself transmit his orders, but he should be able to read all that passes on the wire, in order to have an intelligent understanding of what is going on. He should be thoroughly acquainted with the location and length of the various sidings, the grades and curves, the capacity of the engines, and other matters which may affect the movements of the trains he has in hand, and some experience as conductor will be of value. He should be a man of more than average ability, of good judgment, clear head, and strictly temperate habits. In many cases the chief Dispatcher is the right-hand man of the superintendent in all matters associated with the management of the trains; and a suitable recognition of the importance of the position will have a valuable effect in elevating the character of this service and in promoting its efficiency.