1904-built Lenox Tower in Mitchell, IL is being demolished today.

The excavator has already taken its first bite of the roof.

Control of the interlocking was changed to Omaha, NE control in 2018, as part of PTC progress.

The 80-lever GRS Model 2 (Pistol Grip) interlocking machine is being saved and going into a private collection for the time being. It was offered to several museums in the midwest and they turned the opportunity down.

I heard that the interlocking machine was a true eleventh hour save (or twelfth hour) that required some midnight phone calls and truck arrangements. Good for them.

You heard correct. Phone call was made by UP to the new owner around 2330 hours.

Union Pacific was bound to save the machine due to it being on the Illinois Historic Register.

Since no one wanted it, the current owner was contacted and offered the machine. It was successfully craned out of the building (after the roof was carefully removed) and placed onto a waiting trailer to be hauled off.

(After the roof was carefully removed)

I saw the series of pictures. An excavator with a good operator can put a nice size hole in the top of a building. "Carefully" might be open for debate, but they got it done.

I am glad to see items like this saved, and am surprised that UP made the effort to see it saved.