First telegraph used in railroadingIn 1851, the first time train dispatching by telegraph in the U.S. took place when superintendent Charles Minot, of the Erie Railroad telegraphed 14 miles to Goshen, N.Y., to delay a train so that his train would not have to wait. Within weeks, all Erie trains were controlled by the telegraphed orders of a train dispatcher. Until that time the timetable was the sole authority for moving trains on the line. The “time interval rule” was cumbersome: a train had to wait one hour for an opposing train. If the train still didn't arrive, the brakeman on the waiting train must walk for 20 minutes ahead of his train with a red flag to stop the late train. The engineer of the waiting train would then operate to catch up to the brakeman. The routine was repeated as necessary. |
