From: cfmpublic@ns.sympatico.ca   
      
   On Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:15:40 -0800 (PST), hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:   
      
   >SANTE FE RAILWAY RESERVATION SYSTEM   
   >   
   >The process of obtaining a railroad reservation has   
   >long been an irritating and frustrating part of railroad   
   >travel. This problem has been a source of concern and   
   >the subject of study by many of the country's leading   
   >railroads, but relief is now at hand through the help of   
   >modern electronics.   
   >   
   >In July the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway   
   >put into service an automated electronic system for handling   
   >its passenger reservations. This combination data   
   >processing and communications system enables Santa   
   >Fe reservations personnel from Los Angeles to Chicago   
   >to make reservations for customers in a matter of seconds   
   >instead of hours or even days as has been the case   
   >in the past. The system is called the Magnetronic Reservisor   
   >and was designed, built, installed, and is maintained   
   >by The Teleregister Corporation of Stamford,   
   >Connecticut.   
   >   
   >This equipment will process for Santa Fe Railway's   
   >sales agents all standard railroad accommodation transactions:   
   >(1) reserving the accommodation; (2) selling   
   >the accommodation and removing it from the inventory;   
   >and (3) cancelling previously made reservations when   
   >necessary. Agents perform these transactions through a   
   >piece of equipment not much larger than a typewriter,   
   >which produces a duplicate printed record of each transaction   
   >including a complete identification of the train   
   >space involved. This information includes the date, the   
   >train number, the car number, the particular seat, drawing   
   >room or bedroom number, and a customer's identification   
   >number.   
   >   
   >Each of the Santa Fe agent sets is connected through   
   >specialized communications equipment and over a network   
   >of leased lines to the center of the Magnetronic   
   >Reservisor which is located at LaSalle Street Station,   
   >Chicago. This is the data processing center for all of   
   >Santa Fe's reservations information. It consists primarily   
   >of two magnetic memory drums and some fortyodd   
   >racks of computing and communications equipment.   
      
   Interesting that it was at LaSalle Street Station since the Santa Fe   
   used Dearborn Street Station for its trains.   
      
   Clark Morris   
   >   
   >This is capable of keeping track of a total of 148,000   
   >accommodations for any period up to 6 months prior   
   >to train departure date. This equipment is also capable   
   >of handling a reservations transaction originated in one   
   >of the agent sets in approximately a half second.   
   >In addition to the standard accommodations transactions,   
   >the system provides the Santa Fe with. the following   
   >services:   
   >   
   >a. Cushion Control-provides advance warning when   
   >available space is critically low.   
   >   
   >b. Priority Control- provides for systematic selling   
   >of available space, in response to random requests, at   
   >any time and in any sequence desired by management.   
   >   
   >c. Wait-list Control- keeps a record of requests for   
   >which there is no space available so that the first   
   >cancellation can be given to the first person on the   
   >waiting list.   
   >   
   >d. Expiration and Cancellation Control- When the   
   >agent reserves space, he informs the customer that the   
   >ticket must be picked up and paid for by a certain date   
   >and time. In the event that the customer fails to pick   
   >up the ticket before this expiration time, the Reservisor   
   >automatically cancels the reservation, making it available   
   >for another passenger.   
   >   
   >e. Records Display - provides for printed records   
   >of any of the sales information or data stored in the   
   >machine to be quickly available to railroad management.   
   >   
   >This information is automatically arranged by the machine   
   >in the most convenient and useful manner, such   
   >as passenger lists for conductors (called consists), a   
   >count or list of transactions for each train car, a count   
   >of all the transactions by each agent, and many other important   
   >reports and statistics.   
   >   
   >The Reservisor is in service seven days a week, 365   
   >days a year, and is only taken off line for testing and   
   >maintenance routine during certain hours in the early   
   >morning when there is virtually no traffic. The data   
   >processing equipment is designed for rapid and easy   
   >maintenance by the use of plug-in elements which, when   
   >they require replacement, may be removed and changed   
   >in a few seconds. Dual facilities are provided for critical   
   >functions so that one piece of equipment constantly   
   >double-checks the performance of its opposite number;   
   >also if one rack has to be taken off line for maintenance,   
   >its dual counterpart carries on the functions   
   >by itself.   
   >   
   >C&A 1959-10   
      
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