Jewett, OH: Pennsy (Panhandle) Custer Tower

(Satellite)

Darren Reynolds posted three photos with the comment:

Conrails ( Ex-PRR) 

"Custer" tower

Custer,Ohio

Bob Bland: just west of Jewett and south of New Rumley, which was the birthplace of General George Custer…hence the tower’s name.

Tim Shanahan shared

James Kehn: I worked there a few times back in the 1970s. You could also watch the N&W trains pass by.

James Kehn: CUSTER was named for Gen'l George Armstrong Custer, who was born in nearby New Rumley OH. The tower lay between Scio and Jewett OH. The N&W (W&LE) (NKP) tracks were north of the tower. Custer controlled crossovers and trackage west at Scio, which included a stretch of Rule 261 bi-directional track. I only worked it a few times.

1

"Custer" tower in Custer, Ohio was a PRR tower but that's all I know about this tower....

Photo & Date: Unknown

[There are a few signalling pipelines left.]

2

"Custer" tower on June 22,1974

Photo by: David P. Oroszi

3

Looking down the tracks at "Custer" tower

Photo by: David P. Oroszi

Brett Dunbar posted eleven images with the comment:

JEWETT, OH: Let's go back to the former Pennsylvania Railroad's mainline from Pittsburgh to Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. This route was nicknamed The Panhandle because when it was built it went through the panhandle of West Virginia, at Weirton. Anyways, I'm covering another tower that existed until 1981 just west of the village of Jewett, OH.

Custer Tower was named after George Armstrong Custer who was born just up the road at New Rumley. Custer was a famous United States officer and cavalry commander in the Civil War. There are numerous books published about him!

Custer Tower had the purpose of controlling a lot of track! It was at the east end of a 2-mile long passing siding and later hosted a pair of crossovers, hot box detector, and dragging equipment detector. The west end of the passing siding was located west of Custer at the village of Scio, OH.

I am posting a pictorial history of the tower in this post. I appreciate the slides from Paul Geiger, David Oroszi, and Chip Syme.

Please see photos for captions! Enjoy!

1
Today's view of the location of Custer Tower vs. Jewett, OH.

2
A photo taken of the tower from the north side of the tracks on the hill. State Route 151 is seen in the background. July 1980.

3
In July of 1976, when Conrail was 3 months old, we see westbound Mail-11 passing Custer Tower.

4
Just after Mail-11 passed, Paul Geiger caught an eastbound Norfolk & Western [Nickel Plate] freight destined for Wheeling on the paralleling N&W trackage - now the Conotton Trail.

5
In June of 1971, in Penn Central Days, Geiger caught a "wreck train" heading east by the tower.

6
In 1980 Mail-10 eastbound from St. Louis to Kearny, NJ races past Custer.

7
Facility view of the tower looking west.

8
Facility view of the tower looking west.

9
Facility view of the tower looking east.

10
Facility view of the tower looking west.

11
Today, looking east from New Rumley Road, at the abandoned signal bridge still standing. No sidings, no crossovers, no tower.

1961/63 Jewett Quad @ 24,000

Apr 22, 1960 @ 28,000; AR1VAAV00060031