Got yet another for my Forum friends. Are there any prototypes for a yard tower bridging a track or multiple tracks? I probably should have one on my yard but my track clearances are a bit too close for a standard tower. (The announcement of the new Walthers yard tower kit prompted the idea. The era of the layout is the 1970s.)
Hi FRRYKid,
Hereâs one from the UK that you might consider a Kit-bash of, mainly because of the narrowness of the Brick Piers (which could be replaced by Steelwork) would allow you to position them between some of the Tracks.
This is Wylam Signal-box, on the Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Carlisle route.
For 90% of yards, the yard office is just a small building beside the tracks. Only the largest classification yards have control âtowersâ.
Interlocking towers (âsignal boxesâ in European parlance) are completely not the same thing and serve different purposes.
New York Central definitely had them. This one was on the âHigh Lineâ at Park Avenue and 106th Street. Jim Shaughnessy photo from âNew York Central in the Hudson Valleyâ by George H. Drury, Kalmbach Books ©1995.
Here are another two examples to consider.
And then there is this, âSmall Footprint Control Towerâ, taken from a reply to me by Edâ (gmpullman)
Control Towers (Signal Cabins or Power Boxes) are one of my Railway interests.
Paul
Many yard towers donât actually control anything. They were where yardmasters and their assistants, depending on how large the yard was, could have a better view of the yard.
The UP yard had such a yard tower until 7 or 10 years back. (Time gets away from me and I canât say for sure when it was torn down.) They moved the yardmaster into a corner of an existing office building. Instead of the YM needing a high perch to see his domain, they have closed circuit cameras everywhere.
Jeff
When I saw this announcement, I knew I wanted one. However I may use it against a backdrop overlooking my yard. Canât wait for that to come outâŠ!
I thought of New York Centralâs electrified line too, although thatâs their mainline, not a yard as the OP asked about.
Here is one that could serve as a yard office though it was actually an interlocking tower on the PRR just west of Pittsburgh, Pa.
pennsylvaniaavePAgeiger.jpg (1800Ă1136) (northamericaninterlockings.com)
Looks like the site is denying access
I actually have a yard office in there. Thatâs the little green building on the back of the yard where the single light pole is.
Selkirk Yard (PC/Conrail/CSX) has a tower at the East End for the yardmaster. The switches are power-operated, there may also be an operator up in it as well.
New Havenâs Cedar Hill yard has a tower for the yardmaster, also.
Except for major yards, most of these did not control switches, but were there to give the yardmaster a better view of what was going onâŠ
It works for me.
note the size of the tower(?) at the at the newly upgraded CSX Cumberaland yard replacing the hump. Diesel is remotely operated. It appears that modern cars with roller bearings roll easier allowing a shallower grade
âANYâ suggestion.
Doesnât Droegeâs Passenger Terminals and Trains have examples of towers built partially or wholly over tracks? ISTR North Station in Boston having one.
If you slid the large brick building over a few inches towards the water tower, you could probably put a tower like the Walthers one there, looking over the yard from one end.
@wjstix
If the building next to the passenger station is the one youâre referring to, itâs the railroad hotel (The Osadchuk and yes thereâs a reason for that name.) and the sidewalk is linked directly to the passenger station. I just put a parking lot in the hole in ext to the road.
@mvlandsw
I copied the link and put it into a new browser window and it worked. That might be a good idea to base a yard tower from. The brick would fit my era as well.
If you removed the sixth track from the front, you could put a tower near the left end of the station platform. It would be a logical site; near the station and near the middle of the yard. Because of the way the switches are, itâs a pretty short track so I donât know if you would miss it all that much, especially if you really want to put in a yard tower. A lot of modelers will tell you they often have found theyâve put in too much track, and removing some improves the layout.
