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| Mark Hinsdale posted "JUDD" Tower Two EMD SD50's power an eastbound Conrail grain train on the Chicago Line as it crosses over from Main Track #2 to Main Track #1 at "JUDD" Interlocking, in La Porte IN during December, 1989. "JUDD," formerly known as "JD" Tower, presided over the crossing of the busy Chicago Line with CSX' ex Chesapeake & Ohio La Crosse Branch, which extended from New Buffalo MI to La Crosse IN. December, 1989 photo by Mark Hinsdale |
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| Marty Bernard posted Judd Tower, La Porte, IN, June 1988, Karl Miller photo. Note the train order hoops. The forks are there too. So to hand up orders to a passing train the tower operator came down from the tower with two strings and two sets of orders and fastened them to the forks then set the higher fork for the engineer to grab the orders and the lower one for the conductor to grab. Craig Cloud: Date is incorrect, 1978 perhaps. 1988 Porter was gone, Chicago West desk would eventually located in non descript bldg next to Tristate tollway. Plus C&O New Buffalo-Lacrosse segment would be truncated from Wellsboro to LaCrosse. Aaron Combs: Craig Cloud That's definitely an 80's chrysler K car. June no way trees are barren maybe march. Cory Behrendt: Judd was open until 1992 or so. Craig Cloud: Cory Behrendt I think 1982, by 1992 it was gone along with C&O New Buffalo line north of Wellsboro. I live in Porter and fanned Laporte Wellsboro, Willowcreek. Cory Behrendt: Jon Roma's signals site states Judd's closure date as May 18, 1992. I would never doubt his info. (Scroll down to Indiana) https://www.jonroma.net/towers/towers-1995.html Jake Denton: Craig Cloud Judd was still standing in 1992 as seen here. https://www.flickr.com/.../photolist-2hCQUPB-2kQsdcw... Craig Cloud: Jake Denton standing and in-service two different. yes I've seen Judd shell minus stairs. When CSX pulled New Buffalo-Wellsboro segment, no reason keep JD/Judd open. Jake Denton: Judging by the 1988 date, this very well may be one of the last photos of the junction intact as the line was abandoned very soon after this was taken north of Wellsboro. Also note the local on the PM/C&O as well. |
The PM RoW has been redeveloped south of the NYC tracks. But I found enough vacant land and tree lines south of downtown and north of the NYC tracks to hypothesize where PM went through town. Then I found a 1964 topo map that confirms the curved parking lot in this satellite image was on the east edge of the RoW.
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| Dan Cook posted Has any one on here ever worked the JUDD tower in LaPorte,Indiana ? Jon Roma One of the Conrail towers that got away from me. Closed soon before I started exploring and photographing towers around Chicago. Allegedly had a rare US&S unit lever machine. Dan Cook I was up in there at 14,15 with a guy named Fred. He let me run some trains thru,mostly Conrail,& about a 1/2 dozen C&O. The C&O had two levers,one for North,the other for south,once you pulled those levers,it automatically locked ever thing else up until they passed ! FUN ! Jon Roma Dan Cook, that's how interlocking works.
Dan Cook The Tower Governed 3 things. Conrail, C&O,& N&S . CR & C&O were right by each other, but NS crossed Conrail WAY DOWN TO the other end past the over paSS.they only used switcbes for those signals Q
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| Arnold Niederer posted Eastbound at La Porte, In. (Judd Tower) 1989 |
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| Jason Jordan posting This was the former New York Central Rwy.'s JUDD Tower that protected the interlocking with the Pere Marquette Rwy. at La Porte, IN. The tower was removed by the 1990's. Here it was still in service during the early 1980's. A Bruce Emmons photo, out of the Jason Jordan collection. |
Locomotive Jordan posted two photos with the comment: "Early to mid 1980's, we see the NYC train order hoop and "JUDD" tower which controlled the interlocking of the Pere Marquette and the former Nickel Plate Road on the east side of town. We are at Laporte, IN. Both photos were taken by Bruce Emmons, they are out of my collection.— in La Porte, IN."
Seth Lakin: JD is a classic NYC cinder block tower design of which there are quite a few across the NYC system.
The NKP crossing was “WR” or later “WIRE” which was remote controlled from JD or Judd starting in the early 60’s.
The reason Judd stayed open is long even after the Pere Marquette/C&O was taken up is the section of NYC from JD to South Bend was Rule 251 ABS current of traffic singled in one direction. If a train needed to run on the opposite track against they needed paperwork, which would be hooped up at Judd or Bend. It wasn’t until the early 90’s when CTC was added to both tracks closing Judd.
Tim Shanahan shared
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C&O cross the NYC on the west side of town and NKP crossed it on the east side of town.
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| 1958/64 La Porte East Quad @ 24,000 |
Darren Reynolds posted five photos with the comment: "Conrails ( EX-NYC) C&O crossing
'Judd' tower (JD)
La Porte, Indiana"
Tim Shanahan shared
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Visited that tower on more than one occasion in the 1970s and 1980s. That location is absolutely correct with the tower east of the PM and north of the NYC. Super friendly operators and La Porte was a great railroad town.
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