Hourly reports are received by telegraph, giving the position of all the passenger and the principal freight trains. In all cases where passenger trains are more than ten minutes, or freight trains more than half-an-hour behind time, on their arrival at a station the conductors are required to report the cause to the operator, who transmits the same by telegraph to the General Superintendent; and the information being entered as fast as received, on a convenient tabular form, shows, at a glance, the position and progress of trains, in both directions, on every Division of the Road.

p. 51-52 about the "System of reports and checks"; Partly cited in Chandler (1977, p. 103) - Report of the Superintendent of the New York and Erie Railroad to the Stockholders (1856)