DOLTON JCT Tower Closed and Demolished (1897-2017)

Well the inevitable finally happened.  The last all-big-lever interlocking tower in North America was not only taken out of service, but razed to the ground.  DOLTON JCT and its 172-lever S&F machine was built by the PRR in 1897 (and possibly rebuilt in 1944). The squat wooden structure was built to accommodate an Improved Saxby and Farmer pattern frame with a giant horizontal locking bed.

 A typical Chicagoland flat junction with more diamonds than turnouts, DOLTON JCT controlled the east end of the large B&OCT / IHB yard complexes.  In 1942 the tower had 136 active levers, decreasing to 100 in 1944 and the number has only gotten smaller and smaller since then.  when I Was able to visit in 2014, new owner IHB had started the process of chipping away the territory into new, independent sub-interlockings.

Apparently, the interlocking was cut over to the IHB dispatcher on February 27th, 2017 and then the tower itself was finally knocked down on Friday, August 4th in order to make way for a track realignment project.  Hopefully, like the IHB CALUMET tower that was closed in early 2016, local preservation groups were given the opportunity to save artifacts and what was in all likelihood, the largest mechanical lever frame still in existence in the western hemisphere.

For full coverage of the last years of Dolton Junction tower and its ultimate demise, including a bevy of interior photos, check out the Industrial Scenery blog.

http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2015/05/dolton-junction.html

Also, as I mentioned before, John Roma has a number of additional interior photos posted at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonroma/se ... 973032939/

Aurora Line and Other News

Well I just got back from a trip to Chicago on which I captured video from a METRA express run inbound from Aurora.  This gives me the opportunity to report back on the status of the surviving Burlington searchlights as well as other news.

As with most "news" segments this one is pretty bleak as all signaling marches towards a sterile and uniform future where the only bright spot is the new standard 20 year service life because propritary microprocessors are sooooo much better than those standardized relays that could last 3-4 times as long.  We begin on the Chicago Line near MP 324 where NS is replacing some NYC/Conrail era intermediates with new Darth masts.  This part of the Chicago Line was original signaled 261 under the Central with bi-di bracket masts.  Later after the "right side" rule was lifted, Conrail un-bracketed the brackets as part of a doublestack clearance project.

In another NS related blow to signaling the famous N&W bracket mast at the mouth of the Montgomery Tunnel are being replaced.  These were hooked to new signaling logic in the 80's or 90's and should have been safe for another decade or two.  With the Thurmond signals now history there aren't many good photo locations left in the Appalachians.

The NS Southern main line resignaling project has had the new signals cut in as far as Toccoa, GA.

In a small bit of good news some NYC-era IHB signals on a signal bridge in Calumet City have gotten a fresh coat of paint.  These are of an older "long" style GRS style searchlight that NS is currently removing on some of its lines in Tennessee.

I also paid a visit to DOLTON junction which last had part of its western end turned into the new CP-107.  Anyway the remainder of the core interlocking plant with its mechanical lever frame logic is still not showing signs of full replacement.  Some additional bad news however is that the signals on the new CP-107 and CP-112 gantries have 4-lamp heads with Seaboard style Lunar.  Bad omens of a CSX future or change to western style route signaling?

Onto the Aurora Line (aka BNSF Chicago Sub).  The searchlit interlockings around Eola yard are showing signs of work, but it is progressing slowly, now entering their second year.  Many of the signal appliances have yet to be installed so it is still good for photos.

The truly depressing news is that the massive UNION AVE interlocking plant adjacent to the Chicago Union Station wye is now on track to be re-signaled as well.  This was a 1990's replacement of a GRS machine in a tower and was one of the last new instals of Burlington style searchlight signals.  As such a modern and complex plant i had figured it would be resistant to re-signaling efforts, but again I was wrong.  Not sure I'll be able to get back out for "close-up" photos from the adjacent METRA station, but these projects can take a while.  The 5-track double-sided modern searchlight gantries were a true marvel.

CALUMET Tower Closes and Other News

Well this one certainly came in under my radar, but CALUMET tower located on the Indiana Harbour Belt where it crosses the CSX (BO&CT) main line in East Calumet City, IN just closed in early March 2013.  CALUMET was a very old mechanical tower with all the looks and structural integrity of METRA's 16th St crossing only containing a 96-lever National Switch and Signal (later bought by US&S) mechanical lever frame which would help to hold the tower up better.  Calumet Jct consists of the triple crossing between the IHB, B&OCT and EJE lines with the IHB and EJE each crossing the B&OCT on a set of 6 diamonds and then the EJE crossing the IHB via shallow angle movable point diamonds.

 Like all other surviving interlocking towers CALUMET lost a lot of complexity over the years and like DOLTON junction it had its mechanical points swapped for the power operated variety and most of its classic signals swapped for Darth Vader masts, but its ease of access and location at the crossing of two major main lines made it a very popular railfan hotspot, although only for those willing to brave the bad neighborhood it was in.  While no scheduled passenger service passed by CALUMET I personally had the honor of getting a rare mileage trip past during an Amtrak detour over the Porter Branch after a large freight train derailment on the Chicago Line and I am glad I was able to get my own photos of the old girl while where was still someone up top bending the iron.

CALUMET, which one source lists as being built between 1895 and 1897, clearly saw a long and full life and now will probably face the fate that befalls most wooden towers of that type of either being torn down or being burnt down.  There is a slim bit of hope in that the near by GRASSELI tower, which closed in 2007 as the third to last tower with mechanically worked points in North America, was actually preserved and moved to a nearby railroad museum so who knows, perhaps the same motivated individuals are still around to get the IHB to hold back the backhoes and give this tower a new lease on life.  One thing is for sure that is CALUMET is preserved its lever frame will be vastly more interesting to play around with. Unfortunately the once tower rich IHB is down to only about two active plants on its serpentine main line after HICK closed a year or two ago up where it joined the Chicago Line.  The EJE isn't far behind although it two movable bridges with local control towers are unlikely to be put under CTC.

There is of course a Has-Been post on the closing of CALUMET, although that site doesn't seem to like direct inbound links so you might have to re-load the page or cut and paste the link and of course John Roma has been inside to take pictures.

PHOTOS: A Brief Ride Through DOLTON JUNCTION

For those of you who don't know, Dolton Junction is North America's largest operating mechanical lever frame interlocking tower located about 15 miles south of downtown Chicago. Over a couple of years while traveling on Amtrak Train 50, "The Cardinal" I have had opportunity to photograph the tower and parts of the interlocking and I seeing the ongoing series on Chicago area towers I feel its a good idea to share them here.

The massive complex that is Dolton Junction was created by the intersection of 4 railroad main lines. The Chicago and Western Indiana railroad ran north to Dearborn St Station as a terminal line that concentrated traffic from a number of other railroads, most notably the Chicago and Eastern Illinois, which eventually wound up owned by Union Pacific. Splitting the C&WI were the parallel east-west main lines of the Indiana Harbor Belt and the Baltimore and Ohio, Chicago Terminal railroads. Finally, playing the spoiler and crossing all the of the other main lines at an angle was the Pennsylvania Railroad's "Panhandle Route" main line from Columbus Ohio. Because the PRR was involved you can find an interlocking diagram here.



The tower at Dolton Junction was built in 1897 and contained a 178 lever frame with 100 active levers. As built the interlocking contained a total of 20 diamonds which included an extra 4 from various connection tracks between the main lines. At the time most of the routes through the plant were fitted with split point derails to prevent any catastrophic Stop signal violations.

Today the interlocking plant has seen some expensive reconfigurations carried out on the old mechanical frame. With the removal of the PRR route the number of diamonds has been reduced to 11 and a few new crossovers and connector tracks have been installed. Still the interlocking is operated as an island of manual control with CTC on all sides. Most of my photos were taken from the rear of a south/eastbound train as it passed through the interlocking in 2009.

Entering Dolton Junction from the North we pass the southbound home signal which is back to back with the signals for an independent interlocking that connects the C&WI line with the B&OCT line. The Doton signals stand out as they are older searchlights and not Darth Vaders.

Next we cross the B&OCT diamonds.

Then the IHB diamonds.

And now the tower itself. I believe you can just make out some of the levers inside the open window.

Another angle....