Closed North American railroad interlocking towers and cabins

December 31, 1999

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 January 1, 1998 and December 31, 1999. 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
Stockton Stockton SP, UP, AT&SF T closed January 12, 1999
Other   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Elvas Sacramento SP T closed November 1, 1999
Connecticut   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Walk South Norwalk Metro North (Danbury Branch) T Control of signals from tower removed circa 1992 and manual block station removed from service circa 1998; tower now controls movable bridge only.
Florida   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Beaver Street Jacksonville CSX, NS, FEC T closed September 10, 1999
Illinois   [4]
Chicago area   [4]
Amtrak   [2]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Lumber Street Chicago Amtrak R O controls Roosevelt Road to South Branch Bridge reportedly functions remoted to Lake Street Tower circa 1997
Harrison Street Chicago Amtrak (ex-CUS) EP T Chicago Union Station south throat (surrounded by new post office); closed February, 1999
Metra Rock Island District (ex-CRI&P)   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Root Street Chicago Metra (ex-CRI&P), CRL T closed April 23, 1999
Union Pacific (ex-Chicago & North Western)   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Kedzie Chicago UP (ex-C&NW) T junction between Geneva Subdivision (West Line) and Rockwell Subdivision; closed April 4, 1998
Indiana   [4]
Chicago area   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Griffith Griffith EJ&E, GTW E T closed December, 1999
Outstate   [3]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
IU Indianapolis CR (ex-IU, ex-PRR, ex-NYC), CSX (ex-B&O) EP T closed April 7, 1998
Haley Terre Haute CR (ex-NYC), CSX (ex-C&EI); E T closed October 22, 1999; building preserved and moved off railroad property
Spring Hill Terre Haute Soo (ex-CMStP&P), CSX (ex-C&EI) M, R T controlled local interlocking and houses Soo's Terre Haute line dispatcher's office; closed January 21, 1999; to be preserved
New York   [1]
New York City area   [1]
Amtrak Hell Gate Line   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Pelham Bay Bronx Amtrak (ex-NYNH&H) T closed as interlocking tower 1998 or 1999; employee now only operates bridge. (Is building a tower or bridge cabin?)
Ohio   [3]
Cleveland area   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Berea (BE) Berea CR (ex-NYC) E T closed February 1, 1998
Toledo area   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Nasby (AV) Toledo CR (ex-NYC), NS (ex-TT west side line) E T closed March 22, 1998
Other points   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
J Willard CSX (ex-B&O) T closed early 1999; razed
Pennsylvania   [1]
Other   [1]
CSX, ex-B&O Cumberland-Connellsville main line   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Q Hyndman CSX (ex-B&O) M T (M, w/pipeline; closed November 14, 1998)
Texas   [1]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
#68 Houston SP T yard
West Virginia   [2]
name location roads mach. bldg. notes
Q Hardman CSX (ex-B&O) M T (M, w/pipeline; closed June 18, 1998)
D Grafton CSX (ex-B&O) R T closed October 22, 1998
Closed towers listed:   20


Updated on Monday, June 7, 2004 at 15:28.