Closed North American railroad interlocking towers and cabins

December 31, 1996

Maintained by Jon Roma
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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:

Jon Roma
P. O. Box 2155
Champaign, IL 61825-2155


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.


Key to symbols

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.