I was by Hancock, MD (or the WV side) and was amazed that it's STILL THERE, with an operator, with the manual rodding. So, all you out there, is Hancock really the last manual manned interlocking out there? How many survive on CSX and has a closing for Hancock been announced? I'd seen it a couple years back and frankly, when I pulled in yesterday afternoon, I thought I'd see a flat space where the foundation used to be. But I'll tell everybody, if you want to see the REAL THING, that's it. No stinkin' power switches here, folks. It's an easy-off of I-70 and I-68, so when you're traveling, its just on the south side of the river, just off US Rt.522 and you can see it from the bridge. You can see fairly well without trespassing and without getting on the tracks at all.

randygustafson@stoneconsulting.com

I think if I recall correctly it is slated to be the last tower on "Tower Alley" to be removed from service. The "tower" at Martinsburg was removed from service just a week or three ago, according to some online reports. For much more on the subject, peruse The Bull Sheet, at www.bullsheet.com , a newsletter issued by a railfan who formerly operated Miller Tower and who started the letter as an inside communications between tower operators on Chessie/CSX.

Miller Tower is sitting in pieces at Martinsburg awaiting re-erection and display. I believe at one point that the B&O Museum was slated to receive either Halethorpe (HX) or Hancock (HO) Tower for preservation, and said tower may still be reserved for same; however, I shall note that tower preservation, though worthy, is becoming heavily concentrated in this region:

*B&P Tower from Baltimore preserved at Sykesville, MD;
*the tower at Bowie, MD at the Huntington RR Museum;
*Harrington, Del.'s PRR tower;
*Lemo/J Tower at the Strasburg;
*Harris Tower in Harrisburg;
*Hunt Tower at Huntington, Pa. . . . . .


lner4472@bcpl.net

Wow, thanks. I drove like 50 miles out of the way just to check up on it and to show my kids what a 'real tower' looked like before it was too late. My mechnically-inclined teenager guys were suitably impressed. You can put one up stuffed and mounted on a museum site, but man, it sure is different to see the whole plant still there in one piece, and functional. Context.



randygustafson@stoneconsulting.com

I was floored to read in the recent Chicago issue of Trains Magazine that one of the principal busy junctions of multiple-track main lines west of downtown (which name escapes me) is controlled by NON-interlocked manual semaphores governing stop-and-proceed movements of all trains. I had to read it twice before I realized it meant a guy in a shed hoisting semaphore blades one at a time by hand. How many such 19th-century installations can there be left?

- Aarne Frobom

Reminds me of an hour I spent in downtown Melbourne in a crossing and junction control tower a few years back. The line was a busy commuter operation, and crossing gates were opened and closed by turning a wheel in the tower. Mechanical interlocking connected the gates with signals and switches, etc. The towerman was as friendly to Yanks as all Aussies, and gave a running commentary as he busily carried out his work. I felt guilty for daring to interrupt him with my visit.

Probably replaced with electronics now.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

My friends living in the area feel HO is probably safe for another year. All bets are off after that.

jhbohon@yahoo.com