CENTAL STRAIN ON ENGINE DRIVERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1094, 8 May 1913, Page 4

CENTAL STRAIN ON ENGINE DRIVERS.

Dean R, .Wood, who takes the Twentieth Century Limited, the fastest train iu the United States, from Syracuse to Albany, was recently asked at a public hearing what his running time was between the two points. He replied :

“Two hours and forty-two minutes. That’s 148 miles iu 162 minutes. We are allowed, to make up twelve minutes for lost time, which we might drop. We can only go through Syracuse at eight miles ati hour, and there are nine other slowdowns, so that we have to run about seventy miles an hour to get in on time. In 148 miles we meet 15 1 stop signals, which I must locate iu all kinds ot weather, and if any of them are out of order I report the number of the signal when we get in.’’ “Imagine,’’ says a writer in the, American Magazine, “the dangers and responsibilities which this man meets in fair or foul weather, JO snow, in rain, in blizzards,' in fogs, throughout fhp year. A leading railroad authority has said that it is doubtful if any human being can properly manage an engine and locate a signal every thirty-five seconds. There are very few accidents on branch lines, although these are usually innocent of block signals and other appliances. The best men‘run oh life fliers : But on the branch lines average speeds of twenty and twenty-five miles an hour are the rule, whereas on main lines they average from forty to fifty-five miles, qr even more,’’