Preserved Interlocking Towers
By Bill Haines
Bill Haines, a long-time reader of
the Bull Sheet, is a former Erie Lackawanna and Conrail tower operator.
His interest in towers began as a kid when he would hang out at the PRR
tower at Piqua Crossing, Ohio. Later, as an operator, he held second-shift
at Sterling Tower near Akron, Ohio.
In compiling this list of preserved
interlocking towers, he would like to express appreciation to Roy Baty, Pete White, Dale DeVene, Ed Long, Wade
Frasch, Ron Barber, Pat Seward, Eric Schmelz, Kent Hannah, Rich Ballash,
David Oroszi, Alexander Mitchell, John Dahl, John Hankey, Richard Croy,
Michael Welsh, Andy Dwyer, Nicholas Pitsch, Jeff Asay, Herman Page, Susie
Haines, Allen Brougham and others.
This list is subject to change, and
any comments or additions may be addressed to Bill Haines, 305 Lamar Court,
Vandalia, Ohio 45377-3212.. E-mail oldopr@yahoo.com
_____________
CALIFORNIA
- Davis.. PHOTO..
(SP) Known as Davis Tower. Located at former SP (now Amtrak) depot. Owned
by city of Davis.
- Oakland.. (SP) Known as 16th
Street Tower.. Located near 16th Street Station.. Tower and station are
both privately owned.
- Oakland.. (SP) Known as Oakland
Pier Interlocking Tower.. Relocated to Oakland View Park, foot of 7th Street,
West Oakland.. Open to the public.
- Santa Clara.. (SP) Located
near Santa Clara depot.
CONNECTICUT
- South
Norwalk.. (NH) Known as Signal Station 44.
Restored by Western Connecticut Chapter NRHS and open weekends, noon to
5PM, May-October, as a museum and gift shop.
DELAWARE
- Harrington.. PHOTOS .. (PRR) Located on original site
as Harrington Tower Museum. Open by appointment.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
- Virginia Avenue.. (PRR) Located
south of the tunnel from Washington Union Station at the junction with
the freight line from Benning and the northeast, joining the main line
south to Virginia, now owned by CSX. The building was built in the early
1900's, and is being preserved by CSX under an agreement with the city
of Washington for its styling and historic status.
ILLINOIS
- Franklin Park.. (MILW) Known
as Tower B-12..
Located downtown near Post Office. Originally located at SOO-MILW West
Line crossing.
- Hebron.. (C&NW, x-Kenosha & Rockford R.R. 'KD' Line, Milwaukee
Road) Joint tower at crossing point operated by MILW, built c-1900. After
the line was abandoned, the tower was moved and converted to house where
it is currently in use on a nursery property.
- Joliet.. (Rock Island, Metra)
Known as UD
Tower. Located at original location with contents preserved. Tower
is to become a museum and viewing platform through the efforts of the city
of Joliet and the Blackhawk Railway Historical Society.
- Pana.. PHOTO..
(NYC) Known as Pana Tower.. Controlled junction of NYC St.Louis line and MP(C&EI) St.Louis
line. IC's Gruber line also crossed here.
- Ramsey.. PHOTO..
(IC) Controlled crossing of NKP St.Louis line and IC Gruber line.
- Union.. (MILW) At Illinois
Rwy Museum. Originally located at MILW-EJ&E crossing in Spaulding,
Illinois.
- Vandalia.. (PRR) Owned by
the Vandalia RR shortline.
INDIANA
- Dearborn.. (B&O) Originally
located in Lawrenceburg where it controlled crossing of B&O Cincinnati-St.Louis
line and NYC's Aurora Branch.. Moved to the Whitewater Valley Railroad in Connersville where
it is to be restored as closely as possible to original condition inside
& out. PHOTO
- Griffith.. (EJ&E) Moved
to museum across tracks from original location.. Controlled EL-C&O-GTW-EJ&E-NYC
crossing.
- North Judson.. (IHB) Known
as Grasselli Tower,
originally located in East Chicago, Indiana, where it controlled the junction
of IHB, EJE and B&OCT.. Closed in 2007.. Moved to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum where it is being
restored.
- Terre Haute.. (C&EI)
Known as Haley Tower. Located
at Wabash Valley Railroader's Museum.. Originally located at nearby CSX(ex-C&EI)-CR(ex-NYC) crossing.
- Terre Haute.. (MILW) Known
as Spring Hill Tower.. Located at Wabash Valley
Railroader's Museum.. Originally located at MILW and CSX(ex-C&EI) crossing south
of Terre Haute.
- Union City.. (NYC) Closed
1969. Currently awaiting donations to move the structure to a nearby location
on town property.
IOWA
- Iowa Falls.. (IC) Known as
Mills Tower. Located at IC-RI Spine Line crossing.
KANSAS
- Hope.. Originally located
at crossing of ATSF-MP (now abandoned). Relocated behind a house on Main
Street on west side of town.
KENTUCKY
- Russell.. (C&O) Tower
and depot are part of a museum located at the east end of the yard.
MARYLAND
- Bowie.. PHOTOS
.. (PRR) Moved to Huntington Railroad Museum near original location. Open
on weekends.
- Brunswick .. (B&O) Known
as WB Tower. Closed December 2011. Structure was moved April 2022 to a
city-owned location on opposite side of right-of-way for preservation.
- Sykesville.. PHOTOS .. (PRR) Known as B&P Tower. Relocated
from Baltimore's Penn Station. Serves as a welcome, information, town center
and post office. There is a model train layout on the second-floor, open
to the public the first Sunday of every month.
MAINE
- Kennebunkport.. Known as
Tower C. Located at Seashore Trolley Museum. Originally located in Boston
where it controlled the following: Atlantic Avenue EL and Main Line junction,
switches for the North Station - South Station shuttle platform, and Charlestown
Bridge. It was closed in 1954.
MASSACHUSETTS
- Attleboro.. (NH) Built c-1898.
Closed 1993. Served Boston-New Haven line and was its last mechanical interlocking.
Currently awaiting donations to preserve the structure.
- Bourne.. (NH) Known as U 416.
Still in use today by Bay Colony RR at Canal Junction, and is included
in this report as it was 'preserved' in recent years by inmates of the
Barnstable County House of Correction at no labor cost to the owner.
- Salem.. (B&M) Opened
c-1925. Located near the tunnel portal just south of the Salem
train station.
MICHIGAN
- Coopersville.. (GTW) Restored
by the Coopersville & Marne Railway. Originally located at Greenville
where it controlled the GTW and C&O(Pere Marquette) crossing.
- Lansing.. (NYC) Known as
MA Tower. Relocated September 2016 to Lansing
Model Railroad Club from former location north side of Lansing
where it had been moved from original location at NYC-PM depot.
- Richland.. (NYC) Known as
Tower
1. Moved to the Gilmore
Car Museum from Kalamazoo where it had controlled the NYC (ex-MC)
and PRR (ex-GR&I) crossing.
- Saginaw.. (C&O) Known
as Meshon Tower. Located at Saginaw Railroad Museum. Originally located
at C&O, NYC, GTW crossing.
MINNESOTA
- Newport.. (MILW) Served the
CB&Q, Rock Island and Milwaukee. Second-shift job was a CB&Q dispatcher
who controlled the joint trackage between St.Crois Tower and Hoffman Avenue
Tower. Moved to a location about a half block east of the police station.
MISSOURI
- Clinton.. (MKT) Known as South Tower,
concrete, formerly located at crossing between MKT and Kansas City, Clinton
& Springfield tracks, south of Rogers Street. Closed 1927, abandoned
1935 and moved about 600 feet west to a site south of Ortner Hatchery Building
where it remains.
NEW JERSEY
- Cold Spring Village.. (PRSL)
Known as Woodbine Junction Tower. Originally located at Woodbine. Used
as a gift shop by the Cape May Seashore Lines.
- Phillipsburg.. (CNJ) Known
as PU Tower. Owned by the town of Phillipsburg and being restored by Phillipsburg
Railroad Historians. PHOTOS
- Roselle Park.. (CNJ) Known
both as QR Tower and Lorraine Tower. Closed 1948. Restored and now in use
as a private residence.
- Tuckahoe.. (PRSL).. Being restored
by Cape May Seashore Lines.
- Waldwick.. (ERIE) Controlled
the interlocking where two tracks became four tracks.
NEW YORK
- Ashford.. (B&O) Known
as Ashford Junction Tower. Privately owned. A distinctive BR&P poured
concrete tower. This part of the B&O was once the Buffalo, Rochester
& Pittsburgh.
- Locust Valley.. (LIRR) Built
1912 replacing replacing 1879 structure. Renovated 2006 and in use as a
police office.
- Mechanicville.. (D&H)
Known as XO Tower. Controlled B&M-D&H crossing.
- North Tonawanda.. (EL) Controlled
crossing of Erie Niagara Falls line and NYC Lockport Branch. Owned by Niagara
Frontier Chapter NRHS.
- Sterling Station.. (LV/NYC)
Moved in 1930 from its original site at the junction of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad and the New York Central Oswego-Rochester Division. Now located
at Sterling Heritage Park, 1294 State route 104A, next to the Sterling
Town Hall. Maintained as part of a museum by the Sterling
Historical Society.
OHIO
- Bradford.. (PRR) The tracks
are gone but the tower remains. Being restored by the Bradford
Railroad Museum.
- Brady Lake.. (PRR) Used as
a Kent city park maintenance building.
- Cincinnati.. (CUT) Known
as Tower A. Controlled Cincinnati Union Terminal trackage.
- Grafton.. PHOTO..
(NYC) Controlled NYC-B&O Lorain Branch crossing. Moved 200 feet from
original location and put back on stilts near the northeast quadrant of
NYC(Big Four) Cleveland- Greenwich line (now CSX) and B&O Lorain Branch
(now CSX) crossing. Plans include restoring at least two armstrong levers
to operate a turnout.
- Leetonia.. PHOTOS..
(PRR) Controlled PRR-EL Lisbon Branch crossing.
- Marion.. (ERIE) Known as
AC Tower. Moved across tracks to a museum onto Marion Union Station property,
put back on stilts, shortened by one story. Interlocking machine has been
restored and is operational to simulate moves in pre-Conrail days. Built
in 1902. AC stands for Atlantic Crossing (this part of the Erie was once
the Atlantic & Western). Open to visitors on weekends throughout the
year.
- Orrville.. (PRR) Moved to
museum near original location.
- Toledo.. (NYC) Known as Nasby
Tower. Controlled NYC-Toledo Terminal crossing. May become office for bike
trail on old Toledo Terminal right-of-way.
OREGON
- Portland.. Known as VC Tower.
Located at south end of Union Station and operated by the Portland Terminal
Railroad. Plans for its restoration or reuse are pending.
PENNSYLVANIA
- East Stroudsburg.. (DL&W)
Located along Analomink Street.
- Harrisburg.. (PRR) Known
as Harris Tower.
Located at State Street bridge. Owned by Harrisburg Chapter NRHS. Goal
is to allow visitors to operate the interlocking machine making use of
computer-simulated operations circa-1940's.
- Huntingdon.. (PRR) Known
as Hunt Tower .. PHOTO .. Located
on original site, open to visitors.
- Mahoningtown.. (B&O)
Known as UN Tower. Relocated from New Castle.
- Scranton.. (DL&W) Located
at Steamtown. Used as a Park Service ranger station.
- Scranton.. (DL&W) Known
as Mattes Street. Restored by Steamtown.
- Strasburg.. (PRR) Known as
Lemo Tower. Located at Strasburg RR. Relocated from Lemoyne, Pennsylvania.
- Tobyhanna.. (DL&W) Restored
by National Park Service and leased to the Delaware & Lackawanna RR
and the Pocono Mountain Chapter NRHS.
- York.. (PRR) Located north
of former York PRR passenger rail station. Two-story brick structure built
c-1942, purchased 2013 by Think Loud Development.. Owner intends that it
be restored to its original exterior condition, possibly for use as a coffee
house.
RHODE ISLAND
- Kingston.. (NH) Relocated
near original location.
TENNESSEE
- Amqui.. (L&N) Tower and
depot combination originally located at Amqui. Purchased by singer Johnny
Cash in 1979 and moved to Hendersonville along Route 31. It has since been
moved back to Amqui, 100 feet east of the tracks, and has been restored
as a museum.
- Chattanooga.. (CSC) Located
at Chattanooga Choo Choo. Controlled Chattanooga Terminal Station trackage.
Once owned by Chattanooga Station Company.
- Cowan.. (L&N) Tower and
depot combination now owned by the Cowan Railroad Museum.
TEXAS
- Dallas.. (ATSF) Known as
Tower No. 19. Located at Age of Steam Museum, original location about three
miles east of Dallas Union Station at Santa Fe-UP(T&P) crossing at
south end of Santa Fe's Dallas yard, built by Gulf Colorado & Santa
Fe.
- Dallas.. (DUT) Known as North
Tower. Controlled crossing of Dallas Union Terminal, Texas & Pacific,
and Missouri Kansas & Texas(KATY). Will become part of the 6th Floor
Museum because it sets close to where President Kennedy was assassinated.
- Flatonia.. (SP) Known as
Tower No. 3. Built 1902 by Gulf Colorado & San Antonio for the crossing
of the San Antonio & Aransas Pass. Moved a few blocks from original
location. Now a museum.
- Grapevine.. (SLSF) Known
as Tower No. 16.
Controlled crossing of Frisco and Texas & Pacific at Sherman. Moved
to Grapevine for display at the Cotton Belt Depot Museum.
- Luling.. (SP) Known as Tower No. 40.
Built by Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio for the crossing with
the San Antonio & Aransas Pass. Moved a short distance from original
location. Used as a gas station, then beauty parlor. Currently vacant.
- Rosenberg.. (SP) Known as
Tower 17
which, when it closed in February 2004, was the last staffed interlocking
tower in the state. It had controlled the UP (x-SP) crossing with BNSF
(x-SF). Moved to the Rosenberg Railroad Museum.
VIRGINIA
- Staunton.. (C&O) Known
as HD Cabin .. PHOTOS .. Bottom
floor is used as Amtrak's waiting room. Top floor is a residence.
WEST VIRGINIA
- Martinsburg.. (B&O) Known
as Miller Tower. Originally located at
Cherry Run. Relocated to Martinsburg's Roundhouse Center Museum for eventual
restoration. Closed in 2000.
WISCONSIN
- Eau
Claire.. (CNW) c-1896. Closed November 1991.
Moved May 1992 to Carson Park in Eau Claire where it is being renovated
by the Chippewa Valley Railroad Association. Originally located at CNW-MILW
crossing near Banbury Place.
- LaCrosse.. (MILW) Known as
Grand Crossing. Controlled MILW-CB&Q crossing. Relocated to Copeland
Park in LaCrosse.
- Milwaukee.. (CNW) Trestle
Park. Converted into a residence.