e. Fifth example.
Caller:
"Dispatcher?"
Dispatcher:
"Yes?"
Caller:
"RK tower. How's No. 86?"
Dispatcher:
"Ten minutes late leaving Maxey.
'High Wheel' Johnson is
pulling it though, so he'll probably be looking at you on
time."
Caller:
"Okay."
3.7.
EMERGENCY USE
Occasionally, the dispatcher circuit is used for conversations that have
no connection with main-track business, and in which the dispatcher has no
interest.
An example might be that of using the dispatcher's circuit to
connect two yards 30 or 40 kilometers apart, when it is impossible to place
the calls over the usual long-distance lines. Such calls should not be made
over the dispatcher's circuit unless they are important and cannot be
completed otherwise. The dispatcher's wire is usually the most dependable
on the railroad, and dispatchers in general are cooperative about its use if
the circuit is not particularly busy.
However, they usually insist that
such conversations be as brief as possible, and they usually await a lull in
business before completing such a call. Following is a typical example.
Caller:
"Dispatcher?"
Dispatcher:
"Yes?"
Caller:
"This is Billings, yardmaster at Maxey.
Can you ring the
West yard at Conroy? Our operator can't raise them."
Dispatcher:
"Okay, I'll try."
Voice:
"West yard, Conroy."
Caller:
"Billings, Maxey yard.
Engine 2840, Conductor Boyle, out
of there about 4 hours ago, had UP 105104 and no waybill.
What can you tell me about it?"
Voice:
"Just a minute.... Yes, we have the bill. It's a car of
merchandise for the Crawfordsville freight house. I have a
couple of new clerks here, who must have slipped up. This
place is a madhouse."
Caller:
"I know what you mean, but that car is hot stuff. How soon
can you get the waybill to us?"
Voice:
"Well, No. 61 will be leaving here in 20 minutes. I'll see
that the bill is put on the express car if you can have
someone meet the train."
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