Control tower & switch tower?

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

I’m looking for advice on towers to control my yard area.

At one end I have a lead track with five switches that will need looking after.

At the other end of the yard sits the turntable, round house, and two main line switches.

I’m looking for any and all suggestions. Pictures would be nice.

Size of foot print is a must!

I’m willing to consider any manufacturer’s product in kit form or built up.
I’m also open to scratch building.

Since I’m modeling my own scenic RR any era structure would work.

Thank You.

2

today, most yards with fewer than about 20 tracks merely have a yard office.

Control towers would be used for hump yards or large flat yards. However, thru the magic of selective compression, your several tracks could represent a much larger yard, thusly the tower.

A charming Lehigh Valley RR tower is provided in the link and would be appropriate for a small operation:

http://www.alpharail.net/histpix/lehighvalley/TOWER.JPG

If you click into other photos on that page, you can see some other neat yard features, some of which you may wi***o include

Hope this helps

3

Also in the photo notice the cool VW microbus and the awesome telephone poles

The scene rocks!

4

That Lehigh Valley tower looks a bit like the Plasticville tower, perhaps a bit shorter and with a more complicated roof. A good start for a kit-bash perhaps?

5

OK Pat, here are some of the switch towers that I have. The first is MTH, which is 6" x 10”

It has a very nice detail interior.

This one I believe is made by Atlas and has a foot print of 5” x 5 ½” with an extra 1 ½” in front for the steps.

It comes with these buildings and speeder

and of course, the Plasticville ones

Hope this helps
tom

6

What about the lionel tower?

7

Thanks Guys,

I’m also looking into Korber.

Tom,
I think I like the Atlas one the best. The Plasticville may also work b/c of the small foot print.

Jerry,
I have the Lionel version on the other side of the layout.
What Year is yours?
Mine does not have a door on the balconey, Should it?

8

Where is Hirailjouhn and his bikini chick tower now that we need him?