Hartford City, IN: Pennsy Hart Tower, Freight House and Signalling Pipelines

(Satellite?, I could not find an aerial photo with decent resolution.)

Mark Teer posted
Hartford City,Ind.1909,shows Hart tower.

Matthew Lappin: there were 4 tracks through from west of the depot to a location called Renner. The tower controlled it and it was 4 track bi direction running, coal dock was half way between.

When steam went away they removed the 2 outside mains. they also had industrial leads both sides.

A railroad cop was stationed there around the clock.

my grandpa (Ol WW Im sure you remember him out at Montpelier in his white car train watching or waiting for me to go thru) use to say it was impossible when he was a kid to get across SR26 due to trains at the coal dock.

PRR had a switch engine to work the 4 glass plants and Overhead Door plant

[A good view of signalling pipelines branching out from the main run. Also, there are two buildings that house speeders. We can see the tracks from the buildings to move them to the main track.]

Pennsy was the east/west route.

1960 Hartford City West and East Quads @ 24,000

Akron, OH: (JO) Tower: Erie vs Pennsy+B&O

(Satellite, I got an aerial photo to verify that the tower was in the southwest quadrant of the intersection of Market and College Streets.)

Vince Nicklin posted 10 photos with the comment:

There was a link posted in a comment thread earlier that I'd like everyone to get a chance to look at. Most people are leary of clicking on links, so I'm posting the JO Tower photos here. This place sat on the SE portion of E. Market & S. College Streets @ the RR tracks. 

JO Tower most commonly refers to a railroad interlocking tower, that managed traffic for the Pennsylvania, Baltimore & Ohio, and Erie Railroads. Located near East Market Street, it was active through the mid-1970s and served as a key spot for observing train movements. 

Photos: Gary Morris

Bob Weston shared with the comment: "JO tower was located in Akron Ohio and controlled traffic on joint PRR and B&O trackage and a crossing with Erie Lackawanna."

Bob Weston: Razed in 2001

1

2

David Harbaugh: December 1975

3
[Comments indicate that the CTC machine on the right controlled Arlington and Lambert.]

4

B Tupper Upham: Another US&S Model 14...what did Warwick have in it?

5

6

John Parker: This is the control box that I have in my collection.

7

8

9

10

Tom Fritsch commented on Vince's post
I remember that. Unfortunately, I didn't photograph it until just before demolition in 2001. It was in use 1908-1980).

Barry James commented on Vince's post
Looking southeast on market st. The tower would had been just to the left of engine 4411. What use to be JO interlocking, and had 5+ tracks thru here, now has two.

Vionce Nicklin commented on Vince's post

When was the tower built? This is a photo of the Warren G. Harding funeral train event @ The Union Depot in 1923. Is that it under my arrow?

I included a link to the original where you can zoom in better.

https://www.summitmemory.org/.../photos/id/1329/rec/148

1958/59 Akron West Quad @ 24,000

The tower is near the upper-right corner.

Apr 16, 1952 @ 17,000; AR1PH0000060006

Gibsonburg, OH: Pennsy Depot and Interlocking

Depot: (Satellite)

Grain Elevator: (Satellite)

Darren Reynolds posted five images with the comment:

Conrails (Ex-PRR)

"Gibsonburg" Interlocking and train order office 

Gibsonburg,  Ohio 

Not sure if this station is still Standing

Howie Castellucio: The former PRR Carrothers branch.

Mark Egebrecht: Former PRR Toledo Mainline. Now the NOW.

1

Looking down the tracks at "Gibsonburg" Interlocking and train order office in Ohio. 

Photo by: David P. Oroszi August 2,1981

2
A PRR track and interlocking diagram for "Gibsonburg" Interlocking and train order office.

3

A very happy operator at "Gibsonburg" On 8/28/1982

(Sorry I don't know the operator's name)

Photo by: Phil Albano

4

The end of Double track At Gibsonburg" Interlocking and train order office..not sure when it closed???

Photo by: David P. Oroszi c.Aug 2,1981

5

The operator's desk at "Gibsonburg" Interlocking and train order office on August 2,1981

Photo by:David P. Oroszi

This is the grain elevator we see in Photo 4. The two in Photo 1 did not survive.

Street View, May 2024

The depot was actually half way between Stevenson and Madison Streets and between the house track and the mainline. The town had a small railyard to support the quarry.

1959/61 Elmore Quad @ 24,000

The quarries were very active in 1951.

Oct 1, 1951 @ 29,600; AR1RM0000010056

The town doesn't store much grain, but it does sell a lot of chemicals to farms.

Satellite

Norwalk, CT: Museum/NYNH&H SoNo Tower

(Satellite)

Douglas Kydd posted
Inside the restored SoNo Switch Tower Museum, South Norwalk CT - (ex NYNH&H, PC, CR, Metro North)

sonotower
"Located at 77 Washington Street, the Tower is open to the public, with interpretive displays and narration about signaling and train control."

And a pin-connected overpass.

Street View, Jul 2024

sonotower

Sidd Shenoy, Jun 2024

Sidd Shenoy, Jun 2024

Marysville, PA: Pennsy Depot and Banks (MV) (NC) Tower

Depot: (Satellite, I was looking for the tower and discovered that the depot is extant)

Tower: (Satellite?, if you know where it was, please provide the location in a comment.)

I've seen both MV and NC for the Banks Tower.

Street View, Oct 2023

jbritton, this webpage has several more depot images.

"The Middle Division traces back to at least the 1860s. For the greatest span of its (then) modern life (1941-1956), the Pennsy's Middle Division main line spanned from BANKS tower (exclusive) near Marysville, Pa., to SLOPE tower near Altoona, Pa. During the 1956 reorganization, the Middle Division was absorbed into the Pittsburgh Operating Region." [jbritton]

Doug Lilly posted
Forty-five years ago today [Mar 28, 2024], I was on the first day of a spring break railfan trip. That afternoon, I visited Banks Tower and took one of my favorite photos of Conrail's Middle Division. At the time. I was completely unaware that the worst nuclear disaster in U.S. history was unfolding about 25 miles away.
Doug Lilly shared

Richard Jahn posted
Nice shot Doug. Banks was a large tower. Here is the tower board, not really all that complicated.

jbritton, this webpage has several more photos of the tower.

ill

The map accurately notes the location of the depot. That is how I found it.

1947 Harrisburg West Quad @ 24,000

The depot was in town. The freight station was at MP 118.5.

Map via jbritton

I'm so confused, I don't even know if the tower was east or west of Marysville. 

Map via jbritton

RedOverYellow

Darren Reynolds posted five photos with the comment:

Conrails (Ex-PRR)

"Banks" tower 

Marysville, Pennsylvania 

This tower is no longer standing...

Tim Shanahan shared

1

"Banks" tower was named after being on the Banks of the Sasquahanna river..

Photo & Date: Unknown

2

"Banks" tower 1984

Photo by: Chip Syme

3

An early picture of a Conrail train passes through the interlocking at "Banks" tower March 1982

Photo by: Unknown

4

"Banks" tower on May 1,1979

Photo by: C.H.Geletzke Jr.

5

The interlocking at "Banks" May 1st, 1979 looking East..

Photo by: C.H.Geletzke Jr.

Leetsdale, PA: Pennsy Tower and Depot

Tower: (Satellite, a guess based on the photo and the aerial photo below.)

Depot: (Satellite)

Mark Hinsdale posted
On a sunny but cold February, 1977 day, an early Conrail eastbound TV (TrailVan) intermodal train is under the command of a trio of EMD locomotives, as it takes a crossover at Leetsdale Tower in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania.  Conrail has been in existence for less than a year, and pure consists in predecessor paint schemes were still pretty common across the system. Leetsdale presided over crossovers between all four main tracks on this busy ex Pennsylvania Railroad artery along the Ohio River between Pittsburgh and Conway Yard.  February, 1977 photo by Mark Hinsdale
Mark Hinsdale shared

I'm guessing this used to be the depot.

Street View, Oct 2024

Apr 9, 1952 @ 23,600; AR1NZ0000020140

I wonder what the industry was by the river.

Apr 9, 1952 @ 23,600; AR1NZ0000020140

This map marks the location of the depot. It looks like Ferry Street used to cross the tracks back then.

1953/55 Ambridge Quad @ 24,000