NorthAmericanInterlockings: 2001 excavator
Chicago and Northern Indiana Railroad Interlocking Towers (click the marker for the correct information)
An aerial view looking northwest with an eastbound IAIS train passing through.
This tower was built as part of the construction of the Joliet Union Depot to accommodate the elevation of the four railroads that went through downtown Joliet. This tower is another topic I have avoided because I have so many pictures and so much to say. For now, I'm now going with the philosophy that something is better than nothing.
This view is looking eastish along the Metra/Rock Island route. There used to be four tracks in that RoW. The far two north/south tracks are UP/SP/Chicago, Missouri & Western/ ICG/GM&O/Chicago & Alton. The near track that you see and a nearer one that does not appear in this photo of the tower belong to the BNSF/Santa Fe.
(For future work on this topic, I record this April 18 photo taken before the tracks were moved.) Because typical railfans catch just the track side of towers, I include the east elevation below.
When this tower was built, Rock Island argued that they were the priority railroad and can control the junction. But that maintenance expense should be shared among the four railroads. (After the elevation, Michigan Central shared Rock Island's tracks to get to the Union Depot.)
Since I much prefer taking pictures of mixed freight trains than unit trains, I was irritated when a westbound (timecard direction) BNSF intermodal train skunked an eastbound BNSF mixed freight. As a test of the auto-focus speed of the camera (and my reflexes) I almost got the Santa Fe logo on a waycar when it peeked between two trailers. Since these are trailers, this is probably a Z train --- BNSF's highest priority train. (They kicked the California
Amtrak trains off their tracks between Chicago and Galesburg.)
A commuter loading at the new Metra platform.
A St. Louis bound train is loading at the new Amtrak platform.
Because of these new platforms, the UD Tower has been closed because the commuter trains no longer cross the junction, the California Amtrak trains no longer run through here, and the St. Louis Amtrak trains no longer block BNSF trains. CSX and IAIS use Metra tracks for freight operations When they want to cross UP and BNSF tracks, they must negotiate directly with each dispatcher as well as the bridge tender for the Des Planes River Bridge. Metra forces the freight trains to run at night.
Update: John's comment: "The nightly Iowa Interstate westbound train passes by UD Tower in Joliet and receives orders."
This must have been taken during the Summer to have enough sunshine to take a picture. Metra owns the former Rock Island between Chicago and Joliet, and it does not want freight trains on it during the day.
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| Marty Bernard posted I caught Rock Island 104 passing UD Tower and beginning to cross the GM&O and AT&SF diamonds in Joliet, IL on September 21, 1964. |
Joliet's web site about the station and tower
A Facebook post about the station and tower
I wrote a new post because this one had been deleted by Google.
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| Bill Molony posted This is UD interlocking tower in Joliet, as it looked in 1913 when it first opened. UD Tower was a joint project of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, the Chicago & Alton, and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroads, with each company being a one-third owner. The Rock Island staffed the tower and billed the other railroads for their portion of the operating expenses. [Ed Brunner's comment below indicates that this tower was staffed by Santa Fe.] |
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| David Daruszka updated Nelson Gregory My old tower. André Schulz Care to share some stories about everyday worklife there? Nelson Gregory Well, there was the day in 2014. The UP was laying new rail at night starting at 9 pm after the rush. I was graphiting 14 15 crossover on the BNSF north end. BNSF derailed a hopper over 48 frog and drug it across the diamonds where it came uncoupled. Was dealing with that, the UP rail gang shows up and starts working, so now I'm dealing with both. Now the leverman runs an eastbound commuter through the 190 wye switch lined against him, perfect. Trying to clamp the points to keep the commuters going. Then the leverman starts hollering that 48 switch won't indicate. I'm like no sh*t, it was just derailed on. We got 190 clamped, I walk up there and a BNSF engine is sitting on the switch with no indication because the leverman talked him by the signal . Had to call him and explain that I can't work on a switch with an engine on it, and he shouldn't be there anyway what the hell are you doing? Longest day of my life. Nelson Gregory Then couldn't find a throw rod for 190 so the track dept. guys and I heated and straightened the old one and put it back together. That took hours, plus we were unclamping it and clamping it reverse for the IC wye moves, plus dealing with the UP rail gang and the derailment and damage on BNSF #2 track. Good times till 2 am, then the day maintainer stepped into my nightmare. Nelson Gregory But it wasn't all bad. I maintained the old lever machine, which was pretty cool. With 19 switches with no snow melters snow and ice storms were always an adventure. Made good $$ then. Nelson Gregory We modified the mechanical locking bed to eliminate the out of service levers from the mechanical locking. Drilling and tapping the locking rods, moving the locking dogs. That was really interesting. John Packard It's kinda funny that the CREATE movement even needs to be funded. Once upon a time Chi had plenty of track to avoid any need of CREATE. They shouldn't have removed so much track in the first place. Tom Skowronski AMEN!!! "Oooh, we're held up at junctions. Please, Mr.Taxpayer, make it better." They ripped it up ("rationalizing" plant) and so much of it could have been used. Englewood had so much more traffic back when, but now we have the "flyover" Waste of money. Put on your big boy pants and operate like a real railroad! |
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| he Blackhawk Railway Historical Society posted Northbound GM&O freight and a Santa Fe freight pound the diamonds crossing the Rock Island tracks at Joliet, Illinois' UD tower, with Joliet Union Station in the background. (John T. Riha photo.) Dennis DeBruler shared A GM&O caboose is going to pass the Joliet Union Depot Tower, which is currently being turned into a museum. |
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This view is looking eastish along the Metra/Rock Island route. There used to be four tracks in that RoW. The far two north/south tracks are UP/SP/Chicago, Missouri & Western/ ICG/GM&O/Chicago & Alton. The near track that you see and a nearer one that does not appear in this photo of the tower belong to the BNSF/Santa Fe.
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Because of these new platforms, the UD Tower has been closed because the commuter trains no longer cross the junction, the California Amtrak trains no longer run through here, and the St. Louis Amtrak trains no longer block BNSF trains. CSX and IAIS use Metra tracks for freight operations When they want to cross UP and BNSF tracks, they must negotiate directly with each dispatcher as well as the bridge tender for the Des Planes River Bridge. Metra forces the freight trains to run at night.
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| John David Larson posted |
This must have been taken during the Summer to have enough sunshine to take a picture. Metra owns the former Rock Island between Chicago and Joliet, and it does not want freight trains on it during the day.
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| BRHS posted Rock Island FTA #90, assisted by a FTB, a F7A and a FA-2, leading a westbound freight train at Joliet - May, 1963. Andre Kristopans At least three paint schemes on four locomotives. Real Rock Island! John Timm Made it the most interesting railroad in the Midwest for at least two decades up to its demise. [Back when the junction had all sixteen diamonds. The Santa Fe tracks must be behind the photographer. And the Rock was still keeping the weeds off the tracks.] |
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| Dan Tracy posted Here's Amtrak 300 at Joliet in September of 73. Lot of info in this shot. All the semaphores are in place including the pot signals. UD Tower before it got fixed up. And note the boxcar past UD sitting on the Rock Island and Santa Fe interchange track. A lot has changed here in the last 43 years but to me it's the track. Note the condition in this shot compared to today. And lastly the equipment. Who would of thought they would run a dome car from Chicago to St. Louis on the old Alton Route. [It looks like the UD Tower used to be brick.This is looking south along the GM&O tracks from where the current Amtrak platform has been built. You can see the original passgenger platform on the right. The GM&O train is on Santa Fe tracks to make the station stop. Passenger trains at the statsion stopping BNSF's fast (high priority) intermodal trains is why Amtrak was moved from the Joliet Union Depot on the west side of the tracks to an Amshack on the east side of the tracks.] |
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| Bill Molony posted Rock Island class R-67b 4-8-4 Northern-type #5116 westbound at Joliet Union Station with a manifest freight train, circa 1950, back when all 16 diamonds were still in use. The 5116 was built for the Rock Island by Alco in 1929. [I saved this photo because of the signaling bridge, not the locomotive. I wonder if there are semaphores at the top of those masts.] |
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| Bill Molony posted The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific's Joliet interlocking plant, also known as UD Tower, was completed and first put into operation in the summer of 1914 at the crossing of the Rock Island with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Chicago & Alton railroads. The crossing was composed of four tracks on the west side of the tower used by the AT&SF and the C&A, and four tracks on the south side of the tower used by the CRI&P and the Michigan Central, requiring sixteen track diamonds. At that time, this 224-lever all electric interlocking plant was one of the largest inter-locking machines west of Chicago. Ownership of this interlocking plant passed to the RTA (and later Metra) with the Rock Island bankruptcy sale in 1982. Metra continued to staff and operate this interlocking plant until 2015, when control of the Joliet interlocking was cut over to the BNSF and the Union Pacific railroads, the successors to the AT&SF and the C&A. At that time, Metra relinquished ownership of UD Tower to the City of Joliet. Rather than raze the tower, the City of Joliet has chosen to keep it in place as a tourist attraction. Joliet's new station for Amtrak and Metra passengers is being constructed around the tower. Once the new station is completed in early 2018, the tower will accessible to visitors. |
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| Nick Goedecke posted Dan Tracy  4 tracks there. Two far left ones are the Santa Fe and 2 right ones are GM&O. Rock Island also had 4 tracks until circa 1970 and then it was 3 until 1986 it went down to 1. |
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| John David posted Here is a big lash-up rolling north at Joliet as seen in 1993. As I recall, encountering a solid blue and yellow consist like this was a little on the difficult side - because the Warbonnets had moved in in. So, this is more like a train you would have seen in the 1980's. You could hang out all day at Joliet and never see another photographer. I haven't been here since the year 2000. I wonder if, with the advent of digital photography, the internet, and social media if that would still be the case. The lone passenger in bright attire on the platform adds an interesting touch to this scene. |
City of Joliet, Illinois, Government posted five photos with the comment: "City staff were excited to show 7-time Emmy Award nominee Darley Newman, from Travels with Darley, the Joliet Railroad Museum during her tour around Joliet Sunday morning. Staff have been working hard with Joliet Area Historical Museum staff to get the Joliet Railroad Museum ready for its May 10th grand opening!"
The Blackhawk Railway Historical Society shared with the comment: "Opening to the public (hopefully) in May..."
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Jim Kelling posted five photos with the comment: "More photos from UD tower museum in Joliet Illinois."
Ken Jamin: Some evenings I would visit my counterparts at Deval after I got off work at A20. The late Len Beard was my counterpart on second trick and Ray C. was the swing operator. The three of us would order a pizza and sit around until the wee hours eating pizza and gabbing.
Some nights, if there were no trains around and we got bored, Len and I would challenge Ray to show us how fast he could make the lineup from the coach yard lead across all three main tracks. If I remember correctly, it took 20-21 pulls on the pistol grip machine to line the complete route but on a good night Ray could do it in about 10 seconds.
Ray would stand in front of the machine, wiping the pizza grease from his hands onto his jeans and staring at the machine as though he were psyching himself up for the feat at hand. Suddenly, he would attack the machine like a man possessed.
Operators were not supposed to roll more than three switches at once because it put a tremendous, even dangerous strain on the electrical capacity of the ancient equipment, but Ray was a man on a mission. Rolling so many switches at once also pegged the needle on the large brass bound ammeter and sometimes the circuit breaker tripped with a loud “POP!” shutting down everything.
Fortunately, like most good operators, Ray knew how to reset the circuit breaker without breaking the seal by using a long stiff piece of wire that was kept hidden away for that purpose.
Looking back, it’s a wonder he didn’t burn down the tower, but we sure had fun.
Richard Oppenheim: For current remote operations, the BNSF Dispatcher in Fort Worth, the UP Dispatcher in Omaha, and the Metra Dispatcher at CCF Chicago can all request signals to be displayed for their respective routes. Routes will be lined in the order that signals were requested as soon as the previous conflicting route has cleared. Since the platform for Metra trains was relocated to the East side of the diamonds, the Metra Dispatcher is only concerned with getting the CSX and Iowa Interstate freights across, although if Westbounds are held up, following Metra traffic will be affected.
Richard Oppenheim: Little known factoid: Sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s, a freight train on the Western most UP track was going through the interlocking at the same time as a freight on the Eastern most BNSF track and the two trains sideswiped. After that, instructions were posted in the Tower to not make parallel moves on these two tracks at the same time. This situation was rectified shortly before the Tower was closed and remoted by physically moving the UP and BNSF tracks further away from each other.
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September 2024:
Dan Tracy posted four photos with the comment: "Looks like Metra, BNSF, and UP are going to replace the diamonds at UD Tower in Joliet IL. I took these shots on 9-7-24. What are these types of diamonds called? and what are the pieces of rail in the last shot and their purpose. TIA."
Steve Miskowitz: Lift crossing, low priority line raises the wheel up and the cars ride on the flange across the high speed side. Removes the impact on the tracks from the high speed train, last pic is expansion joint, prevents track from shifting the crossing out of alignment as sun heats/expands the rail
Eric L. Roe: Flange Bearing Diamond, where the slow speed track the wheels ride over the main track. It allows for no cut in the main track.
The last photo is of an expansion joint.
Michael Robinson: I don’t know who agreed to install a 0WL diamond, but that diamond must be for some smaller class railroad because none of the class ones would ever consent to an OWL diamond.
Michael Robinson: I don’t know who agreed to install a 0WL diamond, but that diamond must be for some smaller class railroad because none of the class ones would ever consent to an OWL diamond.
Eric L. Roe: Michael Robinson all depends on what the tracks are for. If it’s an industrial spur over a main line, sure, why not.
Michael Robinson: Eric L. Roe again that scenario could possibly be of existence I’ve seen a couple of them in Chicago where like over in the old lumber district there they had one that they used, but that was BNSF to BNSF yard but I go back to this if that diamond is being used, it’s probably as you were saying mainline where a industrial track or something like that was crossing over. Yes I agree but in all my times my 43 years of railroad never seen class one or class one using an old WL diamond. The reason being is, you’re actually putting a speed restriction on the one of the OL that has no flange and as you said, unless it pours and industrial track, but main track to track no I’ve never seen it. I’ve never seen two high-speed Means or one of them used OWL.
Dennis DeBruler: Metra quit using this diamond after the new commuter station was built. IAIS is not Class I. CSX essentially uses this former-Rock Island route as a long industrial spur.
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