Suppose that a secondclass train, No. 512, has departed station
A for the railhead, and that a firstclass train, No. 3, has left
station D for the port. Train No. 3 would ordinarily meet No. 512
between C and B. However, you do not want No. 3 stopped or held to a
slower speed, and since it has superiority by class over No. 512, the
secondclass train, No. 512, will take a siding (clear the main
track) at B and wait for No. 3 to pass before it proceeds.
Superiority of trains, then, is determined by class established in
the timetable.
Now, look at figure 1.1 and you find a conflict between trains
of the same class. In this example, direction determines which train
is superior. Remember that the superior direction given on the
timetable is east from the port to the railhead. Two firstclass
trains are involved. Train No. 6 is headed to station A from the
port, and train No. 5 is approaching A from B. Number 5 will take a
siding at A and wait for No. 6 to pass before it continues to the
port because No. 6 is superior by direction.
Again, in figure 1.1 the dispatcher wishes to overrule the
timetable authority by issuing a train order. Number 8 is a first
class train approaching station D in the superior direction; however,
an ambulance train, Extra 303 West, is ready to depart the railhead,
or station E, for a hospital located near the port, Because ambulance
trains are normally given priority, the dispatcher issues the train
orders shown in figure 1.2. They give Extra 303 West right over No.
8, and the firstclass train will not go beyond station D before the
extra train has arrived. When superiority is taken away from No. 8
and right conferred on Extra 303 West, orders must be issued to No. 8
first and then to Extra 303 West. As each operator receives his
order he writes it as received and repeats it back to the sender for
a check of accuracy.
The preceding paragraphs explain that trains have superiority by
right, by class, or by direction. The next discussion presents the
types of military trains used in a theater.
1.8. TYPES OF TRAINS
The four basic types of trains generally found in a theater are
freight, passenger, ambulance, and work trains. Unlike commercial
railroads in the United States, the transportation railway service
does not normally give passenger trains superiority over freight
trains. Moving supplies to support the combat forces in a theater is
the primary mission of the TRS. However, when troop movements
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