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From: mharriso AT iland DOT net
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:09:24 -0600
Subject: Fwd: M&E Train Dispatcher-L.T.O'Neill
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Folks,

As promised, here is a picture of my granddad, L.T. O'Neill, at his
CTC desk in Hoboken terminal. I know the pictures are not great and
don't show much detail but I was about 10 years old (1959) when I took
the color picture. The black and white picture was from the
Lackawanna Railroad's employee magazine.

The desk you are looking at was during the Lackawanna time frame and
the M&E dispatcher had a territory that ran from Lynnhurst Draw to
Denville but I am not sure it was all CTC. (Office was located over
the ferry slips at the time.)

After the E-L merger and after the dispatcher office was moved the end
of the ferry concourse at top of grand staircase, the M&E territory
took over the combined Greenwood Lake/Boonton line and the
Kingsland/Erie reroute when the line through Passic was closed.

IIRC, there were NO changes made to the CTC desk and the M&E
dispatcher was now responsible for two major commuter lines plus
several of the smaller branches--not sure the exact breakdown as to
which dispatcher had what territory. The Erie trains would be on the
board until Patterson and the Boonton Line trains would show up near
Mountain Lakes. (I am sure Rich Pennsi or Art Erdman can add to this.)

The first trick assignments in Hoboken included Ken Sisco-the
Morristown dispatcher-all train sheets or tower operators, my grandad
on the M&E desk and Bob Burns on the Erie CTC desk to Port Jervis. I
think the Erie desk was a GRS machine as it did not have the same look
as the M&E desk.

After more than 45 years service as a train dispatcher, my granddad
was medically retired--the increased pressure of two major territories
and loss of hearing caused him to collapse at his desk. He enjoyed
retirement until he passed after in 1986.

Marty Harrison

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