Bear Creek and South Jackson Operations - BC&SJ III Op Sessions - April 12, 2014 - 3
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Jordan, the chief dispatcher (right), is giving Paul (in front of the Oakhill operator's desk) pointers on being a time table & train order operator.
The 4x fast clock shows that it's 5:45AM. The first trains will roll at 6AM.
The Oakhill operator is responsible for copying and distributing train orders and clearances dictated by the dispatcher (located in the tiny dispatcher's office behind the wall) and getting them to the proper train order station where they'll be picked up. For now, the BC&SJ runs with a single operator that handles the train order stations at Pocatello, South Jackson, Oakhill, Salem, and Deschutes. The other duty of the operator is relaying OS reports to the dispatcher. These keep the dispatcher informed where the trains are. On the Bear Creek, crews report their progress to the operator when they pass train order stations. The operator marks them on his OS sheet and when the dispatcher is ready they are passed to him. The exception to this is in South Jackson where the Yard Master makes the OS reports (the Oakhill operator can't see South Jackson). Communication is currently over FRS radios, but at some point I'll be installing 1952 appropriate phone system. If you don't know, OS stands for on-sheet or off-sheet. On-sheet reports tell the dispatcher a train has arrived at a station. Off-sheet reports tell the DS they have departed a station. |