I have been hearing a lot of rumors circulating around recently. Mostly on the approaching ends of 3 famous rail towers.
Most recently I have heard MG Tower will be torn down soon, but I do not know if that is certain or just a rumor, and it makes me think how much time AR has left?
Secondly, I am hearing ALTO is to close in the near future. Which does not make sense to me, due to the large amounts of yard traffic, Juniata Shops, helpers, locals, etc. It seems a lot to handle in one spot for just one dispatcher to handle when they are handling over a hundred miles of busy mainline; though I could be wrong?
For the uninformed, these are all on the ex-PRR/ CR / now NS ‘East Slope’ from Altoona up to Gallitzin, which includes Horse Shoe Curve.
AR - at the summit in Gallitzin, just before the descent through the New Portage Tunnel for EB trains, and where the half-circle loop to turn WB helpers rejoins the EB main - has been closed for like 15 years now. It’s brick, easily reached for maintenance, and I believe houses the signal equipment, so I don’t see a compelling reason now.
MG - at the Mid-Grade crossovers interlocking - has been closed for 50+ years, is frame, the signal gear appears to be now in a metal bungalow next to it, and is difficult to reach. The long and steep dirt access road ends on the opposite side of the 3 main tracks, so unless temporary crossings are installed the B&B forces can’t even drive up to it. So I could see it being torn down.
ALTO - at the foot of the grade in downtown Altoona, is still active and although a frame structure, can be easily reached for maintenance. I too have heard that it is being ‘remoted’, and I too am skeptical of that for the same reasons that you state. Unless there are also changes in the helper operations that will simplify/ streamline things, I could see that one being reversed after a trial period shows that it isn’t working, as long as the tower hasn’t been torn down in the meantime. As to that, since it’s the last one, downtown, just across the tracks from the Railroaders Memorial Museum, near Penn State - Altoona, etc., I’m hopeful that it won’t be, and will be preserved. But that’s just me . . .
All railroad structures are taxed by the local property taxing authorities, so abandoned and unused structures are just a tax liability in most cases. Tearing them down saves money.
Probably, but a theoretically ‘portable’ mere signal shed has a much lower ‘basis’ for a real estate tax - on any of the ‘Fair Market Value’/ ‘Book Value’ = cost minus accumulated depreciation/ ‘Replacement Cost’ measures, etc. - as compared to the fixed and substantial large building it replaces.
For example - and as a correction to my previous post, MG Tower is brick, not frame construction - here’s a link to an August 1999 photo of it and the singal bungalow:
See what I mean ? There are houses sold recently that have less floor area and less solidly built than MG. Perhaps that old expression about describing an attractively curvaceous female ought to be changed to "Built like a PRR brick interlocking tower
Link to a really good webpage on ALTO Tower by “Jersey Mike” - with lots of photos of the inside, including the ‘model boards’ and levers - apparently from back around 2005:
I’ll spare you from having to read the comments/ Responses there, most of which are about the status of TENOR and SOPRANO Towers, as well as CONTRALTO and BASS, etc. . . . [:-,]
EDIT: Link to about 6 ‘detail’ photos - not mine - of MG Tower, apparently from March 2010:
Unfortunately. I have found out that ALTO Tower will be closed in a year to two years.
One of the (former) remotely controlled Control Points from ALTO Tower; CP Rose which contained two switches have been manually being switched since April.
From what I understand there is going to be major overhauling done in the whole area next year. ALTO Tower will be torn down not along after closure.
Well ALTO, you stood the longest and gave a lot of use some simple great memories. May as well enjoy the time that is left.
AR Tower stands guard near the New Portage Tunnel at the summit in Tunnelhill, AR stands for “Allegheny Ridge”. I have also read accounts the designation arrived from the word “Portage” in New Portage Railroad but never seen anything to account for the reversal of the A and R.
Paul…If I am correct in understanding you are referring to these photos and the fellow walking with the short sleeve shirt…Those photos can’t be from March…The leaves are fully out on the trees, and would not be anywhere near like that, that early in the season in that area…
…It is kind of a “downer” to see such landmarks as ALTO in such condition. Seems railroads did not take very much pride in the appearance of such structures. The pictures of ALTO in this thread show it really forlorn, and very unkept, for a structure that was rather important in the operations of the RR.
This seems in a direct contrast to railroad architecture such as depots / stations of the last century. Those structures featured balanced designs of roof overhangs with fancy work in the structure appearing to support such overhangs…many with solid masonary features, and so on…
I have found out that CP SLOPE & CP ALTO will no longer exists as separate interlockings. Instead work is to begin next year (maybe spring) on construction of “New” ALTO interlocking, which will be located halfway between CP SLOPE & CP ALTO, if you like SLOPE go see it while you can.
Also, as far as dispatching is concerned everything ALTO controls is considered part Altoona East dispatching territory, and all of the interlockings that are controlled by ALTO with fall under control of Altoona East dispatchers. Which to me does sound like a lot more work for them, because by all mean ALTO tower simplifies the process with the handling of the local movements so the mainline dispatchers can focus on…well the mainline.