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Hi Bob and Nance [:D] <br /> <br />I found the thread you emailed me about. [:)] <br /> <br />I am not a rr dispatcher, but I have been in a local tower and talked with and watched the tower operator. I won't say who or where to keep him from getting into trouble. It has been about 5 years since I have been in the tower with him. I used to go about once a week and he would let me stay up there and watch what was going on. I now work nights and can't go anymore. He worked nights, I doubt I could have done this during the day as too many head honchos would be around. It was amazing what I saw and heard. He had about 5 to 7 computer monitors in front of him. These showed a maze of items like what you would see on tv or in movies where they have on the wall a diagram of the tracks and red/green light to show train movement. This shows the sidings and other things. He can type in a train number and find the train, if it has left or when it is scheduled to leave. He monitors a bunch of different radios, from the trains, to people on the ground, to other towers, to other dispatchers. I hontestly didn't understand how he could tell what was going on as they might all talk at once, but he could tell you exactly what was said and by who. He also operates the local drawbridge even though he is not in sight of it. So there is another radio he has to listen to--the marine radio. Through the computer he throws switches and operates the signals for the trains. When nothing was gong on he would tell me railroad stories, this of course was just fine with me. One thing is sure, he knew his territory and worked it well. It would take awhile for someone to learn his job but it would be interesting.
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