It’s a chilly December 1943 evening in Harrisburg, Pa., and you’re in Harris Tower at the west end of the busy Pennsylvania Railroad station, where the towermen are hustling to keep up with traffic. Outside, there’s a non-stop parade of mighty GG-1s and K-4ss swapping their trains, and the nightly march westward of the famed “Blue Ribbon Fleet.” It’s at the height of the World War II traffic crush, and on top of that there’s the usual holiday crowd, so it’s a very busy, but routine, evening.
The stationmaster’s line in the tower squawks out “HARRIS: number 29 ready on track 7”. That’s the Broadway Limited, and you watch the operators scramble to start it rolling westward without delay, as they move swiftly back and forth across the huge 113-lever interlocking machine. The monitor board above confirms their positioning of the switches and signals; the train begins its progress out of the complex, as shown by the track occupancy lights marching across the board.
As the operator prepares to hand off the Broadway to Rockville tower 5.4 miles west, the telegraph sounder on his desk begins to clatter urgently · · · · - - · · · · · - - · · - · · - · - (“HG, HG, RJ”). HG is the telegraph call for Harris, RJ for Rockville. The operator answers in rapidly flowing Morse, · · · · · · - - · (“I HG”). The exchange translated starts “Harris, Harris, Rockville”; Harris answers “I’m Harris”. The conversation continues in abbreviated code: FN NG HR WI HV USE WIRE RJ. “Fone no good here will have to use the wire Rockville”. Then, · - · · · · · - - · (“K HG”). “Okay, Harris”.
A Pennsy railfan having a dream of days gone by? Absolutely not! Step into the Harris Tower Museum today to watch and hear it all happen live before your eyes and ears. The tower was built in 1930 by the Pennsylvania railroad to control the maze of tracks at the west end of the station. It is now owned by the Harrisburg Chapter of the NRHS, having purchased it from Amtrak in 1992. Over a 15-year period it received an extensive renovation by the chapter, culminating in the restoration of the interlocking machine. The operating telegraph system is the latest addition to the tower. It is linked via the Internet to both the worldwide network of the Morse Telegraph Club Inc., as well as to a local resident, Abe Burnett, who provided his lovingly restored instruments as well as overseeing the installation.
Today, a computer simulation of a 24-hour period in 1943 provides the means for a visitor to experience the activity of that day.
Following the “call” from the stationmaster, a docent walks you through every step of clearing the train’s route, moving from left to right across the machine and operating the appropriate switch levers, then back from right to left lining the signals. All of these actions are immediately confirmed on the model board. When you clear the final signal, the “train” moves across the model board and along the route you have set up; then you reverse the procedure to return the switches and signals to their normal positions.
The tower also contains a wealth of PRR memorabilia in its library section, and a live ATCS display of Norfolk Southern railroad’s entire Harrisburg Division, whose trains regularly pass by the windows of the tower, in addition to two daily Amtrak trains.
The tower has recently been placed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is open on Saturdays, June through October; is within walking distance of the Amtrak station; and is easily accessed by car.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.