Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Quick correction: The tower was built in 1902. Also Bob's last name is spelled with to "L's" (Phillips.) Thanks Bob for the corrections! OK let's get into this. It was cool to be in one of the last manual interlocking lever towers. Thanks to Mr. Towerman, Bob Phillips for being a great host and letting us feel the essence of the tower. ANother slice of railroading history gone, but I knew I had to capture what I could in the short few hours my friend Steve and I were allowed to visit and document the tower months before they would no longer man it. SOmetimes in life you have a short window of time to preserve some piece of history. But at the time that history will not slap you in the face and say, "Hey capture me, because i will be gone soon." We heard the tower was in its last months and we took the suggestion/invite to go. SInce I am visually impaired I asked my friend Steve to take me to Springfield. He was more than happy to and thus we had a great day learning about the tower
When I was a boy I was in the Mendota interlocking tower so I was not entirely new to a manual interlocking tower. I was also fortunate as a young lad to throw one of them levers to a switch that lined the ICRR main line to a siding. Always cool seeing the rods move.
If ya want to see a model of the ole Mendota Interlocking tower I built one on the Mendota HO scale layout at the Union Depot Railroad museum in Mendota.
Come by on Father's day weekend every year and expeirince our Railroad Crossing and Heritage Days. In 2023 I'll be unvieling my mural for inside the SP Golden Trencher car. From the Golden State Route from Chicago to LA.
This year (2023) I'll also be playing my guitar for folks in the Milwaukee Road Combine car.
Enjoy the Ridgely Tower clips I have assembled here.
Quick correction: The tower was built in 1902. Also Bob's last name is spelled with to "L's" (Phillips.) Thanks Bob for the corrections! OK let's get into this. It was cool to be in one of the last manual interlocking lever towers. Thanks to Mr. Towerman, Bob Phillips for being a great host and letting us feel the essence of the tower. ANother slice of railroading history gone, but I knew I had to capture what I could in the short few hours my friend Steve and I were allowed to visit and document the tower months before they would no longer man it. SOmetimes in life you have a short window of time to preserve some piece of history. But at the time that history will not slap you in the face and say, "Hey capture me, because i will be gone soon." We heard the tower was in its last months and we took the suggestion/invite to go. SInce I am visually impaired I asked my friend Steve to take me to Springfield. He was more than happy to and thus we had a great day learning about the tower
When I was a boy I was in the Mendota interlocking tower so I was not entirely new to a manual interlocking tower. I was also fortunate as a young lad to throw one of them levers to a switch that lined the ICRR main line to a siding. Always cool seeing the rods move.
If ya want to see a model of the ole Mendota Interlocking tower I built one on the Mendota HO scale layout at the Union Depot Railroad museum in Mendota.
Come by on Father's day weekend every year and expeirince our Railroad Crossing and Heritage Days. In 2023 I'll be unvieling my mural for inside the SP Golden Trencher car. From the Golden State Route from Chicago to LA.
This year (2023) I'll also be playing my guitar for folks in the Milwaukee Road Combine car.
Enjoy the Ridgely Tower clips I have assembled here.
