headquarters to station agents at rail stations. The order is issued
by telephone to the station agent who writes it down and repeats it
orally to the dispatcher as a check for accuracy. The station agent
gives one copy to the engineman and one to the conductor.
Suppose that train order operation were in effect for the
railway net illustrated in figure 3.2. The train dispatcher at
battalion headquarters at the port terminal wants to dispatch train
No. 44 to railhead B and give that train priority over all other
trains operating on the division. He would call the station agent at
X and tell him to hold train No. 109 there until No. 44 clears that
station. This method is superior to manual block operation because
it is more efficient and flexible. It accelerates train movements by
allowing the meeting and passing of trains on single tracks to be
arranged and changed, and train superiority can be conferred or
reversed. In train order operation, all trains are extra; none are
run on a schedule.
3.8. TIMETABLE OPERATION
The timetable method is not used until rail traffic in a theater
has been stabilized. As the title suggests, a timetable is provided
that contains a schedule of regular train movements and any special
instructions on the characteristics of that particular railway. It
gives each listed train the right to occupy a portion of track at a
given time; it tells who must wait for whom, who must take the
siding, and where. Each member of the traincrew must have a copy of
the timetable on his person at all times while on duty. Extra trains
may be run on train order from the dispatcher; they are not listed in
the timetable. An extra train must clear the main line without
interfering with trains on the timetable unless the extra is given
right by a train order over the scheduled trains. Although it is
possible that rail operations in a theater would consist entirely of
extra trains, timetable operation is normally used with train order
and manual block operation to provide more flexibility.
3.9. SUMMARY
Freight, passenger, work, wreck, and ambulance trains are all
normally operated in a theater of operations. After the rail net is
selected, the TRS units are phased into the area, and the lines are
opened for operation, the most efficient method of train operation
must be decided upon. The four methods of operation are fleet,
manual block, train order, and timetable. Fleet operation, normally
conducted in forward areas, is used before communications are
established and before railway sidings are usable. It is simply a
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