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Well another interlocking tower in Michigan has closed. Around 0910 on April 01, 2019 control of the Conrail Bridge interlocking was transfered to the Conrail Dispatcher in Mt. Laurel, NJ. This leaves Delray, NS Bridge and Short Cut bridge as only maned interlocking towers left in Michigan.

The operator at BO in Kalamazoo who was from Plainwell had transferred to one of them. I thought he said the drawbridge at Rouge, not being from the area. I don't know which one that would be. He was going to drive from Plainwell there every shift. Nice guy who let me take the parting pics of BOs levers and inner works before it was locked up. I thought the Henry Ford was going to get the tower but she still sits watching over Bells?

Since the BO operator was an NS employee he had to bump to the ex N&W Bridge over the Rouge River. He had told me that he wasn't looking forward to the long drive but he wanted to work long enough to get a full retirement.

Anymore news on BO tower going to the Henry Ford? I see the homeless or hobo encampment was cleared out of the NW quadrant of the MAL & GR&I diamond last week. The tower is by no means safe with these people exercising their squatters rights over most of or next to the MAL right of way. According to M-live NS still owns the property where the cement loading dock and stub track with bumper post was occupied by the encampment.

Super Chief wrote:According to M-live NS still owns the property where the cement loading dock and stub track with bumper post was occupied by the encampment.

Remember that the GDLK is a lease, not transfer of ownership.

Saturnalia wrote:

Super Chief wrote:According to M-live NS still owns the property where the cement loading dock and stub track with bumper post was occupied by the encampment.

Remember that the GDLK is a lease, not transfer of ownership.

The piece of land described above could have easily ended up in the hands of Amtrak or the state.

Standard Railfan wrote:

Saturnalia wrote:

Super Chief wrote:According to M-live NS still owns the property where the cement loading dock and stub track with bumper post was occupied by the encampment.

Remember that the GDLK is a lease, not transfer of ownership.

The piece of land described above could have easily ended up in the hands of Amtrak or the state.

My guess is that it was included in the GDLK lease agreement, but who knows...maybe they don't even know.

In semi-related news, signal work is progressing quickly at Hallet Tower on the north side of Toledo. If all goes according to plan, it too will close later this year. I believe the AA will be dispatched from another Watco facility/dispatching center. I believe this is the last active tower in Ohio.

Is CR Bridge now viewed by the dispatcher from 100 camera angles? Do the ships have to radio the CR dispatcher to get a lift?

GP30M4216 wrote:In semi-related news, signal work is progressing quickly at Hallet Tower on the north side of Toledo. If all goes according to plan, it too will close later this year. I believe the AA will be dispatched from another Watco facility/dispatching center. I believe this is the last active tower in Ohio.

Is CR Bridge now viewed by the dispatcher from 100 camera angles? Do the ships have to radio the CR dispatcher to get a lift?

Nope, just bump into it

So I was bored

Docket number: USCG-2019-0120
Published Federal Register on March 28, 2019
Seeks approval to remote the bridge
180 days for comments from March 28, 2019
Until approved a bridge operator must be onsite even though the actual operation will be remoted

If you really want to know what will be used to remote the bridge
https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspect ... -05908.pdf

Super Chief wrote:Anymore news on BO tower going to the Henry Ford? I see the homeless or hobo encampment was cleared out of the NW quadrant of the MAL & GR&I diamond last week. The tower is by no means safe with these people exercising their squatters rights over most of or next to the MAL right of way. According to M-live NS still owns the property where the cement loading dock and stub track with bumper post was occupied by the encampment.

I sent MDOT a PM on Facebook back in November 2018 about the status of BO Tower and this is what I received:

Michigan Department of Transportation wrote:Hi [NS3322], just heard back on that. Looks like MDOT does own BO Tower. Different historical groups have looked at, but there are no plans to do anything with it right now.

DaveO wrote:So I was bored

Docket number: USCG-2019-0120
Published Federal Register on March 28, 2019
Seeks approval to remote the bridge
180 days for comments from March 28, 2019
Until approved a bridge operator must be onsite even though the actual operation will be remoted

If you really want to know what will be used to remote the bridge
https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspect ... -05908.pdf

Here is a copy paste of the pertinent info from the above document:


III.Discussion of Proposed RuleThis notice proposes a new rule for the regulations to allow the Conrail Bridge to operate remotely.Bridge owners are required to provide necessary drawtenders for the safe and prompt opening of a bridge and to respond to visual, sound, or radiotelephone
communications for openings; unless, authorized by the U.S. Coast Guard District Commander to operate remotely. Conrail installed the following equipment at the bridge to be considered for remote operations: a public address system that allows 2-way voice communication between vessels and the remote tender; eight digital cameras; two thermal imagery cameras looking upriver and downriver to detect vessels in reduced visibility; and remotely operated VHF-FM Marine Radiotelephone that monitors Channel 16 and Channel 12. All of the listed equipment uses fiber optic technologies to connect to the remote tender. During the comment period a tender will be required to be physically at the bridge to evaluate the remote operations and to intervene if there is a failure in the remote abilities. If this rule is approved, then the bridge will be operated remotely from Mount Laurel, NJ but can also be operated from Detroit, MI, if needed. If there is a discrepancy with the remote equipment Conrail estimates it will take 60-minutes for a tender to arrive at the bridge.

Sorry if this seems like I hijacked it, but this is just breaking: Delray Tower is expected to close by the end of 2020.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Detroit ... 921603593/

Well, I guess that was inevitable about Delray. Burb8145, you'd probably get more replies to your message if you start a separate thread about Delray.