Re: Mileposts Question.
Post by Engineer Spike » 30 Jul 2012 22:40
When did the TCS replace the ABS 251 on the 3rd. sub mains?
I believe most of the initial TCS work between Saratoga Springs and Whitehall was completed in 1957-1958. It was the Saratoga Subdivision at the time, which extended from mile post (Minus) A-1.78 at the south interlocking limits of KN Tower, plus Kenwood Yard, past mile post A-0/RP-191 at Maiden Lane Station (Lower level of Albany Union Station) via Round Lake to mile post A-79.3 at “The Elbow” north of Whitehall.
I recall riding through Whitehall on the October 1959 Capital District Railroad Club excursion and seeing the portable rail welding plant set up to make CWR strings of the rail released from the Saratoga Sub single track project.
The line relocation around Ballston Spa (JS to BM) was completed in 1950, and around Saratoga Springs in 1959.
Was the TCS controlled by various operators, and when did the boards get consolidated into a central dispatching center?
Going back to the early 1950's and long before, the D&H had four dispatchers’ offices - Carbondale, Oneonta, Albany and Plattsburgh. Each was responsible for its own division. Carbondale dispatched Wilkes-Barre (plus the WBC) to Nineveh, Oneonta dispatched Binghamton to KN and QS, Albany dispatched KN to Whitehall (SC Cabin), and Plattsburgh dispatched from the north limits of SC to Delson Jct, including the NJ Ry.
On the Saratoga Sub, TCS had been installed incrementally between KN and WX, controlled by an operator in the Albany Dispatchers’ Office. KN was remoted to Albany in 1959. By 1958, JA (Waterford Jct.) to BK (Brick Yard) had been single-tracked, with control of JA, BK, XO, WY and CN Cabins under the operator at XO. Going out the Susquehanna Sub, Mechanicville West and QS were under the B&M operator at Mechanicville Yard Office. GV Cabin was controlled by the operator at Mohawk Yard.
Back to the Saratoga Sub, CN to DB Cabin (south of JS) had been single tracked by 1958. DB through KG, the south end of double track at Whitehall, were controlled by the operator at Saratoga Springs. SC Cabin, the north end of double track at Whitehall, was controlled by the operator at Whitehall.
Sometime in 1959, before the opening of the Saratoga Springs relocation, the TCS machine from Saratoga Springs was moved to Whitehall. The Albany and Plattsburgh dispatchers were consolidated at Whitehall in the west side of the passenger station and given direct control of the TCS between DB and SC. The local operators at Albany (now physically but not operationally divorced from the dispatchers’ office) and XO still handled the same TCS territories. They had always been under the direction of the train dispatcher at Albany, then at Whitehall. On the Champlain Subdivision, VD (Valcour, gone by 1958), SJ and BU Cabins were still handled by the operator at Plattsburgh. CV and NR were handled by the switchtender on the Rutland Crossing at Rouses Point.
Around 1961, the TCS controlled by the Albany operator was consolidated at XO. When TCS was installed on the Champlain Sub. in 1965, or shortly before, the Whitehall dispatchers were moved back to Albany with one control machine for the north end.
Carbondale had already been consolidated at Oneonta, with Oneonta directly controlling the Penn Sub from WC to SW (Nineveh) as well as the entire Susquehanna Sub. except RA to OG at Oneonta, handled by the operator at FA Tower The south end of the Penn Sub and the WBC were directly controlled by the operator at SX office at Hudson under the Oneonta dispatcher. When the Whitehall dispatchers moved to Albany, the Oneonta dispatchers joined them, thus creating one D&H dispatchers’ office on the fourth floor of the General Office Building.
When the D&H vacated the General Office Building (after my D&H time, 1974?) the dispatchers were moved to Colonie Yard Office. I don’t recall the year that they were moved to the tool house at Maxon Road. They were never located at the relocated D&H office on Beaver Street.
- Gordon Davids