Lenox tower (St. Louis area) goes dark

[emd_e9]

Union Pacific has converted one of the last (if not THE last) interlocking towers in the St. Louis area to CTC control from its Omaha dispatching center.  Story in the Alton (IL) Telegraph, including a photo of the interlocking machine and tower. (Search for 'Lenox tower')

https://www.thetelegraph.com

 

 

[yardmstr]

Thanks for posting this. Sorry to hear but surprised it lasted this long.

[Electroliner 1935]

Progress? Yes but still lamentable. 

[MP173]

On my trips to St. Louis area the last year, when heading west on I270 I could catch a quick glimpse of the tower.  It was always reassuring to see it.  Sad to see it gone.

 

I was fortunate to visit Ridgely Tower in Springfield a couple of times and the operator allowed me inside...those days of access were long gone for the most part.

 

Ed

 

 

[NielsenSTL]

Bad year for interlocking towers in the Metro East...first Willows goes down and now Lenox.  Add that to losing HN Cabin a few years back...and all towers are dark in the St. Louis area.

[BaltACD]

NielsenSTL

Bad year for interlocking towers in the Metro East...first Willows goes down and now Lenox.  Add that to losing HN Cabin a few years back...and all towers are dark in the St. Louis area.

I suspect the only ones to exist in the future will be those that handle extensive terminal operations.  Such as K Tower that handles Washington Union Station, such operations are full time jobs within their own operating areas.

Any location where the tower's area of operation requires less than full time attention of the person operating the facility is relatively easy to add to the responsibilities of a Train Dispatcher.  

The tools available to today's CADS Train Dispatchers make the operation of former Interlocking Towers much easier for the dispatcher than it was for the operator of the tower.

I worked HN Cabin back in the late 60's.

 

[emd_e9]

Lots more photos and info here:

http://www.rrsignalpix.com/tower_lenox.php

This is a great web site with TONS of other info.

 

[ed375]

I couldn't find anything, on the telegraph's page, until I searched for lenox tower. I found the following:

https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Mitchell-8217-s-Lenox-Tower-goes-dark-as-13380904.php

https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Lenox-tower-keeping-rail-slow-12597035.php

https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Lenox-Tower-upgrades-among-items-discussed-at-12589725.php

https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Union-Pacific-Mitchell-railbed-functional-12597706.php

 

[Sunnyland]

Interesting and did not know about this, even though it's only "across the river" from home. Maybe rode past it on Amtrak but don't remember ever seeing it.  It did last a long time. 

[BaltACD]

Some of the newspaper articles identify the tower as being the reason for speed restricted operations in the area under control of the tower.  Duh!  If all the turnouts under the control of the tower are 10 MPH turnouts; trains are going to operate at 10 MPH.  However, the equipment of the tower could have opeated turnouts configured for 60 MPH operation - it is only a matter of what kind of turnouts the carrier wanted the facility to operate with.  Admittedly 60 MPH turnouts require much more space than do 10 MPH turnouts.  You get what you want to pay for.

I have no fear that the track configuration through the area has changed and higher speed turnouts have been installed in place of the lower speed turnouts that were in operation with the tower being a manned facility.

[tsmri]

While working as an Operator for the NYC (Indpls-EStL) I once visited Lenox tower in late 1960. I cannot remember all the railroads Lenox controlled or for which railroad the Lenox operator worked for. Can you or anyone else help me out?......Gordon

[TIM BROWN]

Sitting at Lenox rite now it's not dark ns 121 just called to get signal for the As and got a immediate response from tower set up here frequantly to watch trains doesn't sound like anyone is calling a dispatcher sounds like there calling the tower I have had the honor several times going up in the tower really cool. 

[Electroliner 1935]

BaltACD

The tools available to today's CADS Train Dispatchers make the operation of former Interlocking Towers much easier for the dispatcher than it was for the operator of the tower.

Had a tour of Amtraks facilities at Chicago Union Station (thanks to Cincinnati Railroad Club two years ago) and it included their dispatching facilities. Amtrak controls their Michigan trackage, New Orleans Union Station and Chicago Union Station from CAD terminals in this office. A very nice facility There used to be interlocking towers at each throat (North & South). I think Washington D.C.'s station could be converted if they wanted to. 

I don't remember whether this was before or after the Amtrak computer crash that fouled up Metra's operations. Think it was before.

[chicagorails]

Grandfather took me up and was quite a busy place and great view of operations back in 60s, and other towers in Midwest years ago. The only thing that reminds me of them any more are airport traffic control towers at O'Hare

[SFbrkmn]

Here in Wichita there were a pair of towers, one each @ North Junction (where SF, RI and Frisco all connected and South Jct(Where SF, and RI connected). These towers controlled movements @ Wichita Union Station on joint trackage beginning when the facility opened in 1913. The tower operators were employed by Wichita Union Railway. In January 1969, the towers were closed and those functions relocated to the SF Middle Div dispatch office 25 miles north @ Newton.

[MMLDelete]

Does anyone want to venture a guess on how many manned towers are left in the US?

[NielsenSLC]

Not sure how that's possible...the tower controlling movements through the Lenox interlocking was shut down 10/28/18.  Controlled by UP dispatchers in Omaha.