Church Street Tower was located on the Michigan Central Main Line at Church Street, which was one city block west of the MC Kalamazoo passenger station.
This was a street crossing protection tower and not an interlocking tower. It was located in the northwest quadrant of the crossing.
In 1935, the MC eliminated 20 other signal towers or flagman in Kalamazoo between Seminary Avenue on the East (near Botsford Yard) and Lovell Street on the west (near WMU) using track circuit automation. The crossings were also remotely controlled from the Church Street Tower. The Church Street signal operator could activate street crossing signals (for trains entering the main line from industrial sidings) or could turn off active signals in case of faulty activation or a train which was partially in the circuit but not blocking street traffic.
The entire operation was explained in an article in Railway Signaling Engineer magazine in June, 1936.
This tower was likely in operation prior to the automation as a single crossing protection tower.
The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:
