Since we're nearing the end of the year, I'd like to remind everyone that their tax-deductible contributions to their local non-profit railroad museum would make a welcome present this holiday season. If your employer has a matching gifts program, I encourage you to take advantage of that as well - in many cases you can double your donation. http://www.grassellitower.com/donate.htm

Work is slowly progressing on Grasselli Tower. Several boards are being replaced, primed, and readied for painting into "NYC green" as we're calling it. A piece of tar paper under the old boards revealed a connection to Elkhart, Indiana - the tar paper (and probably some other stuff) came from the New York Central store house there. I'll try to get some updated pictures this weekend to share with everyone.

Also, I added a new "tower story" about Spring Hill tower in Terre Haute, Indiana yesterday - it's a good read! Check it out - http://www.grassellitower.com/stories.htm

Bob -

Thanks for posting Bob Kremer's SPRING HILL Tower story. It's very interesting. It should be pointed out that Spring Hill was originally a Milwaukee Road tower. AND, it is still in existance, having been moved to the Wabash Valley Railroaders Museum site in Terre Haute, Indiana.

More tower stories are welcome. If you have one, please get ahold of Bob so he can add it to our Grasselli Tower website.

Les

It's been two years since the above entry. Here is a photo taken last year (2011) by Tom Travis, one of Hoosier Valley's members, showing some of the work mentioned by Bob Barcus above. There has been some additional progress made since then, and hopefully, we can post an updated photo or two.

Les

Thanks R.K.

A recent picture of Grasselli Tower attached...

Thanks to Bob Barcus for posting this latest photo. The sign was made by HVRM member Joe Kingsbury and the photo of it and the tower was taken by Fred Boyer. Fred was the co-chairman of the Committee to get Grasselli moved from East Chicago to North Judson. Also note the changes since the last photo was posted here. Including new second floor windows, the stairs painted, a gravel walk put in place and the overhang and original wood gutters scraped and painted on the two sides in the photo. Work also continues on the inside.

Les

The difference in the two pictures has happened in the last 45 days or so. I was there then, and my picture looks like the earlier of the two above.

Robert -

Yes, most of the stuff in the second photo has been more recently done, except that the stairs have been painted for some time. Also not seen in Fred Boyer's photo, is that the second floor door had been replaced. A new door for the lower floor is available, but not yet installed due to some work that needs to be done with the doors framework.

Les

Took a couple of interior shots of Grasselli this past Saturday. If I can figure how to post them, I'll put them on this thread.

Les

Since we moved Grasselli Tower, and started its renovation, we at HVRM are always interested in other interlocking towers. Recently learned that the Monticello Railway Museum had started construction of Stair Tower at their museum. This is off of their website:

http://www.mrym.org/stairtower.html

Perhaps one of the posters from MRyM can give some additional info as to the tower buildings design, reason for the name, plans for the interior (including interlocking machine history) and whether there will be any plans for track and/or signal control from the tower.

Great news that we are adding to Interlocking Tower history!


Les

Think I have finally figured it out. These are from this past October. The first photo shows Steve Newland installing some woodwork to one of the tower walls. The second photo shows the new windows that Steve installed in the corner of the tower (the levers are covered to protect from paint falling from painting the ceiling). Sorry for the delay in getting these posted.

Les

It's always nice to see photos of Grasselli Tower when it was still located in East Chicago, Indiana before the museum moved it to North Judson. Here is a photo taken by Jim Burd and sent to the museum recently. It shows a CSX inspection train passing the tower on May 23, 2002. Appreciate Jim sending this photo to HVRM.

Also saw a comment in the recent thread "Turntable Watch (Brunswick, MD.)" about an attempt to save and move the West Brunswick Tower. We wish the group good luck with their attempt. More info would be welcome.

Les

Link to "Turntable Watch (Brunswick, Md.)"

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34407