1979 Muncie Indiana N&W Dispatch Center

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Normally, I don’t direct folks here to my Railroads of Madison County web site, but I have just put up what are probably the only photos ever shot in the N&W Dispatch Center in Muncie while it was in operation.

The lead in from the page sez…
"The NKP was gone having merged into the N&W and the N&W would soon be a part of NS, but on August 13, 1979, the dispatching was still being done in the Muncie Division headquarters of the N & W on High Street in Muncie.

These photos were shot in the Chief and Dispatchers cubicles. One dispatcher was responsible for the trackage west of Frankfort to Peoria and St. Louis via Charleston and the “Clover Leaf” lines from Frankfort to Sandusky. I am not exact on his limits. The other dispatcher controlled all CTC from DA/Arcadia at the Fostoria District connection to Mulberry/Altamont including the New Castle District from Muncie to Mill in Sharonville, Ohio. "
If interested, visit: http://madisonrails.railfan.net/muncie_dispatch.html

2

…Thanks Roger…as a resident of Muncie your post quite interesting to me. Of course much railroading through and around Muncie over the years. Still hosts a bunch of through trains in our area.

3

Was this office closed when the New Castle District was upgraded with CTC a few years later?

Your web-site gets better and better.

4

really cool pix

5

I believe so, but am not sure. I’ll see if I can find out when it was closed.

6

Here are the dates for the Muncie Office.

“Route upgraded 77-79/ office opened early 79 munc-ft wayne upgraded 81-82 muncie div and ds moved to ft wayne 82 ending muncie div-moved to current office e wayne 91”

7

Roger
thank you! it reminds me of the N&W trains that ran from Muncie to Lima through Celina.Thats how my train watching started(on my brothers handlebars of course)
stay safe
Joe

8

Dispatchers were not moved to Fort Wayne from Muncie in 1982, it was considerably after that but you may be correct about the Muncie Division being folded into the Fort Wayne and Decatur Divisions. I was thinking it was more like 1985 or 1986, one of the retired dispatchers just recently passed away and I’m sure it said he retired in 1986 in his obituary. I know he never worked in Ft. Wayne.

New Castle District was opened and started running through trains from Ft. Wayne to Cincinnati in January, 1982, by use of trainorders.

9

Note: Trainorders were used between Ft. Wayne and Muncie, had to handline switch and derail at what is now Bath onto the Frankfort District, and get permission via the operator at Muncie to go by the C&O at Broadway and Hackley, account close clearance with the C&O. No passing tracks yet but there were only two trains a day to start, one each way.