CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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Dan Cluley
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CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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When did they move the dispatching from GR to Jacksonville?

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Saturnalia
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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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I think it moved somewhere else out east first, before Jacksonville. Now directed from Calumet City, Indiana.
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SD80MAC
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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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MQT3001 wrote:I think it moved somewhere else out east first, before Jacksonville. Now directed from Calumet City, Indiana.
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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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SD80MAC wrote:
MQT3001 wrote:I think it moved somewhere else out east first, before Jacksonville. Now directed from Calumet City, Indiana.
*Illinois
Ugh...that's right. It is RIGHT on the border though, Calumet City.
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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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I think they moved from GR to Jax , then back to Calumet City - Kitty should know for sure :lol:

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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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Dispatches were located in the north end of the 2 story building which I think was called the store house. Just east of the RIP tracks. Now torn down. I think the move to JAX took place 26 years ago.

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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

Unread post by CSX_CO »

Was there ever a dispatcher located at New Buffalo? I thought I'd read a story about a dispatcher being based there? Or was it perhaps I was confusing it for GR?

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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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CSX_CO wrote:Was there ever a dispatcher located at New Buffalo? I thought I'd read a story about a dispatcher being based there? Or was it perhaps I was confusing it for GR?

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Maybe back in the early CTC days? I know there was a board at Waverly and Elmdale, in addition to Plaster Creek, Pleasant Street, and maybe Lamar? I think originally they had it broken down in sections, I presume to save codewire cost.
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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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When did the dispatchers move? Late 80's?

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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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Dan Cluley wrote:When did they move the dispatching from GR to Jacksonville?
The move from GRP to Jacksonville occured on Feb 27th, 1990. This was five years after dispatchers started radio transmissions to trains on May 11th, 1985.

Dispatchers in Saginaw first began transmissions to trains on April 21st, 1985 The move from Saginaw to Jacksonville occured on Nov 1st, 1988, a year and a half prior to the GRP dispatchers moving.

Other information that may of interest to some includes:

The DD at Green Oak, MP 39.1 began radio transmissions on 12-19-89
The DD at Fowlerville, MP 64.0 began radio transmissions on 2-08-90
The DD at Okemos, MP 79.9 began radio transmissions on 2-09-93

Cabooseless train started out of GRP on 4-01-85
Howell Depot closed on 11-18-86

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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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What were the DD's like before radio? Did they have those light-up boards for the caboose crews to see?
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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

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MQT3001 wrote:What were the DD's like before radio? Did they have those light-up boards for the caboose crews to see?
Readouts from the DD's came direct into the dispatchers office over phone wires. When bad reads came, dispatchers would drop the next available signal to red, train crews would come to the phone box by the signal, and call the dispatcher, where the information was given to them exactly in their train where the defect was found and they would walk thier train. "The good ol days", when they had a caboose on the rear of the train to assist from both ends of the train.

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Re: CSX Grand Rapids Dispatcher

Unread post by Dan Cluley »

BL2-1843 wrote:
The move from GRP to Jacksonville occured on Feb 27th, 1990. This was five years after dispatchers started radio transmissions to trains on May 11th, 1985.

Dispatchers in Saginaw first began transmissions to trains on April 21st, 1985 The move from Saginaw to Jacksonville occured on Nov 1st, 1988, a year and a half prior to the GRP dispatchers moving.

Other information that may of interest to some includes:

The DD at Green Oak, MP 39.1 began radio transmissions on 12-19-89
The DD at Fowlerville, MP 64.0 began radio transmissions on 2-08-90
The DD at Okemos, MP 79.9 began radio transmissions on 2-09-93

Cabooseless train started out of GRP on 4-01-85
Howell Depot closed on 11-18-86
Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for.

I had forgotten that the Okemos detector started that late. Since CSX call signals, that one was never as important as the GTW ones when fanning at Trowbridge.

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