qutlx1@a... wrote:
>
> Russ,"the handthrows" is how the switches from the Aurora lead to the track
> behind the W Eola tower and then from that trk to the West yd were referred
> to during the time I worked and from my earliest memory.These were MANUAL
> switches as far back as I can remember. Are you saying that when the tower
> was operational there were "power" switches controlled by the operator
> w/signals? If so that would sure explain why almost everything during that
> time used the trk behind the tower and when I worked nothing did as who
> wanted to throw those switches if the Ds would let the CTC machine do it. Leo
>
Leo:
Can answer two question with one e-mail this time.
The Irish Mails were the Locals that went to West Chicago from Eola.
At the time I worked there the exit from the West Yard and the
connection from Main #1 and the Aurora Lead were both controlled
crossovers. IIRC they had a large pipe driven under McClure Rd.
to allow the rods to cross the street. The switch at the other
end was just East of Farnsworth. In order for a crew to use the
Paper Board you had to give them the signal but they never actually
got to the crossover.
At the time I worked there I was told not to loop trains around
the tower because if anything went wrong you were making a Main
track move without the Dispatcher's authority. The guy I worked
with most of the time did not even care if I ran the Lyon Metal
and Armour Job to Aurora on the Main as long as I didn't delay
any dinkies. Other guys even wanted to be told about crossover
moves from yard to yard.
Speaking of Irish Mail's at the time I worked there the C&I
Dispatcher was in charge of that line. Had to clear the trains
with he/she and sometimes they would ask for an "OS".
I would have loved to loop those trains on the main. I told
you the landing at the top of the steps wouldn't work for orders.
When you were down on the ground after dark and caught between the
tower and the coal shed and outhouse the lead was so close that
you couldn't see a thing. I was just a kid and when that engine
just burst at you from the backside of the tower I never knew
if I was in the right spot. Later on at Cochrane where I did
hoop up orders to trains going 60 I had learned that you had to
"mark" a spot for your feet and everything else would follow
along naturally.
Was also damn hard to get #85 at Aurora Tower. The Fireman or
Head Man would usually open the cab door and take one step down.
The windows on Graybacks were high!
I'm gonna go to bed. Believe me, hooping up orders to #85 is
more work than Dispatching 250 miles of 70 mph CTC. Some things
about the "good old days" really weren't that good.
Russ
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