Cumberland, MD: Viaduct Junction (ND) Tower

(Satellite)

Bill Rettberg Jr. posted
End is near for Viaduct Junction's ND tower. New signal say goodbye to old tower. 

EarthExplorer: Apr 6, 1947 @ 35,400; AR1DS0000040094

The tower has been replaced by a propane tank. The tank probably supplies the heaters for the turnouts.

wikimapia, 2nd of 6 photos
"Junction between the old B&O main line and Grafton line."

geocaching, Photo by Sam Romerstein
ND Tower at Viaduct Jct, looking west toward the narrows.
The ND Tower was closed on Jan 22, 1997.
To the east is the old B&O's East End mainline which continues through Cumberland towards Brunswick and ultimately either Baltimore or Washington. The northern fork of the "Y" is the current heir to the throne that the West End relinquished in 1985 following its downgrading by CSX as a through route. Most of the Mountain's freight traffic off the East End was then shifted north onto the original P&C mainline to Pittsburgh via Connellsville and over the popular small hill at Sand Box, err - Patch. And of course, the western fork of the great B&O "Y" is the fabled West End over the Allegheny Mountain to Grafton.

1992 closeup Flickr photo You can see some singling pipelines coming out of the base of the tower.

This comment applies to the above geocaching photo as well: "The former B&O St Louis Line (now the Mountain Sub) veers off to the left of the structure while the Keystone Sub to Connellsville is on the right."

Darren Reynolds posted four photos with the comment: "B&Os 'Viaduct junction' ND tower   Cumberland, Maryland."

Dave Ori: Once the busiest junction point on the B&O. Per 1966 Metro Guide up to 75 trains on average operated through Cumberland daily.

1
This was the junction point between Grafton, West Virginia, Connellsville Pennsylvania. The tracks you see on the bottom of the photo go to Grafton West Virginia.
Dennis DeBruler shared

2
Westbound getting ready for sand patch grade..

3
The model board shows the line going up to the top is the Mountain subdivision.. the line straight across to the right is the Connellsville subdivision, the line that goes straight across to the left goes to Baltimore.. Viaduct junction was an Armstrong plant.

4
The last year's Viaduct junction.. the tower is taken down by a dump truck and a big chain wrapped around the tower.
All images from North American interlocking States A to z and Canada...

Darren Reynolds posted the same four photos, but with different comments.

1

"ND" tower was at the Junction of the Mountain Sub.Div.

And the Connellsville Sub.Div. (Sand Patch grade)

Photo by: Noah Caplin. 1971

2

The model board at " ND" tower (Viaduct jct.) This tower

Had a mechanical interlocking machine ( Armstrong leavers)

Photo by: Eric Powell

3

A westbound CSX freight train passes " ND " tower on

October 1993

Photo by: Don Kroeger

4

The pipeline [signalling pipeline] for the switches at " ND" tower on June

10,1989

Photo by : Dominic Morrone

All images from North American interlockings States A to Z and Canada..

Darren Reynolds posted the same four photos. It is a public group so leave a comment if there is any new material.

Bill Rettberg Jr. posted
Just a great spot to sit and watch the parade. ND tower, better known as Viaduct Jct. in Cumberland.

Dave Ori: Busy place during the B&O era 1950s-1960 s.

Matt Fisher: Not the same since the West End was nixed as a through route to St. Louis!

Dave Ori: Your right Matt. Definitely not the same. According to a B&O Metropolitan Guide issued in 1966 the B&O operated 55 scheduled trains (most trains had some work activities ie set-outs/pick-ups plus about 20 min scheduled trains ie (coal, ore, coal cars ( empties).

David Paul: Somewhere along the line they moved the steps and changed the middle window to a door.

Roger H Mitchell commented on Bill's post
I was there everyday after school hanging out with 2nd trick operator Blaine Coleman!