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For those wanting to know who dispatches these subdivisions, I can give some info. Be advised most railroads can (and do) change the dispatching territories according to the ebb and flow of the workload. Since all the CTC and TWC control is software-based on computer terminals, changing territories from one desk to another is a snap now, compared to the days when a "hard-wired" CTC panel had to be uprooted and moved down the hall. The former AT&SF main from Chicago to KC (the Chillicothe and Marceline Subs) are dispatched from the regional office in Kansas City by the Chillicothe Dispatcher (CHI-Fort Madison) and the Marceline Dispatcher (Fort Madison-KC) The former BN triple-track main west from Chicago is dispatched by two desks on weekdays because of the heavy suburban train (known as "dinkies") action during rush hours (the morning and evening "dinky parades") Union Ave. desk (named for the long-gone tower where CB&Q trains entered Chicago Union Station Co. tracks)controls from Union Ave. to Cicero Yard (now an intermodal facility). It's only 7 miles, but it's 4-track CTC and plenty busy! The East End Dispatcher controls from the west throat of Cicero to Aurora and Montgomery. This is the triple-main "racetrack", a curious nickname when you consider it has a passenger speed limit of only 70 MPH versus 79 on much of the rest of the system. On weekends (11:00 PM Friday to 11:00 PM Sunday), East End also controls Union Avenue's territory all the way downtown. At Aurora, the mains split for Galesburg and (Everywhere) West and north for the Twin Cities. The Aurora Sub is dispatched by the "C&I" Dispatcher (named for the predecessor Chicago & Iowa RR that originally built the line) as far as Savanna, where the LaCrosse Dispacther takes over to Grand Crossing in LaCrosse. The St. Croix (?) Dispatcher handles north of LaCrosse. The Mendota Sub actually starts a little west of Aurora at Montgomery, IL (where the former CB&Q Fox Valley branch, now the Illinois RailNet, comes in from Ottawa and Streator). The Mendota Sub is dispatched by the Main Line Dispatcher. As of a year or so ago, the Main Line Dispatcher also handled the LaSalle branch, the Peoria Sub, Yates City Sub and a little piece of the Beardstown Sub north of Beardstown. The Barstow Sub (Savanna-Galesburg) is one of those territories that shifts as traffic dictates. Over the past 10 years it has alternately been under the control of the Main Line dispatcher or the C&I Dispatcher. Out of time for now, perhaps someone else will pick up where I left off.....hope this helped!
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