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| Title: |
Interlocking control "Model Board" (control panel) at NS "HICK" tower |
| Description: |
On board, West toward South Chicago (EJ&E), Whiting (CSX), and Chicago (NS) from top on left, East toward Lakefront Yard (IHB), Gary (EJ&E) and Elkhart (NS) from top right, and South toward IHB RR lower left. All of this is now remote-controlled by dispatchers elsewhere; "HICK" (originally HC on the New York Central) is now plain old "CP 503". Interesting features include: Conrail-era "C&S" (signal department) padlocks securing the panels (required to prevent unauthorized modifications; I believe this is a federally mandated security measure to prevent tampering in case of an "incident"), the operator's reading glasses on the table lower left, and the ultra-low budget humdifier (aluminum pan of water set on top the radiator lower right). Beige box on table in fromt of ample paper towel supply is a "line" box to speak over the dispatcher's "wire" (like an intercom, only over hundreds of miles - in this case, stations from Chicago to Dearborn, Michigan). Desk microphone (to left of glasses on side table) is connected to a marine-frequency radio for communication with Lake Boats and barges moving through the Indiana Harbor canal; the operator at HICK also controlled a set of draw bridges (see http://genevamay.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2835613 for a picture of one of the bridges). (exact date unknown) |
| Photo Date: |
3/3/2005 Upload Date: 12/5/2011 9:22:02 PM |
| Location: |
Indiana Harbor, IN |
| Author: |
Geneva Short |
| Categories: |
Station,Signal |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
498 Comments: 5 |
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| Title: |
Interlocking control button panel at NS "HICK" tower |
| Description: |
(exact date unknown) This is a close-up photograph of the "HICK" (how it got that name I'll never know) interlocking station control station. The operator there, who has since been replaced by "modern" technology, controlled three interlockings: "HICK" (503), 502, and 100. Additionally, the operator was a bridge tender controlling (when I visited there) two drawbridges over the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal. From what I remember, the buttons worked like this: First, the operator would select the interlocking he wanted to work: 503, 100, or 502. The odd-number buttons were to select a switch; once selected, the "NOR" or "REV" buttons would select Normal or Reverse on the switch position. The even-numbered buttons (green ones) would select a signal to clear. The START button sent the chosen "command" to the interlocking, causing the lights on the "panel board" (see http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2835624 ) to flash on the appropriate devices until they were properly set-up, then the lights would burn steady to indicate the switch or signal was in the desired status. Additional buttons below, some of which are missing, were for "location cancel" (reset the panel), SM ON and OFF (snow melter), and MC ON and OFF (maintainer call). I don't remember what the ACK button was for. |
| Photo Date: |
3/3/2005 Upload Date: 12/5/2011 9:24:10 PM |
| Location: |
Indiana Harbor, IN |
| Author: |
Geneva Short |
| Categories: |
Station,Signal |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
316 Comments: 3 |
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