CSX Dispatcher territories

[Anonymous]

Listening to RR chatter over the airwaves I have discovered that CSX has segmented the RR into territories and assigned each section with a designation like "AE" or "AL", each w/it's own dispatcher. Can someone elaborate on the organization and structure of this system. How many dispatchers are required to run the railroad in an 8-12 hour period?

[Justicar]

Well, Hunter, the CSX when it took over and consolidated dispatchers in Jacksonville, FL assigned seemingly arbitrary two letter identifiers for each of its dispatchers desks dispensing with the long held tradition of naming the dispatcher for the territory he commands. Golly gee. I know for the old C&EI (now CE&D sub) the identifier changed once...same desk, same dispatchers, different letters. On the weekends and evenings CSX has the option of moving a given line segment from one desk to another. We (CP) do this as well. Generally the desk would have more territory to dispatch weekends/nights because the desk's busyness factor would diminish...because some locals/yard jobs and track gangs and Maintenance of Way do not work on weekends/evenings freeing up the dispatcher to run more trains. A weekday day shift is actually the most stressful and frenetic shift on CP. Dispatchers dedicate alot more resources to move and protect maintenance of way than trains, especially in CTC. Trains, in theory, can run on signal indication for millions of miles and never talk to the dispatcher.
Track guys, on the other hand, do not shunt the track and must rely on all verbal authority. It takes perhaps 3-4 seconds to line a signal and advance a train, more like 3-4 mins for a Track Permit.

At last knowledge CSX ran with the standard 3 shifts/day changing at 3pm, 11pm, 7am. Dispatchers, like tower operators, are only allowed by law to work 9 hours, I believe.
Thus, 12 hour shifts could only be implemented for clerks and other "non-operating" personel. I don't really know how many dispatchers work at a given moment at the Dufford Transportation Center but I'd guess 25-30. That's just based on the picture I've seen of the circular room that they're in.

John Hill, ole JWH, was my favorite of all that I ran across with the Indiana desks. He was sharp and deliberate. Probably retired now...he held the highly coveted M-F 1st trick AQ desk covering Chicago (Woodland Jct.) to Nashville (Amqui).

Questions? Comments? Corrections?

jc
CP

[Anonymous]

That's funny that you mentioned WJH- That guy is a riot-if it's the same guy. He talks mono-tone and deliberate w/ inflections now and then..it would take him 15 seconds to say" AL dispatcher in Jacksonville over" It seemed to me that everyone(Yardmasters,M O W and train crews) found his behavior boorish and often irritating.He was a stickler for repeats of track orders and authorities and there was one M O W guy who could never seem to make WJH happy, so the guy would get his foreman to buzz the desk and get permission to occupy track etc.. He was especially moody and you could certainly tell what kind of day he was having.