Re: [CBQ] Harrison St. Tower (was: BRHS Contact Us Message)

["little-q@att.net" <trains@davidstreeter.net>]

Fascinating photos. Odd how the modern computer screens look more archaic now than the interlocking machine does.

-- 
David Streeter

On 9/30/2021 5:33 PM, Harold Krewer wrote:

Here are some photos of both the exterior and interior of Harrison St. Tower that I have accumulated. Dates and photographer names are in the fie names. I am sorry to say that I either didn't know or can't remember who "GCM" is who took the exterior photos.

While this tower did control CB&Q trains entering and leaving their trackage, it was a Chicago Union Station Co. tower and as such, was built to PRR standards (PRR was majority owner of CUSCo). It was equipped with a PRR-standard US&S Model 14 interlocking machine and the model board was set up with PRR's unusual "light out" occupancy, where all unoccupied track circuits were lit and the light was extinguished when occupied, which forced the levermen and train directors to "follow the hole" across the model board to track a train's progress.

The tower still exists to this day, as much of the vital circuiting for the interlocking still passes through the structure, but it has been forever entombed in the bowels of the new Post Office, which was built around it. Amtrak Engineering Dept. still goes up in there occasionally to test circuitry. 

I know of at least two modelers (one in HO, the other in O) that are modeling this tower as part of their representation of CUS.

Hope some of this was helpful,

Harold Krewer

Causing More Problems Than He Solves Since 1961

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