Delray Tower Shutdown / To Be Torn Down

[Delray Railfan]

To All,

While speaking with a maintainer the other day, he mentioned that they are going to tear down Delray Tower in the spring...... He also said that CSX has had it scheduled in the past to be razed. Looks like Greenfield Village / Henry Ford Museum is going to get the Armstrong Levers. Not sure if the tower is going to be saved. Get your pictures while you can......

Pete

[KC]

There goes the neighborhood


Kelly

[A No.1]

I better schedule a trip.

[canpac08]

good bye delay tower. you will be missed

[conrailmike]

Crap, guess I better get down there soon just in case it does happen in the spring.

[M.D.Bentley]

This has been an on and off rumor for years. Word also has Conrail Detroit line dispatchers taking control of the duties. I hope not, but we'll have to wait and see. Then all we'll have are the two bridge operators. One of the worse thing that the RR's did was to remove the human element from the tower. Nothing like having a set of eyes and ears to figure things out. Progress ?

[KenB]

Greenfield Village has no interest (or money) in the interlocking machine. Would be nice if they got the machine out of Delray and the machine out of the NS bridge. Two different types helps tell the story of rr signalaling better. Would have been really great to get the NYC designed and built out of West Detroit. They were very advanced machines.
Think it will be hard to get rid of Delray in the spring since the CSXT has not started work on the five million doller project yet but yes, get you pictures now and show them at The Michigan RR Club.

[TrainWatcher]

I better as well. Only was there once.

[etmccaus]

Funny; I stumbled upon the tower for the first time on accident two nights ago.

Is it still an active interlocking tower? Pardon the newbie question, but what will it be replaced with if it is torn down in the months to come?

[TrainWatcher]

Yes, currently operational. Last one in the Detroit Area IIRC. Manned by CSX personnel.

Hear dispatchers are going to be taking over, but as many people said this is one busiest interlockings. Many trains from NS, CN, CP, and CSX cross here.

[Robertrains]

Yes, currently operational. Last one in the Detroit Area IIRC. Manned by CSX personnel.

Hear dispatchers are going to be taking over, but as many people said this is one busiest interlockings. Many trains from NS, CN, CP, and CSX cross here.

This is very sad but was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm surprised that it survived this long!

This month (Happy New Year by the way!) marks the 20th anniversary since my 1st visit to "Dearborn Yard" and Delray Tower!!!!! Man 1991 being 20 years ago doesn't sound right! The motive power at that time was great! There were lots of CSX predessesor schemes as well as SOO, GTW, NS (lots of High-hood locos), CP Alcos and many trains still using Cabooses. That was a great time to railfan (me being 7 at the time)! This means the rule is to Photograph "everything" seen nowadays! Eventually the "norm" won't the same ever again!!! I plan on using up some film of trains and the tower within a couple weeks! I wonder where the nice tower operaters will go!
(probably some CSX job)

[nssd70m-2]

If you ask me ,its just a rumor. I'm good friends with one of the tower operators and he has heard nothing of the tower being torn down soon.

[Robertrains]

If you ask me ,its just a rumor. I'm good friends with one of the tower operators and he has heard nothing of the tower being torn down.

Well there you go! That's why it's best not to take "Railfan Rumours" as absolute fact! It seems that this was spread around by railfans a few years ago!

I stated: "I hope that it somehow survives but that's doubtful" but I haven't taken this literally and I'm not putting off a visit just in case! Also for my "20" years! Reading this today made me SAD but hopefully you are correct ?! (It won't stay around forever though, it's just a nice place to visit)

[Typhoon]

. Word also has Conrail Detroit line dispatchers taking control of the duties.

Nope it will stay CSX controlled. The person who wanted to give it to the SAC retired on 12/30, his replacement wants to make sure it stays under CSX control.

[sd70accsxt700]

If you ask me ,its just a rumor. I'm good friends with one of the tower operators and he has heard nothing of the tower being torn down.

Funny I am good friends with a couple of the operators and coworkers with most everyone in the tower, and I have heard its days are numbered.

[saxman]

My talks with CSA Disp. are that Derlray will be closed. Along with the closer of Delray will come many other improvements. One being that the switching lead from Livernois will be extended to Delray and connected to the Interlocking at Delary. Other talk/rumors for the Delray to Milwuakee Jct. area include: another crossover at CP YD so CN trains can crossover to Main 2 at YD instead of only at Delray, a wye at West Detroit to CN for Amtrak and signal and track changes at Milwuakee Jct. for CN. Funds are rumored to come from the stimulasmonies.

[Fred]

I heard that the Conrail Dispr will get control of Delray when it is electrified because the CSXT & NS wanted a "neutral" party in control. Heard about the new switch to go in at West Detroit off the #1 main Michigan Line onto the CN line thus Amtrak & commuter trains would not have to go down as far as Scotten & around thru the old/new wye to CP Vinewood, hadn't heard about any new switch going in at CP YD. Years ago there were 3 sets of mainline crossovers at the Conrail Bridge that if still there today would certainly improve the flow of traffic.

[KenB]

Trainwatcher: Delray is an maned interlocking tower howerver it is not the last one in the Detroit area. NS bridge is still an operaors job controlling an interlocking plant as is the Conrail-SAA Bridge and the Delray Connecting Short Cut Bridge. Only outstate one is "BO" tower in Kalamazoo.

[TrainWatcher]

Trainwatcher: Delray is an maned interlocking tower howerver it is not the last one in the Detroit area. NS bridge is still an operaors job controlling an interlocking plant as is the Conrail-SAA Bridge and the Delray Connecting Short Cut Bridge. Only outstate one is "BO" tower in Kalamazoo.

Thanks for the clarification Ken!

[Delray Railfan]

There are always rumors...... I had a 10 minute talk with the maintainer about the tower and the items he was moving out of it at the time. So, if it is a rumor, then the railroad management should not let it out to their workers....

My father was an operator there in the 50's through the middle 60's. I can remember switching on the lights and gates with knife type switches back then. The levers are still there, as of 1995 when I was in the tower, and they control the turnout switches with electric relays connected to the lever in the tower.

Pete