SavaTheAggie Posted January 15, 2015 Gallery Historic Tower 17, the last manned interlocker switch tower to be used in the State of Texas. Today it rests at the Rosenberg Railroad Museum as part of their collection. From the Rosenberg RR Museum's Website: www.rosenbergrrmuseum.org/tower-17/ --------------------------- Tower 17 was "authorized" by the Texas Railroad Commission on July 23, 1903. Tower 17 controlled the crossing of the Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad (Santa Fe) and the Galveston Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway Company (Southern Pacific). The tower's function was to house the electro-mechanical interlocker, and the men whose job it was to operate the interlocker, which was a machine that controlled the railroad signals and switches, setting the route for any train passing through Rosenberg. Only one route could be set up at any one time, which helped to prevent accidents by allowing only one train through the crossing at a time. The electromechanical interlocker was, essentially, a 19th century analog computer using mechanical switches instead of the 1s and 0s used by today's digital computers. The current exterior paint scheme is based on Southern Pacific Standards Book information and from paint scrapings gathered from Tower 17 itself. The colors closely match those used at the time this photo was taken. The towerman's job was to allow only one train at a time through the crossing, and the interlocking machine shown below facilitated this function. When the telegraph operators/clerks were transferred from the Rosenberg depot to Tower 17 in 1955, the building was enlarged to its current size. The tower was in service until February 10, 2004 and was dismantled and moved approximately 1/2 a mile to the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, where it has been restored. The towerman used a reference board which showed which levers had to be pulled in exact sequence to line up the route. To set up a different route, the towerman had to "take down" the existing route by pushing in the levers in the exact reverse order in which they had been pulled. This reset the interlocking machine and then the new route could be aligned. Although more advanced technology was connected to the interlocking machine, it basically functioned in the same manner for over 100 years! In 2004, the Tower 17 interlocker was one of the last to be replaced by a modern computer. Today, all such railroad intersections are controlled by computer. Today's computers are sealed in bright aluminum boxes to protect them from the weather. Because of this, the once common interlocker towers were no longer needed, nor were the towermen who worked in them. Tower 17 was kindly donated to the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, moved to the museum, and restored to its original glory. ----------------------------- I've never actually been inside Tower 17, but I've done the best I could with the pictures I could find online. The second floor contains a desk for the towermen as well as the interlocker device. The first floor on my model is unfurnished. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Feuer Zug Posted January 15, 2015 Very nice tower. The backstory gives it more than just having a tower there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lightningtiger Posted January 15, 2015 Nice switch tower 'Sava'.......you don't only make awesome engines but awesome trackside stuff too......Brick On 'SavaTheAggie' ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mike44 Posted January 15, 2015 Some real nice work! Lets see it on the layout in action! Mike Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stefaneris Posted January 15, 2015 The overall look is really good but what facinates me the most is the use of the new jumper plates together with normal 1x2 plates for the walls. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Train 12 Volts Posted January 15, 2015 The green roof is amazing! I love this kind of train stuff! :thumbup: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zephyr1934 Posted January 18, 2015 That is a great build. The tiles for siding and the built up doors add a lot to the moc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SavaTheAggie Posted January 19, 2015 Thanks all, I appreciate the comments. It'll be seeing its first show this weekend. --Tony Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SavaTheAggie Posted March 23, 2015 This weekend I found my way over to the Rosenberg Railroad Museum and was able to take a few shots of my LEGO Tower 17 next to the real thing. For those interested: Tower17_Visit_01 by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr Tower17_Visit_02 by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr Tower17_Visit_04 by SavaTheAggie, on Flickr --Tony Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Train 12 Volts Posted March 23, 2015 Wow it's the same ...gorgeous! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MaineBrickFan Posted March 23, 2015 You've done a really nice job on this MOC Tony -- congratulations! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AirborneAFOL Posted March 24, 2015 (edited) I've been looking at alot of tower MOC's lately, as I work up the courage to attempt one for my switching yard. This one is definitely top notch and great inspiration. Well done! Have you considered doing an interior? That's something that seems pretty scarce (train folks tend not to fuss with them as a general matter). I'd be thrilled to see what you'd come up with if you did! Edited March 24, 2015 by AirborneAFOL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SavaTheAggie Posted March 25, 2015 Wow it's the same ...gorgeous! You've done a really nice job on this MOC Tony -- congratulations! Thanks! There's still some tweaking left to do, but nothing that is all that noticeable. I've been looking at alot of tower MOC's lately, as I work up the courage to attempt one for my switching yard. This one is definitely top notch and great inspiration. Well done! Have you considered doing an interior? That's something that seems pretty scarce (train folks tend not to fuss with them as a general matter). I'd be thrilled to see what you'd come up with if you did! There is an interior already in the second floor, check the link in the original post. The first floor will remain empty because of the fragile nature of the build - it's already hard enough trying to remove the roof. The second floor contains the Interlocker mechanism, as well as a desk. Missing, as I learned from my most recent visit, is a stove and a bathroom (which is also currently missing from the real tower, but there's a discoloration on the floor from water damage where it once was). --Tony Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jamesed_1971 Posted March 25, 2015 A nice Switch Box 'Sava', the detail is just excellent. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zephyr1934 Posted March 26, 2015 That looks spot on seeing the model and the prototype side by side like that (who knew that you were building full scale, grin). The one thing that nags at me are the cheese bricks for the railings, they just feel too heavy compared to the real thing. Could you do something with bars or tubes for the railings on the stairs? Or failing that, perhaps 1x tiles? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ummester Posted March 26, 2015 Great use of brick types to create texture - it's something I really appreciate with LEGO building. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SavaTheAggie Posted March 27, 2015 A nice Switch Box 'Sava', the detail is just excellent. Great use of brick types to create texture - it's something I really appreciate with LEGO building. Thank you both! That looks spot on seeing the model and the prototype side by side like that (who knew that you were building full scale, grin). The one thing that nags at me are the cheese bricks for the railings, they just feel too heavy compared to the real thing. Could you do something with bars or tubes for the railings on the stairs? Or failing that, perhaps 1x tiles? Thanks. I think I'm a bit between a rock and a hard place on the railings. I tried doing some angled tiles, but it didn't work out. Tiles and clips (to hold tube railings) would be nearly as "chunky" as the cheese slopes. I'm not sure there really is a "good" solution. --Tony Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zephyr1934 Posted March 28, 2015 Yeah, those railings would be impossible to do with some compromise, and without seeing the original I never would have noticed. It is a great MOC. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
