K TOWER Closes Ending Tower Ops on the NEC

The ax finally fell for Washington DC's K TOWER, 4 years after the interlocking station was relocated from the 1908 tower structure and into an office in the old Railroad Express Agency building. As of October 2026, control of the Washington Union Terminal complex has passed from the operators at K to the new "Section K" desk at CTEC in Wilmington. The move is similar to the one that closed R and Q towers in Sunnyside Yard in October 2025 and replaced them with a new Section S dispatcher at Penn Station Control Center. 

While not expected the move is not surprising seeing as rising labor costs have swamped the advantage of having eyes on the ground, especially after Amtrak trialed having the K Tower staff shut up in an office playing video games without a good view of the tracks. K TOWER effectively functioned as a mini-PSCC with at least 3 staff positions, two Train Directors (ostensibly split between Amtrak and MARC moves), and an Assistant Train Director. (There might have also been a 4th position to handle paperwork.) The new Section K desk at CTEC initially tried to do away with the Assistant TD position, but was later forced to add it back given the workload. It is unclear if TD's were upgraded to dispatchers or remained at the lower grade. 

 
Like other recent tower closures, the impetus wasn't so much the number of "butts in seats", but the overhead involved with managing a satellite control facility. The staff at old K would need its own extra board and some form of supervision. The DC area has higher cost of living than Wilmington and travel between Wilmington and DC for management or training probably involved at least some claims for personal vehicle milage. Unlike train crews, dispatchers and operators are limited by Federal hours of service rules to 9 hours per 24. That means one can't easily extend existing shifts to cover an outage. Someone has to come in on a rest day or you have to have an qualified extra. With the pool of regular workers around 12-15, there likely aren't enough off days to keep an extra man fully utilized, however they themselves need the flexibility to take off. By moving everyone to the CTEC dispatch centre, the K Tower operation can be covered from the existing, fully utilized, extra pool, which saves not only a salary, but also management spoons in case someone calls in sick.

 
As I pointed out in the title, K tower closing marks the end of tower operations along the entire Washington to Boston Northeast corridor. This process started in the early 1980's when the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project began to replace the PRR's legacy interlocking towers moving south to north with CTEC first being stood up in the attic of 30th St station. The 1990's saw tower closures between Philly and Metropark with the "last mile" into NYC staying tower controlled (and paper dispatched) until UNION and DOCK tower were closed in 2009 and 2017 respectivly. On the Boston end the yk2 era electrification project closed all remaining main line towers on the Shore Line and Metro-North closed SS75 (NEW HAVEN) around 2003. Even the off-main line towers like SOUTH BAY (Southampton St yard) and R/Q (Sunnyside Yard) have been rolled up. While ZOO is still open, it no longer controls any NEC traffic and LIRR's HAROLD may no longer serve as an auxiliary control location after the local interlocking was rebuilt for East Side Access. While this marks a sad day for distributed control, the NEC's three independent dispatch centers (Wilmington, PSCC and Boston) can hopefully provide some protection against mass outages. 

THORN Tower Just Won't Die

Over the past few years I have been reporting on what turned into a rather protracted closure of Amtrak's THORN interlocking tower. What made THORN a bit harder to close was that it was opened in 1938 as part of a wide area CTC project to support the PRR's electrification to Harrisburg. While the typical solution is to remote control the CTC interlockings to a central dispatch office, Amtrak's desire to perform an a general Rule 562 re-signaling made it a better option to keep legacy operations with the tower and modernized ones in the dispatch office. Well it seems that despite the tower's closure on August 8th, 2026, one piece of its territory remains partly un-resignaled. 

GLEN interlocking, located at the eastern end of THORN's territory where the Dale Secondary, nee PRR Trenton Cutoff, joins the Main Line via a flying junction, appears to have not been fully re-signaled. While new eastbound signals have appeared on tracks 4 (PL mast) and 2 (PL dwarf), the westbound signals are still date from the PRR era with the implication that the 1938 relay hut is still in service.  On the other hand the Milepost 25.1 automatic signal has been removed indicating that Rule 562 is now in effect on that track to FRAZER interlocking where new signals were in place earlier in 2026. 

Since an interlocking with 1938 signals in one direction and 2026 signals in the other was not on my bingo card, I am going to offer two plausible scenarios for what is going on. The first is that plans for a new interlocking in the area has prompted Amtrak to hack up a hybrid GLEN until funding is available for what comes next. The second is that THORN's closure was based on an employee bid cycle, not re-signaling project completeness and Rule 562 between PAOLI and GLEN on track #4 and PAOLI and FRAZER on Track #1 will proceed as PennDoT funding allows. It could also be a combination of both these theories working in tandem. 

If any of you happen to be on a SEPTA R5 or Amtrak Keystone out past Malvern you can catch this mess of an interlocking for yourselves. Feel free to add your experiences in the comments. 

NS Files to Replace Cab Signals with Back Door CBTC

It was no secret that Union Pacific was planning to dismantle Norfolk Southern's significant cab signal territory that was inherited from Conrail after it was absorbed in 1999. While 91% of NS locomotives are cab signal equipped, few if any UP locomotives are after they dropped their own cab signal system around 2022 and a cab signal requirement would hinder creating a nation-wide pool of yellow locomotives. Well it seems that NS has decided to go ahead and file for discontinuance of the legacy Conrail cab signal system notwithstanding the results of the merger decision and what is perhaps even more interesting/alarming is the proposed replacement. 

Unlike CSX or Union Pacific, NS had made significant investments in cab signal territory that lacks fixed wayside signals (what NORAC refers to as Rule 562). While both CSX and UP disposed of their former cab signal territory by just turning it off in favor of existing waysides, UP-NS would have to replacement the wayside capability on hundreds of miles of high density main lines. On CSX's sole Rule 562 route, the former Conrail Boston Line, the solution has been to run trains under Rule 280a "Clear to Next Interlocking" and petition the state for money to restore the wayside block signals. Something similar was my expectation since the UP-NS was announced with UP installing its flavor of wayside block signals from Perryville, MD to Cleveland, OH.

Well, it seems that NS's plan is to implement a PTC based Rule 562 with the PTC system transmitting track authority based on track conditions. While this is pretty much a statement on how ETMS PTC works, the sea change is that everywhere else PTC is still subordinate to good old fashioned wayside signal indications. This removes a sizable chunk of safety and security burden from the system under the concept of "PTC can make you stop, but it can't make you go."  NS's request to the FRA would take ETMS as a safety overlay change it into a bonafide communications based train control system, possibly without any additional modifications. 

Like with CSX, the NS plan would remove the cab signal codes as a source of movement authority which requires the installation of ETMS wayside interfaces at every track circuit block point and hand operated switch. Unlike CSX, wayside signals would only be present at control points with Rule 280a "Clear to Next Interlocking" being the available for various PTC failures. 

The roots of this plan might lay with a trial "Rule 562" system Union Pacific installed on the Hiawatha Sub in Kansas. Since UP discontinued its Automatic Cab Signal system in 2022, the Hiawatha Sub did not gain wayside signals, just PTC antennas at the old Signal Indication Points. Since nothing bad seemed to happen on this low density main line on the prairie, UP might be looking to bring the concept to populated areas regardless of how secure ETMS really is. This might even be the camel's nose for what PTC proponents had envisioned, nationwide moving block signaling.

It's not entirely clear if the FRA will bite, but public comments would certainly help make them aware of the stakes.  Coded track circuits are a secure and reliable way of transmitting movement authority that cannot be easily hacked by AI agents or whatever. Wide area ETMS outages are not uncommon because the system is effectively running on servers in some back office. Of course when these occur its mostly the passenger operations that get canceled because that's where the liability is.  The real shame is that even if the locomotives are no longer responsible for picking up the codes, they will likely exist in the rails transmitting block state for decades to come.

Amtrak Electrification Primer

While this blog is dedicated to railroad signaling, I occasionally veer into the command and control of railroad traction power systems because not only does electric power have to be switched and dispatched, but historically it has used much of the same technology used for both railroad telecommunications and railroad signaling. 

Anyway I was recently informed that some documentation regarding Amtrak's present day electric power operation has made it onto the Internet Archive and its definitely worth a read because the documents cover all three of its electrified "zones" (PRR, Hellgate and "Boston") and contain all sorts of easy to read diagrams and photos. It also covers details about the "100hz" signaling power supply including its generation and control which absolutely puts this in the railroad signaling wheelhouse.

How To Be an Amtrak Power Director (2021)

Amtrak Electric Operating Rules and Instructions (2026)

Position Lights Replaced at QUEENS Interlocking

 In 2005 the future looked somewhat bright at QUEENS Interlocking. Although the US&S Model 14 interlocking machine has been taken out of service, the extra long interlocking plant had been rebuilt with brand new PRR style amber position light signals that were set to last 40 years or more. Well changes in LIRR operations that ultimately closed the tower in 2020 have now come for the position lights. LIRR's new "Reduced Aspect Signals" began to appear at the eastern end of QUEENS in 2023 and it was reported that the west end had had its position lights replaced. 

QUEENS East End RAS dwarfs in 2023

QUEENS eastbound PLs on the final day of service.

If there is a silver lining the classic eastbound PRR style signal bridge was retained for the new RAS dwarfs. It is also not entirely clear about what if anything replaced the intermediate PRR PL cantilevers. Or if their conversion is to occur at a later date. 

QUEENS intermediate PL cantilevers in the Winter of 2025/2026.

QUEENS was subjected to numerous re-configurations over the past 20 years as the Main Line 3rd Track project progressed and a new infill station was built at Elmont. When first rebuilt in 2005 QUEENS has 4 PL signal locations dividing the interlocking into 3 logical zones. From west to east this consisted of the original PRR PL gantry, Medium Speed crossovers, modern PL cantilevers, the 80mph high speed crossovers, a modern PL gantry, an unused portion and finally a PL "gantrylever".

Westbound PRR PL "gantrylever" protecting the future 80mph crossover location in 2015.

Original post-2005 configuration of QUEENS high speed turnouts. 

In 2023 the 3rd track project and Elmont station projects added crossovers into the east end, however instead of using the 2005 infrastructure that intended to support this very move, the LIRR depopulated the signal gantries in favor of RAS dwarfs and temporary PRR pedestal signals. 

It was unclear exactly what motivated this change, but the process now appears to be complete. This unfortunately represents a major loss of classic PRR amber position lights on modern 4-track structures.

Automatic Signals To Be Axed From NY Penn Station Lines 1 and 2

Amtrak is currently halfway through a project to rehabilitate its East River Tunnels that were damaged during Hurricane Sandy way back in 2012. Lines 1 and 2, the southern pair of tunnels between Manhattan and Queens, were subjected to significant salt water intrusion and although this water was removed in short order, the salt created long term reliability problems. The solution has been a three year project to completely gut the tunnels to the 1910 iron rings and then rebuild them with a new concrete liner and a no ballast trackway. As of now the project is half way complete with Line 2 rebuilt and ready for service.  

Unfortunately Amtrak has also taken the opportunity to remove the automatic block wayside signaling within the tunnel. A total of 13 automatic block signals, some dating all the way back to 1910, were removed from the 2.75 mile long Line 2 tunnel. The 5 eastbound and 6 westbound and 2 westbound repeater signals were replaced by Rule 562 cab signaling without fixed wayside signals.  Rule 280a "C" lamps were added to the 708WA and 704W signals in F interlocking along with a new 580E signal at JO interlocking at the western Line 2 tunnel portal replacing the 1E02 automatic. Similar to CP-MID in the North River tunnels between Penn Station and New Jersey, a new controlled point, CP-LOW, was installed 1000 feet east of the 1st Ave shaft for westbound movements. This creates two Rule 280a "super blocks" within the tunnel in case of cab signal failure. 

Existing ABS configuration for Lines 1 and 2 west 

Existing ABS configuration for Lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 east

In a similar fashion to Grand Central and the defunct Cleveland Union Terminal, Penn Station used a unique style of color light signal as the technology of high intensity, long life electric bubs was still relativity new with semaphores being the then state of the art. ABS signals in the East River tubes were of the "frog eye" variety to create an "offset head" appearance that was customary for automatic signals. The upper "head" had the typical R/Y/G lamps with G/Y on the lower. This allowed for a 4 or 5 block progression for trains approaching the slow speed Penn Station complex, Clear -> Approach Medium -> Approach Slow -> Restricting. As signals at Penn Station can only display slow speed indications at best, the two western ABS locations would best display Approach Medium -> Approach Slow. It is unclear how many cab signal blocks have replaced the 5-6 wayside blocks, but CP-LOW's ability to display Cab Speed (60mph) implies that it matches the high density cab signaling installed on the Jersey approaches. 

"Frog Eye' type NY Penn automatic signal pressed into absolute service.

At this point the adjacent Line 1 will be shut down and reconstructed in a similar fashion over the next 18 months. Fortunately Lines 3 and 4, primarily used by the LIRR, were not damaged in the storm and will be left in their original condition for the foreseeable future. As I mentioned before the North River tunnels were already re-signaled in the late 1990's and will be fully rebuilt after the opening of the new Gateway tunnels in the 2030's.

Caught on Camera: Clear to Next Interlocking for UP #4014

For much of the Union Pacific Big Boy 2026 Coast to Coast excursion tour, #4014 was able to operate like any other Class 1 main line locomotive with an ETMS PTC box in the cab allowing the engine to operate in the leading position. However the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line between Harrisburg and Rochester, Pennsylvania not only remains cab signal equipped, but was converted to operation without wayside intermediate signals in 2018. Until recently Union Pacific was also a major user of continuous cab signals, however in 2022 they chose to scrap their system due to legacy design considerations that created a lack of synergy with ETMS. While it would have certainly been possible to reactivate the cab signals on #4014 and integrate them with ETMS, the increasingly popular solution to run the movement under Rule 280a, Clear to Next Interlocking, was chosen. I was able to catch this procedure at CP-ROCKVILLE on July 7th, 2026.

Here we can see the westbound track 2 signal at CP-ROCKVILLE displaying Slow Approach, R/R/*Y*, with the "C" lamp illuminated for a stop signal at CP-MARY about 5000 feet to the west on track #1. When the dispatcher lines a route between CP-MARY and CP-BANKS, the signal at CP-ROCKVILLE upgrades to R/Y/R Medium Approach with the "C" lamp lit. The plan for #4014 was to proceed past the far end of CP-MARY and then reverse into Enola Yard to spend the night. Note that the Slow Approach and "C" lamps are flashing with the  same cadence. This indicates that the interlocking has a single source for pulsed lamp current that is then directed to the lamps that require it.

LIRR Greenport PTC - Much Ado About Nothing

We have another data point regarding the FRA's PTC paranoia, this time regarding the Long Island Rail Road's Greenport Branch waiver. Although I missed it at the time, in 2021 LIRR Today published a comprehensive article about the LIRR's efforts to get a PTC waiver for the lightly used Greenport Branch (aka North Fork Branch). Previously one of two regularly served lines to still be operating under a form of the PRR's Manual Block System, in late 2017 the LIRR activated CTC and cab signaling over the entire length of the Montauk Branch, leaving the 46-mile long Greenport Branch as the only US commuter rail service running on "dark" main track territory. What followed next was a lengthy pas de deux between the MTA, which really doesn't want to operate the Greenport service and the FRA, which really doesn't want commuter rail services operating under non-signaled (TWC/DCS/Manual Block, etc) rules.

Until fairly recently non-signaled main track operation could be found on Metro-North, the LIRR and METRA. Although the PTC mandate does not require block signaling and CTC, all three quickly caved in and carried out signaling projects (one might also include South Shore which eliminated its APB territory). The only holdout appears to be the Greenport Branch where, for reasons best explained by The LIRR Today, the MTA is highly reluctant to invest capital resources. No matter, although the ACSES PTC system is intended to work with continuous cab signaling, it does not require functional CSS except for following movements between controlled points.

Let's review how ACESS works.

1. Cab signals codes provide movement authority.
2. Fixed beacons between the rails inform trains of permanent speed restrictions.
3. A data radio system informs trains of temporary speed restrictions and track posessions.
4. The data radio can also provide movement authority when cab signal codes are not present.

With these ingredients you can build a dark territory PTC system. ACSES beacons provide the same civil speed enforcement and the data radio provides movement authority between block limits either using the "Clear To Next Interlocking" functionality or by manipulating track possessions (aka 0mph Temporary Speed Restrictions). Remember ACSES does not replace the LIRR Manual Block Rules, it just stops trains if they exceed their movement authority.

 

This is not the solution that was decided upon. The MTA wanted to install the ACSES track speed beacons and keep sing MBS, after all 4 daily round trips are on par with Amtrak's PTC exempt Valley flyer and Downeaster routes. The FRA wanted temporal separation with 1 passenger train on the entire 46 mile branch. Eventually a compromise was reached with 1 train per MBS block with empty buffer blocks between different passenger trains and passenger trans and freight. To be clear the normal mode of Greenport Branch operation is 1 passenger train on the 46 mile  line, but there are edge cases where this would cause problems.

So why did both parties seem to pass on the opportunity to innovate with the technical capabilities of ACSES? A generous answer could be the chance it would have required software changes on the dispatcher's end to give trains dark territory movement authorities as opposed to the dispatcher setting up and releasing possessions. A more cynical take is that the FRA  wants all regularly scheduled commuter/transit services to be operating under automatic block signaling. The deeper issue is that the FRA considers legacy operating methods as unsafe as opposed to PTC being a nice-to-have overlay on an already safe system. The LIRR has safely operated trains under Manual Block rules for decades, just like Metro North and Metra, but apparently they were all jut lucky that tens or hundreds of passengers weren't horribly killed. 🙄 This catastrophizing is what leads to an inflexibility that cancels service, raises costs and pushes more people onto the highways. 

 

BTW, please check out The LIRR Today blog. It has a major discoverability problem on Google so I want to raise some awareness.  

Amtrak THORN Tower to Close Aug 8, 2026

For over a year I have been tracking the slow motion closure of Amtrak's THORN interlocking tower. located on the old PRR Main Line in Thorndale, PA Opened in 1938 as part of the PRR's electrification project to Harrisburg, THORN was equipped with a state of the art CTC unit lever console controlling  4 remote interlockings in addition to the local 6(!) track full crossover. THORN's extended territory, including FRAZER interlocking which was commissioned in 1994, is what has allowed for the prolonged multi-year closure, which will take place just shy of the tower's 90th year in continuous operation.

Since the first part of THORN's territory, CALN interlocking, was chipped away back in 2020, the local 6-track crossover was rationalized and then turned over to CTEC control while the THORN operator continued to handle SEPTA movements in and out of Frazer yard as well as the daily NS freight entering the line at GLEN. More recently DOWNS interlocking was prepared for complete removal, its signals left standing as the change point between CTEC and THORN's control.  In the final act, kicking off in early 2026, GLEN and FRAZER interlockings were reconstructed with the goal of a Rule 562 cutover once all of the work had been completed. 

THORN interlocking as rationalized in 2023

The closure will bring full bi-directional operation between THORN and PAOLI, with the segment between FRAZER and PAOLI remaining outside the Rule 562 zone for now. The much diminished PAOLI tower is likely next on the list for closure before the heavy lift of installing Rule 562 on the core of the old 4-track "Main Line" begins. One loss that's easy to overlook is the now vestigial limited speed triangle at DOWNS interlocking with those at BRYN MAWR likely the only set remaining outside of Canada.

Another loss will be the intermediate signals at Exton, which were easily accessible from the SEPTA parking lot and well positioned for photography. 

For persons desiring photos of these, the Milepost 29 signals or what's left of DOWNS, you probably have until August 7th assuming transition operations will take place overnight. At 1:30pm on August 8th, THORN's final staffed shift will end. The tower is directly adjacent to the Happy Day's Diner for anyone looking to mark the event. 

Art's LIRR Archives Online...For Now

 Word on the street is that the street is that the person behind Art's LIRR Archives, Art Huneke, has recently passed away. While not quite the #1 source on LIRR tower information, Art's wonderfully Web 1.0 Archive contains a huge amount of primary source material on the evolution of the LIRR in the 19th and early 20th centuries. While the tower and signaling information is scattered throughout the site, it does reward those who take the time to find it. Special attention is given to the older generation of LIRR towers and cabins that were closed in the mid-20th century modernization projects. The page has a wide collection of diagrams and bulletin order scans to track the life and death of these less well known LIRR towers as the rail road evolved into its present form. 

For example Art has extensive coverage of the LIRR's Bay Ridge Branch towers, like NO above, that were opened with the 1928 electrification only to be closed by 1932. In turn we see a photo of the tower that remained open, FN aka FREEMONT, with a Conrail era blue station sign. Other Bay Ridge towers include NU, KN, MJ and of course POND.

At this point there is no word on what will happen to the website so I urge all of you to check it out. Because its all Web 1.0, it is pretty easy to create local copies of the content via the "Save Webpage Complete" function in your browser. Other major signaling content includes:

• B TOWER at Bethpage Jct
• RJ Tower at Rockaway Jct
• R Tower at Richmond Hill
• J/JAY interlocking Construction
• MP/DUNTON Towers 
• WL/LEAD Tower
• BLISS tower
• DB Dutch Kills Draw Cabin 
• PD Tower 
• MV and OLIVET towers
• M Cabin
• D Cabin

PHOTOS: LANDIS - The PRR Main Line's Forgotten "Tower"

One might wonder how the electrified PRR Main Line could have an interlocking tower somehow more "forgotten" than the small booth that occasionally managed the emergency crossovers at LEAMAN, but it did and that forgotten tower also began with the letter L. LANDIS tower, in Landisville, PA, was always a stepchild of an interlocking forced on the PRR by the rival Reading Company by means of the Reading and Columbia Branch.  This was a forked "milk run" line connecting Reading (via Sinking Spring) to Ephreta, Columbia and Lancaster. The Lancaster fork was ultimately integrated into the west end of CORK interlocking, crossing the main line via crossover switches and the Columbia Branch via diamonds. The Columbia fork met the PRR Main Line about 8 miles to the west at Landisville and, due to the lack of any existing infrastructure, the diamond managed to justify its own interlocking tower, built and operated by the PRR.

Given the telegraph code NV, a square wooden tower was built in 1902 in the contemporary PRR style exemplified by the preserved LEMO tower at Strausburg. 

This tower lasted into the post war period, its Victorian aesthetic somewhat in conflict with the electrification infrastructure. In this photo one can see the Reading alignment complete with Reading style US&S color light signals in a target configuration. Also note the Reading freight station which in this photo is partly obscuring the PRR Landisville freight station behind it. 

Based on the 1962 interlocking chart it can be surmised that the old NV tower was taken out of service around 1953 with the block and interlocking station moved into the old PRR freight house. Here the part-time operator would work the crossing as needed using a 5 lever US&S table type interlocking machine. Each main track had a pair of signals controlled by a single lever in the US&S fashion. The Reading was controlled by lever 1, the PRR levers 6 and 8. The Reading signals could display Stop, Clear and Restricting in both directions. The PRR signals had a full ABS head with a Stop and Proceed marker with the current of traffic and a dwarf with Restricting and Sop against. The Reading track had split point derails on either wide of the diamonds controlled by lever #4 and the PRR had a hand throw trailing point crossover unlocked by lever 5. The last detail of note was an 'E' marker on the eastbound PRR track which would illuminate if the dragging equipment detector near milepost 79 were activated.



As of 1954 LANDIS was listed in the timetable as an Interlocking Station open part time from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM daily except Sundays and holidays. By 1971 this had changed to 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Daily except Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. Ultimately the Conrail merger of 1976 would prove fatal to the diamond crossing at LANDIS as the Reading branch line was no longer providing "competition" in the Lancaster market and Conrail trains based out of the PRR Lancaster yard could serve what on line customers remained. Therefore the diamonds were removed, the "tower" was closed, the milepost 74 ABS signals replaced the controlled signals on the PRR Main Line and a PRR freight delivery track was repurposed into a new connection to the ex-Reading branch towards Columbia, PA.

Like many legacy railroad structures along the Amtrak RoW, the freight station version of LANDIS was boarded up and left to become somebody else's problem. 50 years later the building still stands in decayed-yet-reasonable condition.

Similar to the Reading's old Chester Creek Drawbridge, the 5-lever US&S "table interlocking machine" is still present in the operator's area, albeit in a stripped down condition. Similar to the single story PARK tower, the windows were covered over with high security wire mesh.

The "table interlocking machine" was a modular platform for very small interlockings up to about 10 levers. Each module contained a standard US&S bell-crank type "lever" and was could interface with both mechanical and electro-magnetic interlocking components. At LANDIS the lever modules have been removed, but the robust metal base remains in place.

For comparison here is a similar table interlocking device set up in NORTH PHILADELPHIIA tower as an auxiliary to the main US&S EP machine. 

 

We can see that the LANDIS machine had a US&S/S&F style mechanical locking grid as well as make/break circuit spindles.

As an interlocking station the operator was provided with a full telecom suite mounted just outside of the bathroom nook.

An old relay hut sits across the tracks, although it is hard to tell what era it came from, Amtrak, PRR or PC.

LANDIS continued on as an ABS signal location until the mid-2000's Rule 562 re-signaling. Today only those with a knowledge of PRR Main Line history, or a sharp eye for abandoned rights of way, would notice that something had once gone on here.

Just goes to show that while many old towers have been demolished, a few are still hiding in plain sight.