e, on single track
railroads. On double track lines the work is greatly simplified because
trains running in each direction have separate tracks. Does it not seem
simple? And how impossible are mistakes when its rules are adhered to.
It really seems as if any one gifted with a reasonable amount of common
sense, and having a knowledge of the rudiments of mathematics, could do
the work, but underneath all the simplicity explained, there runs a deep
current of complications that only long time and a cool head can master.
I have worked in offices and been figuring on orders for a train soon to
start out from my end of the division, when all of a sudden some train
out on the road that has been running all night, will bob up with a hot
box, or a broken draw head, and then all the calculations for the new
train will be knocked into a cocked hat.

The simple meeting order has been given above. The following examples
will illustrate some of the other many forms of orders, and are
self-explanatory.

TIME ORDER

No. 14 has a right to use ten minutes of the time of No. 13 between
Jason and Jonesboro.

SLOW ORDER

All trains will run carefully over track from one-half mile east of
Salt Water to Big River Bridge, track soft.

EXTRA ORDER

Engine 341 will run extra from DeLeon to Valdosta.

ANNULMENT ORDER

No. 15 of January 6th is annulled between Santiago and Rio.

WORK ORDER

Engine 228 will work between Posey and Patterson, keeping out of the way
of all regular trains. Clear track for extra west, engine 327 at 10:30
A. M.

When an operator has once turned his red board to the track for an
order, under no circumstances must he pull it in until he has delivered
the order for the train for which it is intended. In the meantime should
another train come in for which he has no orders, he will give it a
clearance card as follows:

To C. & E., No. 27
There are no orders for you, signal is set for No. 18.
H. G. CLARKE, Operator.

At stated times during the day, the despatchers on duty on each division
send full reports of all their trains to the divisions adjoining them
on either side. This train report is very complete, giving the
composition of each and every train on the road, and the destination of
every car. A form of the message will readily illustrate this:

SAN ANGELO, 5 | 16, 18--.
W. H. C. DS

No 17 will arrive at DS, at 10:20 A. M., with the following:

1 HH goods