This list of closed railroad interlocking towers and cabins was extracted from a list originally compiled for the "Tower Tribute" section in the April, 1995 issue of TRAINS magazine.
The assistance of numerous people is gratefully acknowledged.
As with the list of active towers, this list is organized alphabetically by state, with regional subgroupings as needed. A total of closures follows each state or group heading.
The closures listed are those recorded as having occurred between March 1, 1995 and December 31, 1996. For more information about listing criteria, see this list's active tower counterpart.
Corrections and updates may be sent via email. Alternatively, you may submit additional information by post to:
NOTE: This list and the information contained therein may be freely reproduced or used in printed or electronic form for non-commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged and provided that such publication also refers readers to the original list.
| Abbreviations denoting type of interlocking machine: | ||
|---|---|---|
| E | electric (typically GRS model) | |
| EM | electro-mechanical (mechanical frame in conjunction with separate electrical levers interlocked electrically or mechanically with mechanical frame) | |
| EP | electro-pneumatic (typically US&S model) | |
| M | mechanical frame (old ``armstrong'' or ``strong-arm'' levers); presence of pipeline-operated switches, derails, or signals is indicated when known | |
| R | all-relay machine (includes CTC- and "NX"-type panels and other modern variants) | |
| Abbreviations denoting type of building or structure: | ||
| B | movable bridge cabin, on or next to bridge | |
| C | cabin | |
| O | office (e. g., in yard office or depot building) | |
| T | tower (building with two or more stories) | |
| California [2] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S. F. Bay Area [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| 16th Street | Oakland | SP | T | closed October 1, 1995 | |
| L. A. Area [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Mission Tower | Los Angeles | Amtrak (Metrolink), SP, AT&SF | T | closed August 30, 1996 | |
| Illinois [7] | |||||
| Chicago area [5] | |||||
| Metra Rock Island District (ex-CRI&P) [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Englewood | Chicago | Metra (ex-CRI&P), CR (ex-PRR) | T | crossing; closed October 14, 1995; razed same month | |
| Metra Southwest District (ex-C&WI, NS) [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| 47th Street | Chicago | Metra (ex-C&WI) | T | was strictly a dispatcher's office and should not have been in 1995 list; now controlled from Metra's new control center | |
| Metra Milwaukee District (ex-CMStP&P) [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| B-12 | Franklin Park | Metra/Soo (ex-CMStP&P), WC, IHB | M, R | T | junction and crossings; closed July 8, 1996; formerly staffed by Soo (M, w/pipeline); tower purchased and relocated November, 1996 |
| Illinois Central [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Bridgeport | Chicago | IC (Metra Heritage, ex-GM&O), IC (ex-Iowa Division), AT&SF | E | B | cabin on no-longer-movable bridge; closed August 21, 1995 |
| Conrail [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Burnham | Calumet Park | CR (ex-PRR), CSS&SB, NS (ex-NKP) | R | C | trailer replaced tower that burned during 1970s; closed September 27, 1995 |
| East St. Louis area [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| WR | Granite City | TRRA, SP (ex-GM&O), Gateway | EP | T | Eastern (ex-GM&O), NS (ex-Wabash/IT); closed April 23, 1995; razed January, 1996 |
| Downstate Illinois [1] | |||||
| Central Illinois [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Gilman (CK) | Gilman | IC, TP&W | R | O | inside depot; closed September 4, 1996 |
| Indiana [1] | |||||
| Outstate [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Bend (HF) | South Bend | CR (ex-NYC)-GT | E | T | Closed July 13, 1996 |
| Maryland [2] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| AM | Altamont | CSX (ex-B&O) | T | closed December 29, 1995 | |
| M | Mexico | CSX (ex-B&O) | R | T | east end Cumberland yard; closed July 15, 1996 |
| Massachusetts [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Tower H | Somerville | Amtrak (MBTA, ex-B&M), Guilford (ex-B&M), CR (ex-B&A) | T | open two tricks/day; closed August 9, 1995 | |
| Michigan [2] | |||||
| Detroit [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Beaubien Street | Detroit | CR (ex-MC), GT | M | T | closed February 28, 1996; razed early May, 1996 |
| Other [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Plymouth | Plymouth | CSX (ex-C&O) | O | inside yard office; closed December 3, 1995 | |
| Missouri [1] | |||||
| St. Louis [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Gratiot Street | St. Louis | TRRA, UP, Amtrak | R | T | also handled Grand Avenue TRRA, BN (ex-StLSF, UP, NS (ex-Wabash) junction in St. Louis and TRRA, UP (ex-MP), A&S junction on Illinois side of river; closed August 22, 1996; razed early November, 1996 |
| New Jersey [1] | |||||
| Amtrak Northeast Corridor [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Fair | Trenton | Amtrak (ex-PRR) | R | T | closed July, 1996; formerly controlled six interlockings |
| New York [1] | |||||
| New York City area [1] | |||||
| Amtrak Northeast Corridor (ex-PRR) [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| F Tower | Long Island City (Queens) | Amtrak (ex-PRR) | EP | T | closed June 4, 1995 |
| Ohio [5] | |||||
| Cincinnati area [2] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| NA | Ivorydale | CSX (ex-B&O), CR (ex-NYC) | T | closed August 2, 1995 | |
| GK | East Norwood | CSX (ex-B&O), NS (ex-PRR) | E | T | closed September 5, 1995; tower housed first Taylor electric interlocking frame |
| Toledo area [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Millard Avenue | Toledo | CSX (ex-C&O) | C | ore docks; closed November 20, 1995 | |
| Other points [2] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Rave | Ravenna | CR (ex-PRR) | T | part-time; closed March 13, 1995 | |
| NS Tower | Lima | CR (ex-PRR), NS (ex-NKP), CSX (ex-B&O) | EM | T | closed June 10, 1995 (M, w/pipeline) |
| Pennsylvania [6] | |||||
| Philadelphia area [3] | |||||
| CSX [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| RG | Philadelphia | CSX (ex-B&O) | R | T | East Side Yard; closed March 29, 1996 |
| SEPTA -- West Chester Line (ex-PRR) [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Media | Media | SEPTA (ex-PRR) | EP | O | full-time office inside station, controlled Media, North and South Elwyn; closed 1995 |
| Amtrak Harrisburg Line [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Park | Parkesburg | Amtrak (ex-PRR) | EP | T | had been open only for trackwork or emergencies; finally closed permanently in 1995 |
| Other [3] | |||||
| Conrail, ex-PRR main line [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| AR | Gallitzin | CR (ex-PRR) | EP | T | closed September 19, 1995 |
| Pittsburgh area [2] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Rochester | Rochester | CR (ex-PRR) | E | T | closed March 28, 1996 |
| UN | New Castle | CSX (ex-B&O, P&LE) | T | closed November 5, 1995 | |
| Tennessee [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Leewood | Leewood | CSX (ex-L&N), IC crossing/junction | R | C | one-story building in northeastern Memphis; closed December 2, 1996 |
| Texas [2] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| #3 | Flatonia | SP | M | T | (M, w/pipeline); closed September 23, 1996 |
| #55 | Fort Worth | UP (ex-T&P, ex-MKT), AT&SF, SP | R | T | closed May 15, 1995; controlled from yard office |
| Quebec, Canada [1] | |||||
| name | location | roads | mach. | bldg. | notes |
| Val Royal | Montreal | CN | R | O | CN Deux Montagnes line; panel inside depot controlled end of double track and former Cartierville stub; closed June 3, 1995 concurrent with temporary closure of line for reconstruction and re-electrification; razed June 6, 1995 |
| Closed towers listed: 33 | |||||
Updated on Monday, June 7, 2004 at 15:28.