Grayville, IL: Grays Tower: Aban/EVTL/IC/PD&E vs. Aban/Sou/Big4(Egyptian Line)

(see below for a satellite image)

EVTL = Evansville Terminal Railroad
PD&E = Peoria, Decatur & Evansville

Rex Settlemoir posted
Eric Berg posted a Cairo Line '19' train order that was written and handed up at Grays Tower in 1953. This tower was located at MP 141.6 (just North of Grayville, Illinois) and protected the Big 4 crossing with the Illinois Central's (Peoria, Decatur & Evansville) line to Evansville, Indiana. My Dad worked most of the towers & stations on the Cairo Line as he built seniority, and took this photo of Grays Tower in 1931.
Dennis DeBruler The elevated pipeline brackets make them easy to see.

Satellite

The red line was the PD&E. The blue line was the northern part of the Big Four's Egyptian Line. Obviously, the tower was near the intersection. After the Big Four crossed the PD&E, it turned south and ran between the PD&E and Main Street.

1941 Aerial Photo from IHLAP

1941 Aerial Photo from IHLAP

By the time the tracks got near the river front in Grayville, the PD&E grade was lower than the Big Four.

Rex commented on his posting
This was the Big 4 depot at Grayville, less than a mile south of Grays tower. The IC depot has been preserved and is on display at Grayville. Photo is from about 1907.

David Cantrell posted
Grayville, IL, IC/Big 4 Crossing around 1908

Roger Kujawa posted
Block Station switch tower, Grayville, Illinois; postcard Big Four and Illinois Central railroads.
[I've seen comments that Big Four towers are typically on stilts. I wonder where the interlocking machine was.]