RRHX
Station: Wasepi, Michigan
Michigan's Internet Railroad History Museum
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The Wasepi, MI depot and interlocking tower in 1905. We believe the depot parallels the PRR (former Grand Rapids & Indiana, SB to the left, NB to the right. Beyond the interlocking tower is the Michigan Central Railroad Airline Branch towards Three Rivers and Niles. Trains traveling towards the camera are traveling EB towards Jackson. There appears to be a coaling tower on the MCRR in the background. The tower has a unique "message" box sticking out from the side, which reads "N69" (top) and "225" (below). The message box appears to have a chimney sticking out from above it, probably to vent an oil lamp for illumination. [M&G Worrall Collection] |
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Another view of the PRR depot in Wasepi, Michigan. The tower is to the right, behind the tree. 1905. [M&G Worrall Collection] Below, Michigan Central 7707 with a work train pauses for a photo at Wasepi, Michigan in 1915. [Charles Milliken photo, Doug Leffler Collection] |
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Note by G. M. Meints on 1/18/2005: In outstate Michigan, I know of only one tower that was manned by employees from more than one railroad: Wasepi tower was manned for a short time after the NYC Air Line was rebuilt in 1958, but only for as long as the tower was staffed after the line's reopening and change to TCS. PRR had the day shift, MC had the other two shifts. I don't know who provided relief for the PRR operator's days off.
Note by G. M. Meints on 1/20/2005: The [Wasepi] tower was in the northwest quadrant and had a relatively small "armstrong" plant. I seem to recall that in the 1950's, it had only semaphores on both roads, no rerails or such. Whenever an Air Line train ran (down to two round-trips a week by the early 1950's) the agent from Centerville drove over to Wasepi and moved trains through the interlocker. Normal position was lined for the Pennsylvania Railroad movements. When the Air Line TCS (Traffic Control System) signaling was finished in the summer of 1958,the tower was closed and the interlocking was integrated into the TCS system. This was unusual since the Pennsy usually insisted that interlockings be either manned or automatic - not remote controlled by another railroad. The depot was long gone by the 1950's but I don't know the date.