Texas Railroad Interlocker TowersTexas Towers
Texas Railroad Interlocker Towers
Authorized: 1898
Located at 36th Street
Authorized: 4/17/1902
Burned down in August, 1950
10/9/1902 — 1926
Consolidated into Tower 112
10/9/1902 — 1996
Preserved in Flatonia as part of Flatonia Rail Park
Authorized: 11/28/1902
Authorized: 12/4/1802
Consolidated into Tower 139 in 1940
1/23/1903 — 1950
Consolidated into Tower 196 in 1950
2/21/1903 — 1965
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 6/12/1903
Associated Abandonments:
6/16/1903 — 1965
Associated Abandonments:
6/24/1903 — 1944
First electric interlocker in Texas; consolidated into Tower 19.
Authorized: 6/27/1903
7/4/1903 — 1915
Authorized: 7/4/1903
Consolidated into Tower 26 in 1966
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 7/15/1903
Authorized: 7/16/1903
Authorized: 7/18/1903
Moved to and preserved in Grapevine, TX
7/23/1903 — 2/10/2004
Last traditional operating tower in Texas; in operation until February 10, 2004. Moved to and preserved at Rosenberg Railroad Museum.
Authorized: 7/25/1903
7/27/1903 — 1993
Moved to and preserved at the Age of Steam Museum, Dallas, TX
Authorized: 7/27/1903
Associated Abandonments:
8/8/1903 — 1967
Authorized: 8/18/1903
Authorized: 9/1/1903
Authorized: 9/1/1903
Authorized: 9/29/1903
Operated alongside Tower 26; abandoned in the late 1920s
Authorized: 9/29/1903
Demolished on November 10, 2001
Authorized: 10/5/1903
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 10/20/1903
10/31/1903 — 1985
Closed and torn down in March 1985
Authorized: 12/31/1903
Also known as "Katy Neck"
Authorized: 10/1/1903
Walk-in tower now stands in the same location as previous manned-tower.
Authorized: 1/28/1904
Adjacent to mysterious "Mariposa Tower", which was not registered as a proper interlocker tower.
2/18/1904 — 1954
Authorized: 3/5/1904
3/31/1904 — 1950
Authorized: 4/22/1904
Authorized: 5/12/1904
Authorized: 5/16/1904
Located at 49th street; also known as the "Z-Track" tower
6/16/1904 — 1928
Associated Abandonments:
6/20/1904 — 1931
Moved a short distance from its original location and modified to serve as a gas station
Authorized: 6/24/1904
Authorized: 7/7/1904
Razed in the 1990s
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 7/7/1904
Associated Abandonments:
7/7/1904 — 1940
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 7/7/1904
Associated Abandonments:
7/7/1904 — 1935
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 7/11/1904
Still standing in its original location up to March 2013
Authorized: 7/13/1904
Authorized: 7/18/1904
Authorized: 7/20/1904
Unusual structure combining interlocking tower and passenger depot
Authorized: 7/20/1904
7/21/1904 — 1959
Authorized: 7/23/1904
Retired in 1957-58
9/1/1904 — 1959
Authorized: 9/26/1904
Still standing in its original location
10/20/1904 — 1967
Unusual structure combining interlocking tower and passenger depot. The depot remains to this day.
Authorized: 11/5/1904
Authorized: 11/1/1904
Authorized: 11/21/1904
Authorized: 7/1/1905
Authorized: 8/26/1905
Authorized: 12/12/1905
Associated Abandonments:
4/26/1904 — 1977
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 9/24/1906
Lower half of tower remains in place
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 11/4/1906
11/8/1906 — 1928
Consolidated into Tower 6 in 1928
Authorized: 12/1/1906
Authorized: 3/3/1907
First "yard tower" to be registered; it controlled Englewood Yard with neighboring tower 87. Removed in August, 2010.
Authorized: 3/30/1907
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 4/25/1907
Authorized: 7/1/1907
Consolidated into Tower 26 in 1930
Authorized: 11/21/1907
Located less than 1,000 feet from Tower 184
Authorized: 2/18/1907
Authorized: 5/15/1908
Two installations existed; the second one was situated alongside a waiting room for Amtrak
Authorized: 7/6/1908
Authorized: 11/1/1908
Authorized: 12/7/1908
Also known as "Carrollton Crossing", a designated Historic Landmark
Authorized: 4/5/1909
5/27/1909 — 1963
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 7/25/1913
Authorized: 5/7/1910
Authorized: 12/28/1910
Authorized: 7/14/1910
Associated Abandonments:
8/10/1910 — 1988
Consolidated into Tower 117 on June 1, 1971
Authorized: 5/3/1911
Authorized: 3/18/1912
Consolidated into Tower 199
Authorized: 4/19/1911
Authorized: 7/10/1911
Associated Abandonments:
1912 — 1918
Mysterious tower that may have never existed; Tower 139 served in its place
1/3/1913 — 1972
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 10/29/1913
Authorized: 11/1/1913
10/2/1913 — 1990
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 11/19/1913
Authorized: 6/29/1914
Authorized: 9/6/1912
Authorized: 10/23/1912
The only interlocking tower still in operation. Unusual arrangement as it controls two railroad lines and a boat channel
Authorized: 10/14/1912
4/29/1914 — 1915
Incosistent records indicate that this tower may have been in operation for only 5 months.
Authorized: 2/7/1914
12/1/1914 — 1953
3/31/1915 — 1963
Authorized: 10/8/1915
11/1/1915 — 1926
Authorized: 4/29/1916
Authorized: 4/26/1914
Tower still standing; used in tandem with Tower 107 to control Dallas Union Terminal; is being sought for use as part of The 6th Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza
Authorized: 10/1/1916
Tower still standing; used in tandem with Tower 106 to control Dallas Union Terminal; two towers led to removal of Tower 57. Now owned by DART.
Authorized: 4/6/1918
10/28/1918 — 1959
Due to oversight, temporary track had to put in place by a crane to cross over existing track in order to serve a customer on the severed line
6/2/1917 — 1927
Railroads:
I-GN
Authorized: 11/13/1919
Authorized: 12/30/1919
4/17/1923 — 1923
10/25/1923 — 1990
7/22/1924 — 1990
Railroads:
HB&T
Authorized: 3/14/1924
Included nearby "Tower 116-A", a separate tower for interlocking IG&N and GH&H railroads
Railroads:
HB&T
Authorized: 3/14/1924
Authorized: 9/4/1926
Partially destroyed by a fire after abandonment
Authorized: 5/18/1926
Authorized: 9/28/1925
Railroads:
GH&SA
4/10/1925 — 2/27/2001
Destroyed by arson's fire, January 16, 2003
1/20/1926 — 1/21/1955
Authorized: 10/13/1925
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 11/2/1926
Authorized: 5/22/1929
Unusual structure combining interlocking tower and passenger depot
Authorized: 6/15/1926
Authorized: 5/22/1928
Authorized: 4/22/1927
Authorized: 3/15/1927
Authorized: 2/20/1926
Associated Abandonments:
1/19/1927 — 1958
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 7/13/1928
2/8/1928 — 1934
Authorized: 3/27/1929
Railroads:
P&SF
Authorized: 12/9/1927
Built prematurely to RCT's knowledge and authorization.
Railroads:
P&SF
Authorized: 5/8/1928
Authorized: 8/14/1928
9/10/1928 — 1994
Authorized: 12/20/1928
Authorized: 2/12/1929
First automatic interlocker in Texas.
Authorized: 5/1/1930
The second automatic interlocker in Texas (after Tower 141).
Railroads:
T&NO
4/5/1923 — 1928
5/29/1928 — 1970
1/3/1929 — 1971
Associated Abandonments:
2/5/1929 — 1968
3/13/1929 — 1972
Authorized: 4/13/1929
12/5/1928 — 1964
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 5/13/1929
4/17/1929 — 1969
7/5/1929 — 1984
Cabin-type interlocker still in place
Authorized: 1/21/1929
Noted as "Junior Yard Office" in RCT files.
Authorized: 7/22/1929
7/19/1929 — 1933
8/2/1929 — 9/26/1932
Possibly the shortest-lived tower, operational for 2 to 3 years
8/27/1929 — 1985
Authorized: 10/1/1929
11/7/1929 — 1980
Cabin-type interlocker still in place
Authorized: 8/13/1930
Authorized: 7/1/1930
Authorized: 7/1/1930
Authorized: 1931
1930 — 1949
Associated Abandonments:
1931 — 1949
Manual interlocker controlled by the operator in the nearby StLB&M depot
Authorized: 1931
The final interlocker documented in the RCT annual report, 1930.
Authorized: 1931
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 1931
Authorized: 2/24/1931
Associated Abandonments:
1931 — 1984
Railroads:
I-GN
Authorized: 7/8/1932
Location of tower proves elusive due to inconsistent RCT documentation
Railroads:
B-RI
Associated Abandonments:
Authorized: 1936
1937 — 1988
Located less than 1,000 feet from Tower 72
Associated Abandonments:
Railroads:
T&NO
9/22/1941 — 3/27/1944
Single ground-throw switch controlled train movements at this interlocking.
Railroads:
P&SF
Authorized: 10/30/1942
Railroads:
P&SF
1946 — 1956
Associated Abandonments:
Railroads:
CRI&P
Authorized: 8/26/1946
Authorized: 1946
Railroads:
I-GN
Railroads:
T&NO
Authorized: 1950
Tower demolished approx. 2016
1951 — 1970
Authorized: 1952
Originally named "BJ Tower"
1952 — 1981
Cabin-type interlocker still standing
Authorized: 1954
1955 — 1988
Constructed but never used
Authorized: 1955
Highest numbered 2-story tower in Texas
Railroads:
T&NO
Authorized: 1958
Later consolidated into Tower 26; tower structure removed as of 2015
Authorized: 11/18/1957
Formerly named "Crossing C".
Authorized: 1958
Authorized: 1961
Consolidated into and remotely controlled by Tower 26
Authorized: 1960
Authorized: 1966
Authorized: 1966