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If you’ve never visited the Science Museum of Virginia in person before, you may be surprised to learn that our building, Broad Street Station, was formerly a train station that operated for over 50 years. On any given day, thousands of passengers would travel through the station. Ensuring the station ran smoothly was the ultimate responsibility of the multitasking train dispatcher.

Train dispatchers managed the control board, telegraph, station loudspeaker, and perhaps most importantly, the train sheet. It was necessary to know exactly when trains were entering and exiting the station; all that information was stored on a large paper train sheet (approximately 16.5” x 46.15”). A new train sheet would start each day at 12:01 a.m., meaning a dispatcher working at this time would use the previous day’s sheet to complete the record of trains that arrived before midnight but hadn’t left yet. These sheets were handwritten, logging passenger trains in the middle and working outward, while freight trains were recorded closer to the edge of the sheet. By examining a train sheet, a trained individual could determine precisely where a train was located on any given day at a specific time. This detailed tracking was essential to keeping passenger travel on track and on time.

In the Science Museum’s permanent collection is a framed original train sheet from April 22, 1943 — the peak day of passenger travel during World War II, when the facility reached an all-time high of 33,324 passengers.

It can be challenging today to imagine the intricate controls used to keep such a complex system running smoothly without the aid of modern technology. Luckily for us, we can go back in time and listen in. On September 23, 1939, local radio station WRVA aired a live broadcast from inside the train master’s office in the east wing of Broad Street Station, so that listeners might learn what it takes to do the job successfully. Take a listen to the entire broadcast here, or skip to “Track 02” (that’s an audio track, not a train track) at 9 minutes, 12 seconds to hear a description of the train sheet they were working on that day.

Listen to the radio broadcast here!

Let's Visit a Train Dispatcher, 23 September 1939 (WRVA - 005). WRVA Radio Collection, Accession 38210, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

The Science Museum is interested in hearing from individuals who experienced Broad Street Station during its operation. If you would like to share your stories with us, please reach out to [email protected].