The railroad employed two fan house operators that each worked a 12-hour shift. After working a 12-hour shift for two weeks, the operators traded shifts. Both operators worked a long 18-hour shift when they traded shifts. No roads were constructed to the fan house, so operators had to either use a handcar or walk the tracks to work, leaving behind their cars at either Rice or Winston Station.
Operators apparently considered the fan house job the most undesirable job on the railroad. The roadless location combined with wild stories about a ghost that haunted the tunnel made the job terrifying for many operators, particularly those negligent in their duties.