Tower Closure
Tower Closure
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.
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- Railroadfan...fan
- Posts: 1191
- Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 9:53 am
- Location: Three Rivers, Mi.--Indian Rocks Beach,Fl.
Re: Tower Closure
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?
Re: Tower Closure
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.
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- Railroadfan...fan
- Posts: 1191
- Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 9:53 am
- Location: Three Rivers, Mi.--Indian Rocks Beach,Fl.
Re: Tower Closure
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.
- Saturnalia
- Authority on Cat
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- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
- Location: Michigan City, IN
- Contact:
Re: Tower Closure
Remember that the GDLK is a lease, not transfer of ownership.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.
- Standard Railfan
- Railroadfan...fan
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- Location: Marquette, MI
Re: Tower Closure
The piece of land described above could have easily ended up in the hands of Amtrak or the state.Saturnalia wrote:Remember that the GDLK is a lease, not transfer of ownership.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.
- Saturnalia
- Authority on Cat
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- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
- Location: Michigan City, IN
- Contact:
Re: Tower Closure
My guess is that it was included in the GDLK lease agreement, but who knows...maybe they don't even know.Standard Railfan wrote:The piece of land described above could have easily ended up in the hands of Amtrak or the state.Saturnalia wrote:Remember that the GDLK is a lease, not transfer of ownership.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.
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- Saver of all History
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Re: Tower Closure
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?
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?
- M.D.Bentley
- Railroadfan...fan
- Posts: 2473
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- Location: Downriver
Re: Tower Closure
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
- DaveO
- Read more, think more, post less
- Posts: 1453
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- Location: Between here and there
Re: Tower Closure
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
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
Re: Tower Closure
I sent MDOT a PM on Facebook back in November 2018 about the status of BO Tower and this is what I received: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.
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.
- Jetlink
- Not a Railfan
- Posts: 3571
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- Location: 2.5 miles from CH 116.3
Re: Tower Closure
Here is a copy paste of the pertinent info from the above document: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
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.
interested in trains
Patiently waiting for LansingRailfan to antagonize me in his tagline
Patiently waiting for LansingRailfan to antagonize me in his tagline
Re: Tower Closure
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/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Detroit ... 921603593/
If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.
-Red Green
-Red Green
Re: Tower Closure
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.