Railroad Forums 

Discussion relating to the past and present operations of the NYC Subway, PATH, and Staten Island Railway (SIRT).

Moderator: GirlOnTheTrain

 #769670  by train2
 
Wife and I watched the new Taking of Pelham 123 last night on DVD due to the big snow storm. On the DVD their is a lot of extra segments on how the movie was made, and talks about how they did things like convert a car that can run as a single to look like the new cars that can not run single.

The best line was Travolta was surprised he and the film crew had to take 8 to 12 hours of safety class time before they could go in the tunnels.

Here is my question: The director was talking about the contrast of the gritty tunnels to the modern rail control center. I am not a huge transit fan so I don't know a lot about the subway but do they have a modern CTC dispatch center as portrayed in the movie or are they still controlled by a lot of towers?

If towers are the main control I know there has to be a DS even if he pushes paper. But tell me how a dispatcher on the subway would differ from a Class 1 DS?

T2
Last edited by train2 on Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #770004  by Kamen Rider
 
Rail Control Center (RCC) is now quite along the lines of what you see in the movie. most local towers have been closed and consolidated into Master Towers than control whole lines. Eamples incude City Hall Master, which controls the Broadway BMT from Whitehall Street to 59th and Lexington; Grand Central Master, which controls from 125th to Brooklyn Bridge; Times Square Master, which controls from 96th street to Chambers St and East New York Master, which controls the whole of the J, M and Z east of Marcy ave and part of the L.
 #770007  by train2
 
Interesting, does the RCC have the ability to "SEE" track occupancy and signal routes if the work is being done through master towers?

And by master towers I take it you mean manned towers with large control boards? Have they modernized to the point the control boards are computerized in these towers?
Last edited by train2 on Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #770064  by Kamen Rider
 
RCC's job is descsion making, The tower operators do the control work. RCC's direct comand ablities is mostly linked to CBTC master computer, relaying to the L line trains their operating information for thier onboard computers to act upon (how far ahead the train infront is, if there is a restriction in speed.)
 #776848  by MNR's #1 Conductor
 
train2 wrote:Wife and I watched the new Taking of Pelham 123 last night on DVD due to the big snow storm. On the DVD their is a lot of extra segments on how the movie was made, and talks about how they did things like convert a car that can run as a single to look like the new cars that can not run single.

The best line was Travolta was surprised he and the film crew had to take 8 to 12 hours of safety class time before they could go in the tunnels.

Here is my question: The director was talking about the contrast of the gritty tunnels to the modern rail control center. I am not a huge transit fan so I don't know a lot about the subway but do they have a modern CTC dispatch center as portrayed in the movie or are they still controlled by a lot of towers?

If towers are the main control I know there has to be a DS even if he pushes paper. But tell me how a dispatcher on the subway would differ from a Class 1 DS?

T2
The NYCT Rail Traffic Control Center is online, but presently only can fully oversee, via computer screens on a big display, the A Division routes (numbered routes), but for the most part, the B Division (lettered routes) is still quite a little way off form being fully online there, but work is progressing on that. The B Division routes are largely overseen by Master Towers, and some smaller towers at select locations, but the Rail Control Center does work the B Division Lines as far as speak with trains and crews and tower/dispatcher locations at Master Towers, coordinate with Train Service Supervisors and Line Superintendents, but cannot oversee them on CTC computer displays as falsely depicted in "Taking Of Pelham 123". Most towers are staffed by Tower Operators which handle moves thru their assigned interlockings, handle holding of trains for time to keep them on schedule. Only main terminal tower locations, like 57th/7th (N/Q/R/W), 207th Street (A), 179th (F) and so on at a terminal location have train dispatchers and assistant train dispatchers as well as tower operators to work the machines. The B Division is the mainstay of the tower for the present time, though the A Division does have towers and some Master Towers as well (i.e. Westchester Master Tower at Westchester Yard on the #6 which oversees the #6 Line from Pelham Bay Park all the way to 3rd Avenue/138th Street)
 #776852  by train2
 
Anyone have any photos of the insides of some of these towers or the RTC? I have visited many DS offices and towers but not any on the subway.
I will even take photos of the outside but I am more interested in the interiors.

Thanks,
T2
 #776860  by MNR's #1 Conductor
 
train2 wrote:Anyone have any photos of the insides of some of these towers or the RTC? I have visited many DS offices and towers but not any on the subway.
I will even take photos of the outside but I am more interested in the interiors.

Thanks,
T2
That's one I wish I could have helped you out with!! I apologize, because stupid me never thought, in my NYCT days, to bring a camera along with me to work!!