Semaphore - January 1953

What Do You Know?

Test your knowledge of railroad and railroading. The answers are below. If you answer 5 of the following questions correctly, you are good; if you answer 6 of 7, you are very good; if you answer 8 or 9, you are way above average; if you answer all 10, you are a whiz.

1. Where is the world's largest railway library -- in Chicago, Washington, D. C., New York City, or London, England?

2. What is the distinction between a pannsenger car and a passenger train car?

3. How far does the average freight shipment travel by rail -- about 200, 300 or 400 miles?

4. Is the folding structure atop an electric locomotive used for transmitting electric current from an overhead wire to the locomotive known as a pantograph, a catenary, or a trolley?

5. Guess within 100,000 the average number of persons employed by the Class I railroads in 1951.

6. In what standard time zone is Ohio--Eastern or Central?

7. About how many carloads of revenue freight originated daily on the Class I railroads in 1951 -- 66,- 000; 111,000; or 155,000.

8. What department of the railroads is primarily responsible for making and adjusting freight rates -- Accounting, Engineering, Operating, or Traffic?

9. How much do railroads receive on the average, for carrying a passenger one mile -- about 2 1/2 cents, 3 1/2 cents, or 4 1/2 centes?

10. What is a receiving track -- a track used for arriving trains in a freight yard; a track used for unloading cars at a freight station; or a track where cars are transferred from one railroad to another?

Answers

1. Washington, D. C. 2. A passenger car carries passengers, while a passenger train car is any car commonly used in passenger train operations. 3. About 400 miles. The average haul in 1951 was 420 miles. 4. Pantograph. 5. 1,276,000. 6. Eastern. 7. About 111,- 000 on the average. 8. Traffic Department. 9. About 2 1/2 cents -- 2.6 cents, to be exact. 10. A track yard used for arriving trains in a freight yard.

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Class I railway taxes in the first ten months of 1952 amounted to $1,052,000,- 000, compared with $984,000,000 in the corresponding period of 1951, an increase of $68,000,000 or 6.9 per cent.

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In the twelve-month period ended September 30, 1952, Class I railroads earned an average return of 4.25 per cent on property investment -- 1.75 per cent short of the 6 per cent return which business leaders regard as necessary for the maintenance of sound health and credit standing in the industry.

[image: comic regarding railroad history]

January IN RAILROAD HISTORY

FIRST FARE-PAYING PASSENGERS ON AN AMERICAN RAILROAD CARRIED AT BALTIMORE JANUARY 7, 1830.

FIRST THROUGH TRAIN COMPLETED RUN FROM CHICAGO TO OHIO RIVER AT CAIRO, JANUARY 8, 1855

GROUND BROKEN AT CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, JANUARY 9, 1830, FOR FIRST RAILROAD IN THE UNITED STATES TO EMPLOY STEAM POWER REGULARLY

16 SEMAPHORE

[image: line drawing of people working] Along the Line NEWS ABOUT THE FOLK WHO KEEP THE TRAINS ROLLING

GENERAL OFFICES

[image: toddler holding doll]

Bronze H. Trull, III, above, is the 17month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Bronze H. Trull, Jr. of Charlotte. Mr. Trull is in the purchasing department.

Harry L. Holder, youngest son of Auditor of Disbursements R. L. Holder, left Charlotte on January 6 to enter military service as an air cadet at Harlingen, Texas. He worked for the P & N during summar vacations while attending the University of North Carolina.

Mr. and Mrs. Milton R. Watts have announced the birth of a son, Roy Hill Watts, at the Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte on January 5. The Watts also have a five-year-old daughter.

Miss Marion Jackson, daughter of Traveling Auditor and Mrs. W. G. Jackson was married on January 24 to Henry Franklin McLester of Charlotte at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Charlotte.

William E. Taylor, a native of Charlotte, has recently accepted a position in the accounting department.

Assistant Auditor of Disbursements A. C. Moore, Jr. and Mrs. Moore enjoyed a trip to Florida last month with their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Corrigan of Washington, D. C. They visited Del Ray Beach, Marineland, Lakeland and other points of interest.

C. N. Sherrill spent the Christmas holidays with his daughter, Mrs. Margaret Jester, in Washington, D. C.

Blanche Fite spent the Christmas holidays with her mother and uncle in Maryville, Tenn. She was accompanied on the trip by her daughters, Sally and Joyce, and the latter's husband, David Yandle, all of Raleigh. They also visited relatives and friends in Knoxville.

Lavada Griggs enjoyed a trip to Florida the latter part of December.

Mr. and Mrs. Bronze Trull, Jr. attended the inauguration of President Eisenhower on January 20. Mr. Trull is a member of the Oasis Temple Band which participated in the proceedings.

Mr. Charles H. Funderburk of Matthews, N. C., sister-in-law of E. J. Funderburk, chief clerk in the executive offices, died on Christmas morning from injuries sustained in an automobile accident near Charlotte.

JANUARY, 1953 17

P & N (S. C. DIV.)

[image: toddler boy standing next to infant girl in baby carrier]

Sherry and Terry Jones, above, are the children of Dem. Clerk and Mrs. J. R. Jones of Spartanburg. Sherry is five months old and Terry is five years old.

Employees of the Spartanburg agency and their families enjoyed a Christmas party at the home of Cashier and Mrs. H. Wayne Kay on December 20. Turkey and ham and all the trimmings were prepared by the ladies and a grand meal was enjoyed by all. Names were drawn in advance and gifts were exchanged after dinner.

P & N (N. C. DIV.)

Agent J. B. Johnson of Belmont has been appointed chairman of the March of Dimes campaign in Belmont this year. Last year's contributions to the polio fund amount to $6,749, and it is hoped that the record will be improved this year.

Conductor S. T. White and Mrs. White spent the Christmas holidays in Waynesville, N. C.

Charlie Roberts, clerk in the Gastonia agency, and family visited relatives in Lenoir recently.

Wade Sanders, formerly an employee of the Charlotte agency and now a student at Iowa State University, was a welcome visitor during the holidays.

Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Parris visited their son and his family in Knoxville, Tenn., the week-end of January 3.

B. L. Stroupe, retired conductor, recently completed and moved into his new home at 622 N. E. First Ave., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He would be glad to have any P & N employees visit him when they are in that vicinity.

DURHAM & SOUTHERN

[image: womand and man in uniform]

Mr. and Mrs. Connor Watts Turner, above, were married at Speed, N. C. on November 8. The groom is the son of Agent and Mrs. L. W. Turner of Erwin and is now serving in the Air Force at Rapid City, S. D., where they young couple will make their home. Agent Turner, father of the groom, officiated at the double ring ceremony.

Agent & Mrs. T. C. Maynor and son spent Christmas with their daughter, Mrs. Ray Buchner of Greenville, S. C. Mrs. Buchner and her son returned to Durham to spend New Year's with the Maynors.

18 SEMAPHORE

Mr. and Mrs. N. D. O'Briant spent Christmas with their daughter, Mrs. Oscar Starns of Alberta, Ga. Mr. O'Briant is the Durham agency.

Yard Brakeman R. W. Matthews was married on December 20.

Agent T. F. Womble of Apex, a joint Seaboard-D & S employee, has received the 50-year Seaboard service emblem in appropriate ceremonies. Mr. Womble joined the Seaboard as a flagman in 1902 and has been agent at Apex since 1913.

John McAllister, son of Superintendent and Mrs. H. A. McAllister, spent Christmas with his parents and then visited his brother in New York before sailing for the West Indies where he will be stationed for two years.

Mrs. Blanche Matthews and family spent Christmas with relatives in Winston-Salem. She is a steno-clerk in the traffic department.

Mrs. C. F. Dean, wife of Section Foreman Dean, has returned to her home after treatment in Watts Hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. E. J. Griffin spent Christmas in Charlotte with their parents. Mr. Griffin is traveling freight agent.

Mrs. and Mrs. W. J. Kerr, Jr. entertained the Durham office employees and their wives and husbands at their home on January 2. The group enjoyed a buffet supper, songs, and a comic fashion show put on by the men.

Lela Taylor, 54, sister of Carlton Matthews of Dunn Shops, died in Dunn on January 9.

The Dunn Shops were recent hosts to the 12th-grade physics class of the Dunn High School. The group of 30 inspected the locomotives and repair facilities.

W. L. Thames, former D & S operator, was a recent visitor to Dunn.

[image: men and children standing around Santa Claus]

Pictured above is Agent W. E. Cobb of Dunn, right, at the Christmas party of the Branch Sunday School in Dunn. Mr. Cobb organized the Sunday School a year ago with an enrollment of 29. There are now 107 students and 85 of these attended the Christmas party.

After enjoying a visit from her sister and family at Christmas, Mrs. Billie B. Keene, agent at Coats, and her son, Kenneth, a student at Louisburg College, visited Mrs. Keene's mother in Reidsville, N. C.

Twenty-six floats sponsored by local churches were entered in Dunn's first Christmas parade held on January 20. The float sponsored by the First Baptist Church was built by the young married couples class of which L. W. Turner, Jr., clerk-operator at Dunn, is a member. The largest crowed of people ever seen in Dunn were on hand for the parade.

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For every 100 persons employed in the actual operation of trains, about 375 persons are employed to keep the tracks, yards, bridges, locomotives, cars and other equipment and facilities in condition, to handle clerical work, to look after purchases and supplies, to man the stations, yards and supply depots, and to perform other duties required to keep the railroads operating smoothly and efficiently.

JANUARY, 1953 19

Piedmont & Northern Rwy. Co. Durham & Southern Rwy. Co. P. O. Box 480, Charlotte, N. C.

Form 3547 Requested

Sec. 34.66 P.L.&R. U. S. POSTAGE P A I D Charlotte, N. C. Permit No. 451

[image: man reading book at desk]

RAILROADERS AT WORK . . .

Rate experts are the bookworms of the railroad. They spend hours upon hours thumb0 ing through reams of complex tariffs which are needed to convert transportation service into dollars and cents.

Our chief rate authority is General Freight Agent J. H. Wright, a man with forty years of experience to back up his word. His expert knowledge of rates is a resource of incalculable value to the hundreds of freight shippers and receivers served by the P & N and D & S.

A telephone call, a question . . . and a topnotch rate service is at your finger tips.