BO Tower (1888-2016)

Right as scheduled, BO Tower in Kalamazoo, MI, finally closed after a strange zombie period brought about by contractual obligation.  As far as I can tell, the former Michigan Central (New York Central) tower was built in 1888(!) and for about 125 years retained its original mechanical lever frame in service.

The tower survived as long as it did for a number of reasons.  

• First, the plant contained two diamond crossings of the MC Main Line as well as wyes and crossovers.  Railroads typically saved these types of interlocking for last. 
• Second, the Conrail Michigan Line was one of those stepchildren that saw more passenger traffic than freight.  In fact Amtrak bought the MC route west of Kalamazoo to Porter, IN outright creating a stub line that Conrail was disinclined to invest in.  
• Third, Amtrak didn't bother to take over dispatching duties of its own line until 2005, with a Conrail operator at Drawbridge Tower in Michigan Tower being paid to run CTC machine.  Operators at BO and Drawbridge gave Amtrak more personal service than having to get a hold of an overworked Conrail dispatcher.  
• Fourth, NS went and effectivly leased the annoying Michigan Line to Amtrak in the aftermath of the financial crisis with MIDoT on hand with stimulus funding to upgrade the entire route for 110mph operation.  The agreement required NS to dispatch the line until 2016 when Amtrak would take over.  This means that while BO was re-signaled in the 2014-2015 time frame, the tower remained open with local control because of the lease agreement.

So what's next?  It was reported that the items inside the tower were removed for preservation in the Henry Ford Museum.  Unfortunately that implied that there might not be a plan to preserve the tower as is and wooden towers have a history of having to be demolished, even when preservation attempts are made (PD, MO, etc).  Still, BO tower was given a new roof about 10 years ago and it doesn't appear to be leaning so there could still be hope...at least until someone sets it on fire :-(

BO Tower Downgraded

I just learned that last September BO Tower in Kalamazoo, MI decommissioned it's 1915 vintage mechanical lever frame in conjunction with a re-signaling program associated with the previously discussed Wolverine corridor improvements financed by MI DoT. Similar to Ridgely Tower in Springfield, IL, the former New York (Michigan) Central Tower guarded a pair o 2x1 diamond crossings on a line that tended to see more passenger movements than freight.  Located at the end of the 100 or so mile long Amtrak owned segment, the tower salutorily neglected under both Conrail and NS.  When NS turned over the Michigan Line to a shortline railroad I had hoped that the cash-strapped operator would continue the previous policy of no improvements. Unfortunately a chunk of state and Federal funding chose to upset the cart.



This YouTube video will explain in further detail exactly what happened, but like CORK, the old interlocking machine was retired with the plant now worked from a bunch of modern panels.  The tower has remained in service due to the terms of an agreement with NS to provide dispatching services over the line until 2017, but after that date it is expected that the tower will be closed with duties turned over to Amtrak out of Chicago. Like the rest of the Michigan Line the new signals are of the full blown Darth Vader type with LED lamps.

Based on an analysis of the interlocking plant, the 1915 lever frame contained only active switch lever with lock for the wye connection, two crossing levers (colored brown) for each diamond crossing and on the order of 10 signal levers assuming each crossing line needs two.  The photos at the Michigan Railroad History site from around 1990's shows the third diamond crossing still in service.

Of course nobody should be surprised of this development, but once again it is a shame that the spiritual home of the Michigan Central has lost its MC vintage tower and small target searchlight signals.