Manned Towers in the Chicago Area.

[NP Eddie]

ALL:

The special issue of "Trains" about Chicago is very good! 

Including CTA towers, how many manned tower still exist in Chicago? Is there one BNSF dispatcher in FTW controlling the BNSF from the BNSF property line west of CUS to Aurora? It seems like a great deal of train movement in 37 miles for one dispatcher to handle, but we have the West and East Hump Dispatchers for the Twin Cities for the many movements in the TC Terminal.

Ed Burns

[rcdrye]

As far as I know the only manned towers in Chicago are 16th St (Metra) Blue Island (Metra) and A-5 at Western Avenue (Metra).  Metra was working in the area around A-5 not that long ago.  Rondout was closed last year.

CTA stil has a few manned towers.  18th St (Lake/Wells) and Belmont (North side junction of Brown (Ravenswood) and Red/Purple (North/South) seem to be in regular operation.  The intermediate towers on the North/South main line may still be usable, but normal operations don't require them.  Paulina Jct (Pink/Green) and 13th St (Green/Brown) are automated.  I'm not sure about tower 12 at Van Buren and Wabash.  The tower at Howard St (Red/Purple/Yellow) may also be active.

[CShaveRR]

Western Avenue is A-2.

The tower at West Chicago is still manned (crossing of UP and CN).

[n012944]

Dolton is still manned, although rumors don't put its survival past summer time.

[rcdrye]

CShaveRR

Western Avenue is A-2.

The tower at West Chicago is still manned (crossing of UP and CN).

 

My oops. A-5 is Pacific Junction - ID'd as a "Create" project.  Western Ave is now remote controlled and has been for some time.  There was some work done recently at A-5 but as far as I know the tower is still in use.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I believe that Blue Island Junction still has a manned tower, although it is located on the north side of the Cal-Sag Channel and not easy to see.

[rcdrye]

CSSHEGEWISCH

I believe that Blue Island Junction still has a manned tower, although it is located on the north side of the Cal-Sag Channel and not easy to see.

 

The Metra tower on the Rock Island district is still in use. 

According to the Create website (www.createprogram.org ) the CN (ex-GTW) Blue Island Tower project at Blue Island Crossing was completed in 2014, which I assume means the tower is remotely run, though it's still standing.  CN, IHB, CSX(B&OCT), CP (on B&OCT) IAIS (on Metra) are all active there.  CSX now controls the ex-CN line.

The Broadway crossing gates were among the last if not the last operated by a crossing tender, until 2013.

[JoeKoh]

Carl you reminded me how long it's been since we've been to JB tower.Need to get back sometime.

[n012944]

rcdrye

 

According to the Create website (www.createprogram.org ) the CN (ex-GTW) Blue Island Tower project at Blue Island Crossing was completed in 2014, which I assume means the tower is remotely run, though it's still standing.  CN, IHB, CSX(B&OCT), CP (on B&OCT) IAIS (on Metra) are all active there.  CSX now controls the ex-CN line.

 

 

 

Correct.  Blue Island Jct is controlled by CSX's RA dispatcher.

[RR Johnson]

NP Eddie

ALL:

The special issue of "Trains" about Chicago is very good! 

Including CTA towers, how many manned tower still exist in Chicago? Is there one BNSF dispatcher in FTW controlling the BNSF from the BNSF property line west of CUS to Aurora? It seems like a great deal of train movement in 37 miles for one dispatcher to handle, but we have the West and East Hump Dispatchers for the Twin Cities for the many movements in the TC Terminal.

Ed Burns

 

NP Eddie

ALL:

The special issue of "Trains" about Chicago is very good! 

Including CTA towers, how many manned tower still exist in Chicago? Is there one BNSF dispatcher in FTW controlling the BNSF from the BNSF property line west of CUS to Aurora? It seems like a great deal of train movement in 37 miles for one dispatcher to handle, but we have the West and East Hump Dispatchers for the Twin Cities for the many movements in the TC Terminal.

Ed Burns

 

NP Eddie

ALL:

The special issue of "Trains" about Chicago is very good! 

Including CTA towers, how many manned tower still exist in Chicago? Is there one BNSF dispatcher in FTW controlling the BNSF from the BNSF property line west of CUS to Aurora? It seems like a great deal of train movement in 37 miles for one dispatcher to handle, but we have the West and East Hump Dispatchers for the Twin Cities for the many movements in the TC Terminal.

Ed Burns

 

NP Eddie & all: I used to work with the late John Severson (very nice fellow) in the BN operations control center in St Paul back in the 70's. He used to work as a CTC trick dispatcher at Cicero, often covering the "dinky" territory between CUS and Aurora. He used to  recount his many harrowing experiences on this stretch of mostly 3 main track RR (it still is), as this was by far, the most   demanding subdivision on old CB&Q; the "varnish" including the   "dinkies" absolutely had to arrive OT at every station, WOF! It was a matter of company pride and you wouldn't want upset the "brass" if anything went wrong. Of course the AM and PM  rush hours were the most stressful times, where you not only had to squeeze the many Zephyrs through, but had to get the hot shot freights in and out of  Cicero Yard when possible (with a trainmaster hovering over your head). I would guess the situation is not much different now, although it as been tranplanted to Texas (I don't know if it's still a singe trick territory). Can anyone comment on this??                         Edward Johnson (aka RRJohnson)