PHOTOS: OVERBROOK Tower - Part 1

So a while a go I posted a piece on Amtrak's OVERBROOK interlocking in the Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia.  Today I will be focusing on the interior and exterior of tower itself so if you missed the first port go back and read it over as I won't be reiterating any of the interlocking specific information.  Most of the interior photos were taken in 2003 and 2004, while some of the exterior photos were taken between 2011 and 2015.  Part 1 of this two part look at OVERBROOK will cover the tower's exterior, first floor and Model 14 machine on the second floor.

OVERBROOK tower was built by the PRR in 1926 and was, chronologically, in the first wave of the all-brick style of towers that would become a trademark of the PRR in its later years.  OVERBROOK was soon expanded in 1941 as part of a CTC project that gave the tower control over the remote interlockings VALLEY and JEFF (on the Schuylkill Valley Branch ), as well as having its own limits expanded with control over the west end of Belmont Yard installed as OVERBROOK's "Woodbine" section under direct wire control.

Still, compared to other PRR towers, OVERBROOK is notable for its rather diminutive size.  Similar to later 1930's towers such as WINSLOW and YORK, it still presents itself as a bit smaller, especially compared to its sister towers elsewhere on the electrified main line.

The smaller size is more apparent in the quarter view where we can see that there is only one window on each of the sides, compared with two on the WINSLOW/YORK series of towers.  One feature that reduced the footprint was the location of the air compressor plant outside the tower.

Despite its location in a big city, Amtrak was never hesitant to store spare signaling components such as PL signal targets and A-5 point machine covers, in the open, behind the tower.

Like most PRR towers, OVERBROOK is fitted with an internal staircase with a ground level entry.  The money really shows with Flemish bond brickwork with a number of decorative courses.  Also note the canopy over the door complete with slate shingles.

The PRR standard bay window takes up most of the width of the tower and today is outfitted with a number of VHF radio antennas.  Also present is the interlocking horn, which is still functional and used to clear off people crossing the tracks in the station area.

A train order lamp, consisting of a single PL-2 unit, is still mounted on the east side of the tower.  With 4 tracks and one bi-directional, there was less need for train order hooping at OVERBROOK, but it still took place from time to time.  The 80's or 90's vintage Amtrak tower sign is clearly showing its years.  Don't look for any further investment in tower aesthetics as efforts to re-signal the line loom.

Here is another view of the front of the tower, complete with a 9/11 flag, before the platform was rebuilt in 2003.

Opening the door we are immediately greeted by the sound of clockwork ticking and the smell of the 1940's as we walk right into OVERBROOK's relay room.  Normally the relay room is locked and only accessible by C&S personel, however OVERBROOK is the rare exception where the operator can also poke about in the guts of the interlocking.  In this particular bay of the relay room we can see older shelf relays off to the left and "newer" plug type relays on the right.  Note the maintainer's chair, phone and stash of spare plug relays.  This interlocking and tower is actually assigned its own full time maintainer, likely near retirement and the only person who knows how things works.

The shelf relays are attached to the 1926 portion of the interlocking, which basically means the 4-track crossover.  Unfortunately I took these pictures back in 2003 when my camera card capacity was 96 photos, or I would have taken a lot more.

PHOTOS: LEAMAN - The Place To Be

How much kit can a Temporary Block Station (TBS) have and still be considered temporary?  I'll admit that's a bit of a bun question as the "temporary" in TBS refers to the fraction of time that it is typically in service, but where TBS's are typically defined by a pair of hand crossovers and a shack at what point does one cross the line into "interlocking?"  Well leave it to one of the richest railroads in the world to test these boundaries for us as we travel back to 2007 in Leaman Place, PA to check out LEAMAN block station. 

 LEAMAN Block Station is located in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country midway between the regular interlockings of PARK and CORK.  Necessary to fill in a 20 mile gap between interlockings on the famous Main Line, LEAMAN has most of what one expects from a TBS with a pair of hand throw crossovers.  However LEAMAN is also equipped with a pair of optional extra semi-automatic signals, 4L and 2R, controlled from some sort of apparatus inside what is drawn on the diagram with the symbol of an interlocking station.

 Up close and personal LEAMAN is in fact little more than a shack, although it looks to be of slightly stiffer construction than most plywood TBS shelters.  The station sign is a Penn Central original, painted grey (blue?) to fit Amtrak's corporate identity.

Inside is a rather important looking cabinet and what looks like an intercom system.  As you might guess the cabinet is in fact the...block machine (?), which consists of a small unit lever type panel with two levers, one each for the 2R and 4L signals.  (I have seen a photo of the LEAMAN machine, but unfortunately I was unable to locate it for this article :-( ) Normally the signals are set to operate automatically, but when the TBS is in service they are set to Stop after the passage of train movements.  Said movements are coordinated with the dispatcher and nearby towers using the block phone (intercom thing).  The panel is not original as the interlocking sheet tells us the signals were originally controlled by a pair of  "Model 6" controllers...whatever those are.

The signals are nothing special, each consisting of a single head PRR position light with Stop and Proceed marker.  The main difference between these signals and automatic block signals is the lack of a number plate. If you are wondering why the right of way looks so wide that is because it was 4-track up until ~1948 before being reduced to two.

In this closer view of the signal it appears that it is composed of a mix of PL2 and PL3 lamp units with the PL3 being in the 9 o'clock position.  Because LEAMAN is closed the signals were working automatically and displaying Clear in absence of any trains.

The 2R signal mast is a much more tidy affair, the mast sporting a fresh coat of silver paint.  As the new white relay hut hints, fresh paint will not save this old equipment.

 This single head PL is composed entirely of PL3 units.  Trains diverging to run against the flow of traffic would get a Stop and Proceed signal when the points were set by hand and the lever thrown.  If you are wondering how trains already moving against the flow of traffic would handle the lack of wrong direction signals, the rulebook already covers hand crossovers and block stations.  The movement authority extends to the fouling point of the switches and trains are not to proceed until given a hand signal by the operator.

 

 If the 2R mast wasn't a like-for-like replacement, the C&S men certainly did a fine job repainting it.

Between 2005 and 2007 the Amtrak installed concrete ties on the old Main Line for 110mph operation.  This resulted in the replacement of the AWL and BWL switch locks with these standard US&S electrically locked units.  Note, I am not sure if these actually provide any locking function as seen here.  The original locks sat in the middle of the crossovers and would unlock both switches of the turnout at the same time.

Despite the concrete tie upgrade, the crossovers remained Slow (15mph) speed affairs. The one concession to modernity were a pair of spring frogs which eliminate the flangeway gap.

So when I say that LEAMAN was "the  place to be", I'm not just riffing on its name.  For the pool of block operators on Amtrak's Harrisburg Line, being qualified to operate LEAMAN was quite the feather in one's cap.  Working LEAMAN was almost always extra work, and its distance from other tower assignments in the Philly area meant that the operator would earn travel pay as well.  If that wasn't enough any time an operator came out to LEAMAN they were guarenteed a full 8 hours of pay, even if the service was only needed for a fraction of that time to say cross over one or two trains around a blockage.

To become qualified in a tower of block station, one must first train under the supervision of a qualified person.  Because LEAMAN was open so infrequently, opportunities for the normal cast of block operators to get qualified were few and far between.  Because only a small handful of individuals maintained a LEAMAN qualification, they were almost guarenteed to get the windfall, normal job duties and seniority rules aside. Usually a qualified operator would get called off his normal job (bonus), travel out to LEAMAN (another bonus), open it then only work 4 hours while getting paid for 8 (triple bonus!).

Before I sign off I should make it clear that this sort of glorified crossover was an anomaly even on the well to do PRR.  West of CORK the next two TBS's, E-Town and Florin, were simple hand crossovers without protecting signals.  LEAMAN was located nearby the junction with the now famous Strassburg railroad, but that probably didn't provide all the justification for it.  No matter what spawned its initial creation, today LEAMAN interlocking is just another point and click target on the CTEC Section B dispatching monitor, but the little shack remains, an echo from a previous time.