What is "station master"

Station \Sta"tion\ (st[=a]"sh[u^]n), n. [F., fr. L. statio, from stare, statum, to stand. See Stand.]

1. The act of standing; also, attitude or pose in standing; posture. [R.]

   A station like the herald, Mercury.
   --Shak.

   Their manner was to stand at prayer, whereupon their meetings unto that purpose . . . had the names of stations given them.
   --Hooker.

2. A state of standing or rest; equilibrium. [Obs.]

   All progression is performed by drawing on or impelling forward some part which was before in station, or at quiet.
   --Sir T. Browne.

3. The spot or place where anything stands, especially where a person or thing habitually stands, or is appointed to remain for a time; as, the station of a sentinel. Specifically:

   1. A regular stopping place in a stage road or route; a place where railroad trains regularly come to a stand, for the convenience of passengers, taking in fuel, moving freight, etc.

   2. The headquarters of the police force of any precinct.

   3. The place at which an instrument is planted, or observations are made, as in surveying.

   4. (Biol.) The particular place, or kind of situation, in which a species naturally occurs; a habitat.

   5. (Naut.) A place to which ships may resort, and where they may anchor safely.

   6. A place or region to which a government ship or fleet is assigned for duty.

   7. (Mil.) A place calculated for the rendezvous of troops, or for the distribution of them; also, a spot well adapted for offensive or defensive measures.
      --Wilhelm (Mil. Dict.).

   8. (Mining) An enlargement in a shaft or galley, used as a landing, or passing place, or for the accommodation of a pump, tank, etc.

4. Post assigned; office; the part or department of public duty which a person is appointed to perform; sphere of duty or occupation; employment.

   By spending this day [Sunday] in religious exercises, we acquire new strength and resolution to perform God's will in our several stations the week following.
   --R. Nelson.

5. Situation; position; location.

   The fig and date -- why love they to remain In middle station, and an even plain?
   --Prior.

6. State; rank; condition of life; social status.

   The greater part have kept, I see, Their station.
   --Milton.

   They in France of the best rank and station.
   --Shak.

7. (Eccl.)

   1. The fast of the fourth and sixth days of the week, Wednesday and Friday, in memory of the council which condemned Christ, and of his passion.

   2. (R. C. Ch.) A church in which the procession of the clergy halts on stated days to say stated prayers.
      --Addis & Arnold.

   3. One of the places at which ecclesiastical processions pause for the performance of an act of devotion; formerly, the tomb of a martyr, or some similarly consecrated spot; now, especially, one of those representations of the successive stages of our Lord's passion which are often placed round the naves of large churches and by the side of the way leading to sacred edifices or shrines, and which are visited in rotation, stated services being performed at each; -- called also Station of the cross.
      --Fairholt.

8. In Australia, a sheep run or cattle run, together with the buildings belonging to it; also, the homestead and buildings belonging to such a run. Station bill. (Naut.) Same as Quarter bill, under Quarter. Station house.

   1. The house serving for the headquarters of the police assigned to a certain district, and as a place of temporary confinement.

   2. The house used as a shelter at a railway station.

      Station master, one who has charge of a station, esp. of a railway station.

      Station pointer (Surv.), an instrument for locating on a chart the position of a place from which the angles subtended by three distant objects, whose positions are known, have been observed.

      Station staff (Surv.), an instrument for taking angles in surveying.
      --Craig.

      Syn: Station, Depot.

      Usage: In the United States, a stopping place on a railway for passengers and freight is commonly called a depot: but to a considerable extent in official use, and in common speech, the more appropriate name, station, has been adopted.

Station Master is a 1966 Indian Malayalam film, directed and produced by PA Thomas. The film stars Prem Nazir, Sathyan, Adoor Bhasi and Hari in lead roles. The film had musical score by BA Chidambaranath and MA Majeed.

Station Master is a 1988 Telugu drama film produced by S.Ambarish on R.J.R. Productions banner, presented by Rao Gopal Rao and directed by Kodi Rama Krishna. Starring Rajendra Prasad, Dr.Rajasekhar, Ashwini, Jeevitha Rajasekhar, Rao Gopal Rao in the lead roles and music composed by Chakravarthy. The film recorded as Super Hit at the box office.

The station master (or stationmaster) was the person in charge of railway stations, in the United Kingdom and many other countries, before the modern age. He would manage the other station employees and would have responsibility for safety and the efficient running of the station. The term is still sometimes used in large stations, although it has generally been replaced by 'station manager'. In the United States the role is termed 'station agent'.

Invariably, he would be provided with a substantial house and, in rural communities, would have significant social standing.

Notably in the Beeching cuts of the 1960s many small stations were closed and the station master's house, along with other railway property, sold off. Typically, these buildings retained their original name and in many communities the Station Master's House can still be found as a private dwelling or converted into a restaurant.

Station Master (Original Czech-language title: Přednosta stanice) is a 1941 Czechoslovak movie, starring the then star comedian Vlasta Burian. It has a running time of 88 minutes and was directed by Jan Sviták.

It deals with an unpaying passenger escaping the General Inspector of railroads after sleeping in his special wagon. He is then by circumstances forced to adopt the persona of master of the local railroad station. He then is forced to act at this duty before the General Inspector, committing a number of blunders due to his lack of experience and knowledge of railroad administration.

The plot also involves the absent real railroad master's wife being constantly eyed by the General Inspector, as well as a local landowner.

The movie ends with the real railroad master returning and the General inspector being scorned for his courting of the man's wife by Burian.

The movie starred Vlasta Burian in the main role, Jaroslav Marvan as the General inspector. The other actors are Čeněk Šlégl, Růžena Šlemrová, Václav Trégl, Theodor Pištěk Sr, Marie Norrová, Darja Hajská, František Černý, Karel Postranecký, J. Hradčanský, Bolek Prchal, Emanuel Kovařík, Ada Dohnal, Lída Borovcová, Zdeněk Martínek, Míla Svoboda, Karel Veverka, Dalibor Pták, Vojta Merten, Alois Dvorský, F. X. Mlejnek, Václav Švec, Antonín Zacpal and Zita Kabátová.

The station master (or stationmaster) was the person in charge of a railway station.

The term may also refer to:

• Station Master (1941 film), a Czech comedy film
• Station Master (1942 film), an Indian film directed by Naushad
• Station Master (1966 film), a 1966 Indian film
• The Station Master, a short story from The Belkin Tales series by Alexander Pushkin
• The Stationmaster, a variant of the English title for the 1940 German film Der Postmeister, based on Pushkin's story
• A variant of the translation of the position of Stancionny smotritel in the Russian Empire, that approximately corresponded to the one of the postmaster, the station in question being the post station