This 1896 tower was built during Pennys' transition between wood and brick towers. That is why brick was used for the first story and wood was used for the second story.
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| Street View, Jul 2022 |
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| Robert Wanner posted Paoli Tower in Conrail days, but original Pennsylvania Railroad electrified trackage still intact. E-44 electric locomotive lettered for Penn Central with a Conrail caboose trailing. Paoli always a busy location with lots going on, right up to SEPTA and Amtrak. Great slide by unknown photographer. Someone will know. Dale Woodland: Pusher , probably about to cut off. Rick Schoch: Dale Woodland you're right. I never actually saw an E44 pushing, although I did actually see them attaching one MUd (I assume) with a U25b at 52nd St. during PRR days from an inbound Paoli Local. I was young and didn't have my crappy camera on me LOL. Tom McNasby: I saw this photo before i remember it stating it was the fall of 1977, Also, who would have imagined in less than 4 years all electric freight operations would cease and by the mid 80s all freight east of Paoli would be gone. |
According to some comments, the bay window was removed before the tower got hit by a derailment.
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| Ryan Cornog commented on Robert's post |
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| AltoonaWorks posted 5/2024 - The PRR interlocking tower at Paoli still stands. We saw lots of towers still standing on a recent trip from Harrisburg to Boston. Jim Kelling shared Paoli Pennsylvania (PRR tower) Dennis DeBruler: Found it: https://www.google.com/.../@40.0431807.../data=!3m1!1e3... |
In the east coast, if you don't have to deal with trees, then you probably have to deal with fences. The tower is near the upper-right corner, and I included a Pennsy positional signal on the left side.
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| Street View, Jul 2022 |
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| Diagram via RedOverYellow |
1965:
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| rrpicturearchive, Photo by Thomas C. Ayers WIL-ALT-65. Here is an original photo that I took while riding in a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train from North Philadelphia to Harrisburg during August of 1965. Shown here is the PRR's PAOLI Tower, as well as a yard full of commuter trains of various makes and models. |
Another example of the positional signals.
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| ThePositionLight_1, 1 of many photos of the signaling equipment controlled by the tower. The tower was built in 1896 on a 4-track mainline, and it was designed to be the terminal for commuter service. "Later, in 1915, the busy line was chosen to be host to an experimental 11kv, 25Hz overhead electrification scheme." It was built as a mechanical interlocking and upgraded to a "state of the art US&S Model 14 Electro-Pneumatic machine" in 1929. The fourth track was removed in the 1960s. |
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| ThePositionLight_2, 1 of many photos of the interior of the tower |
Darren Reynold posted nine photos with the comment: "PRRs 'Paoli' tower Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."
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| 2 The SEPTA yard behind "Paoli" tower is now gone |
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This has only one new photo. But I repeat the photos because this time he is finally providing some information, including credit for the photos. Also, some of the comments are very informative.
Darren Reynolds posted seven photos with the comment: "PRRs "Paoli " tower Paoli, Pennsylvania"
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| 1 "Paoli" tower is still open, One of only a few open.. The tower lost it's bay window from a derailment in the late 60s.. Photo by: Michael (No Date) Michael Quigley: My Dad worked here ae a block operator ( tower operator ) in the early 70s. In this shot, you can see a lighter color of bricks. This is where a boxcar went through the wall in a derailment. I believe it was 1972. I used to have some pictures my Dad got from a guy who was photographing the wreck.. |
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| 2 The Paoli yard on Oct. 26, 1976 the tower is on the left. Photo by: C.H.Geletzke Jr. Michael Quigley: I remember as a 11yo boy when Mom would drive me here to see Dad. They still had the MU yard there and you had to walk over around 4 or 5 tracks to get to the tower. |
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| 3 The helper returns to do it again as it passes "Paoli" tower on Oct. 26,1976 Photo by: C.H.Geletzke Jr. |
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| 4 "Paoli " tower on Oct. 26,1976 Photo by: C.H.Geletzke Jr |
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| 5 The model board at "Paoli" tower Photo by: Michael Brotzman (No Date) Salvatore Della Pia: No.2 and No.3 track and No.3 storage (west end of interlocking) removed between the switched for the new station to be built. No more Duck under track or Hill track those switched were pull when I was still dispatching for Amtrak. |
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| 6 The "Bryn Mawr" tower Model board (Not original) was brought over after a fire. Now it is controlled at "Paoli " tower. Photo by: Michael Brotzman (No Date) Michael Quigley: I worked with a guy at Amcrash in the Signal Department, and he stole the original model board out of Bryn Mawr tower after it was closed. Probably still has it! He also got the Armstrong Levers from Baldwin tower when the closed it... |
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| 7 I'm not sure what thus is called it was in "Paoli" tower.. Photo by: Michael Brotzman ( No Date) All images from North American interlockings States A to Z and Canada. Salvatore Della Pia: This the retired catenary power board that each tower had one. They were retired when the power directors. 30th St or Harrisburg took remote control. Both are not in Wilmington at the present CTEC. Michael Quigley: I believe this board and the shut offs are for the catenary to turn off power by sections. Michael Quigley: They also had a very large Power Directors room in 30th Street Station. I got to see it a couple times back in the mid 70s when I would visit me Dad at Penn Tower on the 4th floor of 30th Street Station. It was right across the hall! |
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| Michael Quigley commented on the first photo Michael added 12 more photos in the comments |
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| Ryan Cornog commented on the 5th photo This is from Christmas Eve last year [2023]. I was the last trick train director for 18 years. |
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