The Union Pacific is today and tomorrow placing the last switch and track panels at Tama Iowa MP 130, When this is completed and the SIGNALS TURNED ON THEN WE WILL HAVE ctc AND ATC ALL THE WAY ACROSS iOWA AND INTO CHICAGO WILL KEEP YOU POSTED WHEN THE LAST SET OF SIGNALS ARE ACTIVATIED Larry
I’ve been in the town of Tama, but I never got out to the east side where the MILW main crossed the CNW. How did they do that crossing? Was there a cross-track or an overpass?
This was the only place in Iowa where two double track mainlines crossed at grade. The interlocking tower was destoyed in a derailment. There are some pictures of the tower on page 5 and 6 of this link after the 1978 Groundhog Day CMSP&P derailment. The first 4 pages are mostly showing the 1987 C&NW derailment.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locThumbs.aspx?id=35029&Page=1
Dale:
Thanks for the link.
Certainly wouldnt have wanted to be the tower operator that day.
Ouch.
ed
From talking to old heads the operater was out of the tower at the time of the derailment and right after it happened it was thought he was trapped inside until he drove up to the tower after being downtown to run an arrand Thanks for sharing the photos Larry
The crossing was actually on the west side of town. Some of the roadbed can still be seen. Up until a few years ago, the signs for the ATC test loop were still on the MILW right of way.
Jeff
Thanks for the correction. I was thinking back to seeing the MILW ROW from Hwy. 30 and I had it in my mind that was east of town, but I was wrong. I never took the time to get out there and ask the current property owners for permission to hike the MILW roadbed, to look for artifacts. Maybe I should on the next trip to Iowa - there may be something left in the weeds.
[#ditto] Id like to hike that ROW just to see what I could Ive got photos of that tower taken about 10 days before the Milwakee destroyed it Larry