CTC control

[Anonymous]

How do dispatchers receive info on CTC re train location - GPS or thru track current? If the latter, what is the electrical setup to do so? Thanks....

[Anonymous]

The cTc control machine receives information and sends requests to the field locations via code line, phone, microwave or radio depending on the distance involved. All the vital fail safe circuits are in the field. When something is requested it will be done if the field conditions are safe for the request to be completed, such as setting up a route and clearing signals. This is a simple explanation of a complex subject.

[Anonymous]

THAT MAKES IT CLEARER...THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

[Anonymous]

..I HOPE YOU WON'T MIND A FURTHER QUESTION:
WHEN THE CTC COMPUTER GETS A CLEAR ROUTE REQUEST FROM ANY OR ALL OF ITS SOURCES, DOES IT AUTOMATICALLY THROW THE CORRECT SWITCH ALIGNMENTS - OR IS THAT LEFT TO THE CTC DISPATCHER? THANKS AGAIN.....BOB

[Saxman]

The dispatcher requests routing and the signal from his office control panel. The information goes to the field. The field locoation will then return information to the dispatcher that the routing and signal have been selcted and confirmed.

If the field location detects a problem with the dispatchers request, it will send that information back to the diapatcher. If you have been track side with your scanner,you my have heard a dispatcher talk to a maintainer and say: "The switch at Control Point 123 will not reverse". The dispatchers panel did not get a confirmation from the field that the switch had reversed as requested.

[Anonymous]

Terry gave you the proceedure to clear a route. The old cTc machines had levers for switches and signals and the dispatcher operated each one to set up a route. There were also NX machines where you pushed a button on the model board where you wanted the route to start (N for entrance) and another where you wanted the route to end (X for exit). The new systems use computers and you can touch a spot on the CRT screen where you want to start a route and another point where you want it to end and the computer sends the request. The dispatcher can also use the keyboard to set up a route.