NYC 5-Track Gantry to Fall at NASBY

The great 5-track New York Central signal gantry just west of Toledo at NASBY tower (currently known as CP-292 since the tower closed in 1998) is the latest victim of Norfolk Southerns pointless re-signaling plans.  Just 13 years ago that same gantry and its beefy steel lattice construction was perfectly fine when Conrail decided to leave it in place, but this time NS feels its better to spend the money to erect a completely new Darth Vader gantry than just re-wire the color light signals already in place.

Of course this isn't the first signal replacement at NASBY, the eastbound signals were replaced in the conrail era by a tubular cantilever, but the NJC G-head signals were re-mounted as there was nothing to be gained replacing one tri light with another.  This time around I wouldn't be surprised if NS doesn't resignal that end as well, even going as far to replace the modern style cantilever mast.

NASBY tower used to feature the diamond crossing of the Toledo Terminal RR and the Chicago Line.  The tower closed in 1998 when the TT had no more use for its trackage and abandoned the diamond crossing.  A brief history of the tower and of the more recent CP-292 can be found here.  A more detailed PDF presentation of the tower, its operations and closure complete with inside photos can be found here.  Like other NY Central towers it was a GRS plant controlled by a Model 2 wood paneled pistol grip machine.