3.5.
SECOND CATEGORY
Calls falling into the second category are requests for information that
do not directly affect main-track operations but are related. Yardmasters,
trainmasters, signal maintainers, and others may make the calls; they
request a wide range of information. Three typical examples follow.
a. First example.
Caller:
"Dispatcher?"
Dispatcher:
"Yes?"
Caller:
"This is Trainmaster Duncan at RK tower. What do you have
on the railroad?"
Dispatcher:
"Just about the normal run for this time of week, sir.
Have you a pencil ready?"
Caller:
"Shoot!"
Dispatcher:
"All right, coming east I have Extra 9525 with 125 empty
hoppers by LY at 1757. Maxey has another mixture of loads
and empties COD* at 1800. Have not received a consist yet.
Going west, an extra with 125 cars of coal should be
entering Maxey right now. Another tonnage train should be
hitting BO bell any minute. That's about the works!"
Caller:
"I see.
Is Conroy going to have anything else before the
symbol freights** get here?"
Dispatcher:
"No, not before.
It looks like a solid AY train right
after midnight and a cleanup train a couple of hours
later."
Caller:
"How does it look for the symbol trains?"
Dispatcher:
"According to Conroy yardmaster, it looks like CM-1** will
be a little heavy--75 to 80 cars. But CM-3 will be about
the usual length--50 to 60 cars.
Both should be out of
Conroy right on time."
______________
* Called on duty.
** A symbol train is usually a freight train carrying high-priority goods.
It operates on a somewhat regular schedule and may or may not be listed
in the timetable.
Such a train takes priority over an extra carrying
regular freight. The designator it carries shows its points of origin
and destination as well as its direction.
For example, BC-3 would
indicate a westbound train traveling from Boston to Chicago.
The odd
number 3 shows it is westbound; an even number would appear in the
designator of an eastbound train.
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