Hey Dave-
That reminds me....how 'bout getting the AMB guys to squeeze off about 5 of
those in N Scale?
I could use them for my layout!
Charlie
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dave_Lotz [mailto:Dave_Lotz@m...]
> Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 8:55 AM
> To: BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: RE: [BRHSlist] Yard Tower
>
>
> Darrel, Doug & BRHSlisters,
>
> I worked with American Model Builders to bring out "Wood
> Tower." Here is
> the brief history I wrote for the instructions. This
> information comes
> through much research and first-hand accounts from folks who
> worked the
> tower.
>
> "Wood Tower was located in Burlington, Iowa, at the terminus
> of the Chicago,
> Burlington & Quincy?s St. Louis to Burlington ?K-Line? where
> it intersected
> with the CB&Q?s busy Chicago to Denver Mainline. This
> junction, on the west
> bank of the Mississippi River, was near the end of the 7-degree, 20.77
> minute curve heading off of the massive, double-tracked draw
> bridge. The
> tower operators controlled not only the K-Line junction, but their
> thirty-nine electric-mechanical levers also controlled
> switches and signals
> from Carthage Junction (later Illinois Junction) at the east
> end of the
> bridge all the way to the Burlington Depot through the south
> end of the
> Burlington yards. After installation of telegraph equipment
> in 1931, the
> tower also issued train orders.
>
> The tower was constructed in 1892, following a major rebuild
> of the railroad
> facilities in Burlington. Its usefulness lasted through the
> 1950?s and was
> razed in the later part of 1959. The ornate gable ends were
> unusual and the
> winding stairs to the roofed upper landing, make this an interesting
> structure to model.
>
> Named after an early day conductor, Jack Woods, the
> two-story structure was
> large, as interlocking towers go, with eight windows on its
> eastern, track
> side. It?s exterior was painted the standard CB&Q mineral
> read, most likely
> with the bronze green trim and interior was a light brown.
>
> On an average, the railroad employed 5-6 men working 24 hours
> per day in
> three shifts to work the tower. The tower had a small sink
> in the upper
> level and a coal furnace in the lower level, providing heat
> in the winter
> months."
>
> Hope this helps!
>
> Dave Lotz
>
>
>
>
>
>
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