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1942 Quiz Book on Railroads and Railroading
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Page 6 of 1942 Quiz Book on Railroads and Railroading
RAILWAY OPERATIONS
142. How many trains are operated daily on the American railroads?
An estimate based on operations in 1941 put the number of passenger trains at 15,500 and the number of freight trains at 19.500 daily. On this basis, a passenger train starts on its run somewhere in the United States every 5.6 seconds, and a freight train starts on its run somewhere in the United States every 4.4 seconds, day and night, on the average.
143. What is an average day's railway service?
For each day of 1941 the Class I railroads performed the equivalent of moving 1,301,517,000 tons of freight one mile and 80,438,000 passengers one mile, not to mention their extensive express and mail traffic. In providing this service,
they performed the equivalent of moving 77,430,000 freight cars one mile and 8,558,000 passenger-train cars one mile. For each day of 1941 they provided 8,195,000 man-hours of employment and paid out $6,401,000 in wages, $1,496,000 in taxes, and spent $3,182,000 for fuel, materials and supplies.
144. What are the average daily revenues of the railroads of the United
States?
Revenues vary from year to year. In 1941, Class I operating revenues averaged $14,648,490 a day.
145. Where does the average railroad dollar come from?
The average dollar earned by the Class I railroads in 1941 was derived from the following sources: Freight operations, 83.2 cents; Passenger operations, 9.6 cents; Express, 1.1 cents; United States Mail, 2.0 cents;
All other sources, 4.1 cents.
146. Where does the average dollar earned from railway operations go?
The average dollar earned from railway operations in 1941 was distributed as follows:
Labor (salaries and wages) 41.3 cents; Fuel, materials, supplies, etc 23.1 cents; Taxes 10.2 cents;
Depreciation 4.2 cents; Equipment and joint rents 2.5 cents; Net railway operating income (for interest, rents, dividends, etc.) 18.7 cents
147. What is meant by operating ratio?
Operating ratio is the percentage which total operating expenses bear to total operating revenues. For instance, if a railroad's total operating revenues for a given period are $10,000,000 and its total operating expenses are $7,500,000, its operating ratio is 75 per cent. The actual operating ratio of the Class I railroads of the United States as a whole in 1941 was 68.53 per cent.
148. What is the cost of stopping and starting a train?
Statistics compiled in 1935, based upon previous years, indicated costs of from 84 cents to $2.80 for stopping and starting a passenger train, and from $1.00 to $4.80 for stopping and starting a freight train, depending upon length and weight of train, size of crew and other factors. Labor and other costs have since increased, and present-day costs would probably be greater.
149. What is a locomotive run?
A locomotive run in railway service is what might be termed a "day's work" for a locomotive. In other words, it is the operation of a locomotive from its starting terminal, station or yard to its terminating terminal, station or yard. A run may be between points on one division, or from a point on one division to a point on another division. It is usually between two important terminals, but many locomotives double back on their point and back. In other instances a run may cover the movement of a locomotive back and forth several times over a few miles of track runs, making a round trip from a terminal or station to the end of the line or some intermediate Due to greatly increased operating efficiency in the last ten or fifteen years, many locomotive runs have been increased from 100 or 200 miles to several hundred miles in length.
150. How extensively are the telephone and telegraph used in dispatching trains?
At the beginning of 1941, train orders were being transmitted by telephone on 148,676 miles of railroad, and by telegraph on 83,116 miles of railroad in this country.
151. What do the different locomotive whistles mean?
The standard code of operating rules, in force throughout the United States, prescribes many engine whistle signals, of which the following are extensively used:
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Approaching public grade crossing
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Two long, one short, one long
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Approaching station, junction or railroad crossing
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One long
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Alarm for persons or animals on track
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Succession of short toots
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Apply brakes, stop
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One short whistle
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Release brakes, proceed
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Two long whistles
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Flagman protect rear of train
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One long, three short
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Flagman return from west or south
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Four long
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Flagman return from east or north
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Five long
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Call for signals
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Four short
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Back up (when standing)
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Three short
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Stop at next station (when running)
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Three short
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152. What do the various bell-cord signals mean?
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Two shorts
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When standing, start
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Two shorts |
When running, stop at once
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Three shorts
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When standing, back up
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Three shorts
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When running, stop at next passenger station
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Four shorts |
When standing, apply or release air brakes
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Four shorts
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When running, reduce speed
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Five shorts
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When standing, recall flagman.
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Five shorts
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When running, increase speed
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Six shorts
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When running, increase train heat
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One short, one long, one short
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Shut off train heat
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One long
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When running, brakes sticking; look back for hand signals
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153. What are the standard hand, flag and lantern signals in railway train service?
A hand, flag or lantern swung across the track means stop; held horizontally at arm's length, reduce speed; raised and lowered vertically, proceed; swung vertically in a circle at half arm's length across track, back up; swung horizontally above head, when standing, apply air brakes; held at arm's length above head, when standing, release air brakes.
154. What is remote control in railway operations?
Remote control is a term used to designate the control, usually by electricity, of railway signals, switches and other devices from a tower room or other point located some distance away from the actual scene of train operations. A remote control system may be confined to a yard or terminal, or it may apply to main-line operations over more than 100 miles of road.
155. Have casualties at railway-highway grade crossings been reduced?
The number of persons who met death in highway-grade crossing accidents in the United States was reduced from 2,568 in 1928 to 1,808 in 1940. The number of casualties per 10,000 motor vehicles registered was reduced in the same period
from 3.42 to 1.88.
156. Are many accidents at highway-railway grade crossings caused by automobiles running into the sides of trains?
Thirty-five out of every 100 automobile accidents at highway-railway grade crossings in 1940 were due to automobiles running into the sides of trains.
157. How much would it cost to separate all railway-highway grade crossings in the United States?
The average cost of eliminating highway grade crossings by the construction of underpasses or overhead bridges is in the neighborhood of $85,000 each. Since there are 230,285 grade crossings in the country, the total cost of separating all grades would be in the neighborhood of $19,600,000,000. This is equal to about three-fourths of the total railway investment in the United States.
158. How many trespassers on railway property are fatally injured in a year?
The number of trespassers killed ranged from 2,027 to 2,826 annually during the 10-year period ended December 31,1940.
159. What is the safety record of the railroads with reference to the transportation of explosives?
Approximately 600,000,000 pounds of high explosives, including dynamite, black and smokeless powder, explosive ammunition and blasting caps, were transported by the railroads of the United States and Canada in 1940 without accident, death
or injury. This was the fourteenth consecutive year in which the railroads hung up a perfect safety record in the handling of explosives.
160. In what research activities are the railroads engaged?
More than 170 technical committees of the Association of American Railroads are at work on numerous problems in connection with railroad operations in efforts to reduce operating costs, increase safety and bring about further improvements in plant, equipment and service. Many individual railroads are conducting independent research with the same objects in view.
161. What are the requirements of the railroads "with reference to the regulation of watches?
The standard rule is that watches must not vary more than 30 seconds per week from perfect time. On most railroads, watches must be submitted for comparison weekly, semi-monthly or monthly and for inspection monthly, quarterly or semi-annually. The rule applies to certain classes of officers and employees in the operating and mechanical departments, including trainmasters, train dispatchers, traveling engineers, yardmasters, engine foremen, conductors, trainmen, locomotive engineers and firemen. Train service employees and certain others must also compare their watches with designated standard clocks before commencing each day's work or each trip.
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