| 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) |