I caught a tweet showing off some on Pentrex videos that had been uploaded to Archive.org documenting Amtrak's 1992 vintage Northeast Corridor. I've seen a number of these before and they are a pretty by the numbers affair with a mix of cab and trackside VHS grade video shots with occasional narration explaining things I already know. Well this time, on a hunch, I scanned through the runtime and discovered some rather lengthy segments filmed inside A and ZOO interlocking towers when they were open and handling NEC operations. A would be taken over by the new Penn Station Control Center in 1994 and ZOO would have its NEC functions transferred to CTEC in 1999.
The A tower segment begins at 6:10 and the ZOO tower segment begins at 1:06:45. Some interesting things to note is that A was staffed by a train director, two levermen and three assistants to the train director, although one or more may have actually been telegraphers. In 1992 most of the northern NEC would have been tower controlled with HUDSON closing in 2003, DOCK in 2017 and UNION in 2009. ZOO is staffed by a daytime crew of 4, a train director, leverman and two assistants to the train director, although I was informed that one of these assistants would be responsible for the NEC portion of the interlocking machine under supervision of CTEC. In 1992 ZOO was still hangling Conrail moves over the High Line.
Anyway enjoy. Hopefully this video will continue to fly under the radar and stay online.
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