CN 89 and the "J-Tower"
After completing an afternoon excursion with a mixed train, the Strasburg Rail Road's trusty Canadian National 2-6-0 #89 passes by the J-Tower at the west end of the line, adjacent to the boarding platform. J-Tower is a relic of the once mighty Pennsylvania Railroad. It was built in 1885 as one of many interlocking towers, this particular one located at Lemoyne Junction, not far from Harrisburg PA. Towers like this one contained large, mechanical levers that controlled both switches and signals, which facilitated operations at the junction. In later years, this tower was simply called "LEMO", presumably short for Lemoyne. The tower was still functioning into the early 1980s, when it was retired. It was moved to the Strasburg Rail Road and reconstructed by the Lancaster Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Today, the old "Armstrong" levers have been reconstructed in the tower and visitors can tour the cab to see how the switches and signals were controlled back in the day. This tower also offers a nice view of train operations.
CN 89 and the "J-Tower"
After completing an afternoon excursion with a mixed train, the Strasburg Rail Road's trusty Canadian National 2-6-0 #89 passes by the J-Tower at the west end of the line, adjacent to the boarding platform. J-Tower is a relic of the once mighty Pennsylvania Railroad. It was built in 1885 as one of many interlocking towers, this particular one located at Lemoyne Junction, not far from Harrisburg PA. Towers like this one contained large, mechanical levers that controlled both switches and signals, which facilitated operations at the junction. In later years, this tower was simply called "LEMO", presumably short for Lemoyne. The tower was still functioning into the early 1980s, when it was retired. It was moved to the Strasburg Rail Road and reconstructed by the Lancaster Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Today, the old "Armstrong" levers have been reconstructed in the tower and visitors can tour the cab to see how the switches and signals were controlled back in the day. This tower also offers a nice view of train operations.