Switchman

“ By the aid of this apparatus and its distant signals, connected by wire ropes, the switchman's anxieties are reduced immeasurably. By concentrating the levers of a number of switches in a single room one man can do the work of several, and to the looker-on the perplexities of the position seem to have been increased instead of diminished. ”

“ The east and west section men could run away from them on hand cars; it was the yardmen who caught it, and it grew so bad they couldn't keep a switchman. About ten o'clock at night, after Number Twenty-three had pulled in and they were distributing a trainload of bridge timber, a switch-man's lantern would go up in signal, when pist! a bullet would knock the lamp clean out of his hand, and the nerve clean out of his head. Handling a light in the Benkleton yard was like smoking a celluloid pipe—you never could tell when it would go off. ”

“ One day the superintendent asked the boss if he could give him a reliable man to replace a switchman who had just made a blunder leading to a collision, and had been discharged. The reply was: ‘Well, I’ve got a man here named Vreeland, who will do exactly what you tell him to.’ They called me up, and, after a few short, sharp questions from the train-master, I went down to the dreary and desolate marsh near Bushwick, Long Island, and took charge of a switch. ”

“ They hunted mine and looked at me and asked me questions and made me forget things, and made me think and dream and speculate; all of which are sheer suicide for a locomotive engineer.
I got a switchman and started out to limber up the "III." I asked him to let me out on the main line, took a five-mile spin, and side-tracked for a freight train. While the man was unlocking the switch, I looked into the eyes and wondered what their owner was, or could be, or had been, to "Scar Faced" [Pg 103] Hopkins, and—ran off the switch. ”

“ And besides this, safety is further promoted by a series of small signal-discs, which start up before the switchman's eyes at the right moment, and give him demonstration that he has given the right pull at the right handle. ”

“ Not far away a switch-engine stood, leisurely working the pump of its air-brake, emitting steamy sighs, as if it were snatching a moment's rest from its labors. On the damp and heavy air the voices of the engineer and fireman were borne to them. At times other switch-engines slid up and down the tracks. Curly and Archie sat down in the shadow of the lumber and waited. After a while, down the rails a white light swung in an arc, the resting switch-engine moved and began to make up a freight-train. ”

“ The switch arm, to which the handle is attached below, does not itself make and break the circuit, but carries a spring, as shown, which, when the arm is at the end of its movement, pulls over the contact lever with a rapid action, shooting the same between the divided contact piece, and making a perfect contact. The switchboard forms one side of a closed wooden case or cupboard, with sufficient room for a man to enter and adjust the resistances or switches for each lamp. ”

“ There was a lull in active duty for the veteran towerman as the noon whistles blew. Knight set the lever for a lazy switch engine taking a siding, sent the noon accommodation on her way, closed the switches after her, and gave attention to Ralph.
"Well, Fairbanks," he said, slipping his coat over one arm and changing his cap, "think you can manage?"
"I can obey orders," answered Ralph.
"That's all you have to do. The limits gives you your cue. Never forget that they are the responsible party. If they say six, make it six, if you see that it's going to bust a train of Pullmans, depot, and all. ”

“ I got it out and closed the switch just as the express came in sight. Otherwise it would have run into us, and another railroad horror would have been recorded. Now how do you account for that?”
“Had it not been for the drovers seeing the vision I should think you might have seen, standing in the rear of the car, that the switch did not close; but as you were carrying on another train of thought, perhaps thinking of your friend, you were not conscious of noticing it; and that the other part of your mind warned you. ”

“ If not trained, your switchmen will throw every switch possible beforehand so as to be ready. They may think such precautions are old womanish, but the time will come when your wisdom will be vindicated. If a train is waiting for a connection, with a siding switch in rear, the facing point switch should be opened, so that if the incoming man loses his air or misjudges distances the train will not be hit. ”

“ He shot a glance at the nearing headlight. Relying on limits signals, evidently expecting the long freight siding, in the darkness and storm taking no note of outside switches, and behind time, those in charge of the through freight had nearly full speed set.
Ralph felt the blood leave his face. Through his mind in rapid sequence ran the plat of switches at the depot yards.
"No. 6, or destruction!" he gasped. "I've got to make the choice. It's the only track open. Open--no!" ”

“ These were all the regulars Ralph had to look out for. About eleven o'clock two trains had come in. The limits tower had given siding directions on one, and a new depot terminal on the other.
This led to a mix-up, nothing worse, but Ralph wondered why the peculiar orders had been given. At 11.30, limits dialed for "Chaser on the way." None came. At 11.15 the telephone called for a double switch on a freight special. It did not show up.
"Strange!" reflected Ralph. "Old Bryson is on duty at the limits. He is exact as a die, and never jokes. ”

“ And yet an honest man of that type is the kind demanded for such a place. The interlocking of switches and signals (the arrangement in a frame of the levers moving the switches and those moving signals in such a way that the signal which tells the engineer to come on cannot be given until the switch is actually in proper position) is one of the notable improvements of the last twenty years, and is a great boon to switchmen, as well as to passengers and the owners of railroads. ”

“ But the switch paid no attention, and dealt out its blows as before, and might have been dealing them to this day, if the Holy Man had not heard their cries and come to the rescue. 'Into the bag, quick!' said he, and the switch obeyed.
'Now go and fetch me the cock and the basket,' and the woman went without a word, and placed them en the table.
'You have all got what you deserved,' continued the Holy Man, 'and I have no pity for any of you. I shall take my treasures home, and perhaps some day I may find a man who knows how to make the best of the chances that are given him. ”

“ When a railway train runs off the track because of a misplaced switch or a defective rail, there is no presumption that the engineer was careless or could have guarded against the carelessness of the switch tender or of the manufacturer of the rail. ”

“ Not every freight yard has a hump or car retarders or radio telephones. Only the biggest ones have all these{31} things. In many yards the switch engine pushes the whole train first onto one track and then onto another, dropping a car each time.
There are several kinds of switch engine, built especially for their jobs. But switching is often done with very old engines that aren’t fast enough for regular runs any more. Railroad men call an old wheezy engine a teakettle. An ordinary switch engine is a bobtail or a yard goat. ”

“ The running down of the calling device in conjunction with the operation of the exchange switches controls the action of the latter by means of an electrical circuit established through the setting of the levers so that the exchange switches are made to trunk, hunt and find lines in a manner corresponding to the lever setting. The mechanism at the exchange is driven by a motor and can therefore be provided with robust contacts. ”

“ It blinked red at him as he stood on the track facing it; the green rays were shooting up and down the line. He couldn't swing the switch—but the lamp was there—and there was the red side to show just by turning it. He remembered then that the lamp fitted into a socket at the top of the switch stand, and could be lifted off—if he could reach it!
It wasn't very high—for an ordinary-sized man—for an ordinary-sized man had to get at it to trim and fill it daily—only Toddles wasn't an ordinary-sized man. It was just nine or ten feet above the rails—just a standard siding switch. ”

“ The interlocking system is a very ingenious arrangement, by means of which the movements of a number of levers are interdependent, so that it is mechanically impossible for the signalman to move them except in their prearranged order. In approaching a switch there are two signals, the farther one indicating caution, and the home signal danger, if the switch is not locked in position so that the line is clear. The switch lever is the only one which can be moved, and its movement releases the lever of the caution signal. ”

“ Similarly, when the switch-handle was at On, the flow of electricity at once ceased, and the signal flew to "danger." The signal "all clear" could therefore only be given when the little switch was intentionally placed over to Off, and there was no other means of accomplishing this object by willfulness or accident. No accident, mechanical or electrical, could alter the miniature danger-signal. The man at our signal-box had the sole and complete control over the signal at the next box, and it was simply impossible for him to interfere with or alter the signal in his own box. ”

“ In that way I learned a great deal about the arrangement and construction of switchboards. Encountering the trouble first, I had an advantage over others in being able to suggest a remedy. So I have always thought it was a good thing to have troubles, as long as they are not too serious or too numerous. Troubles are certainly a great advantage, if we manage them correctly.
Certainly Carty made these switchboard troubles the first stepping-stone in his climb to the top in the field of telephone engineering. ”

“ A switch is a piece of apparatus for making, breaking, or changing the connections in an electric circuit.
The particular form and construction of any switch is governed by the electrical conditions under which it must operate.
Since the electric current cannot be stopped instantly when the circuit in which it is flowing, is broken, an arc is formed as the switch contacts separate; this tends to burn the contacts, and to short circuit, the severity of such action depending on the voltage and the proximity of the switch terminals. ”

“ Ma Doane sure was a worker. The supper dishes washed and put away in the cupboard, each dish in its proper place, she got out a little comb-like machine for making switches. A switch, as you probably know, if you have any old ladies in the family, is a tail of false hair. Some oldish women still use them. It’s a part of their dressing-up scheme. Camouflage, Dad calls it.
Switch making, we learned, was a sort of side line with Ma. She earned about a hundred dollars a year that way. ”

“ A direct control switchboard has all its apparatus mounted directly on the board and controlled by hand, while in the remote control type, the main current carrying parts are at some distance from the operating board, the control being effected by mechanical devices or by electric motors or solenoids. When the control system of a plant is very extensive, it sometimes occupies a separate building known as the switch house. ”

“ It furnishes many similes of graphic helpfulness in understanding more nearly much truth of the Spirit life.
In the power-house where the electricity is being wooed into man's harnessing, or generated, as the experts say, is found a switchboard, or switch-room with a number of boards. Here in a large city plant a man may go and turn a switch, that is, move a little handle, a very short distance. ”

“ Ralph was momentarily bewildered. The quartette were about to separate the last car from the train. Why?
Ike and his helper got their crowbars each under a wheel. They budged the car, and got it fairly started. Then they yelled to the other two, and, dropping the crowbars, joined them in pushing the car along by sheer shoulder strength.
Ralph stared after them in doubt and concern. Then as they took a switch with rusted rails, he clearly saw their object.
The wheels of the detached freight car, striking a sharp slant, ran away from the persons who had started it up. ”

“ The electrically operated switches may be of the open type, mounted on a slate or marble switchboard, when the whole control outfit is placed in a room which is comparatively free from dust or dirt of any kind, and where there is no danger of employees coming in contact with the switches. The other type of switch is entirely enclosed, the main contacts being oil immersed. ”

“ The ideal (switchboard) system would be one in which the operator would receive the orders to connect and disconnect from the subscriber orally, by means of a head telephone; to have in front of her a switchboard by which she could connect any two wires of the whole system, however large, without interfering with the other operators. ”

“ The other illustrations show how the same method of construction may be applied to make switches having more than one "point" or contact.
No dimensions have been given for constructing these switches, because it is doubtless easier for the young experimenter to use materials which he may have at hand, and construct a switch of his own proportions. Only one suggestion is necessary, and that is to bevel the under edges of the arm with a file, so that it will slip over the head of the brass tack more easily. ”

“ III—A PARALLEL (THE SWITCHER AND GENTLEMAN HARRY)
HAGGART and Simms are united in the praise of Borrow, and in the generous applause of posterity. Each resumes for his own generation the prowess of his kind. Each has assured his immortality by an experiment in literature; and if epic simplicity and rapid narrative are the virtues of biography, it is difficult to award the prize. The Switcher preferred to write in the rough lingo, wherein he best expressed himself. He packs his pages with ill-spelt slang, telling his story of thievery in the true language of thieves. ”