Location: West Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, MI - (DT&I/DSR)

Jefferson Avenue Tower controlled the crossing of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railway (near Delray) with the Detroit Street Railway trolley line on West Jefferson. This tower also controlled the DT&I swing bridge to Zug Island.

Photo Info: Three photos of West Jefferson Tower in 1926. The top photo shows the tower, with the Rouge River in the back ground and Zug Island. The second photo, is the interlocking diagram. Note the tower in the southeast quadrant between the street and the river. The drawbridge is shown east of the tower. 3rd photo, inside the tower showing the 16-lever S&F "strong arm" machine. Lever 13 in the plant locks and unlocks the swing bridge. [Ford Collection]. 4th photo, a street view of road workers at the West Jefferson railroad crossing in the 1920's. [WSU]

Notes

This tower was likely built by the DT&I under Ford ownership. It has clean lines and wide windows and very clean inside. There is not much indication that the operator did much except line up trains which approached on various lines.

Note: From Mike Delaney, rail historian. "After analyzing the data from my chart collection it seems this tower controlled a lot. This was the interlocking at the DT&I swing bridge onto Jefferson Avenue from Zug Island. This was a busy tower. It controlled the interlocking and gates with the DSR on West Jefferson and Dearborn Ave. Also, the crossing with the MCRR Exposition spur (north on Dearborn Avenue), the exchange track switch, the Solvay Process entry and exit targets, the swing bridge itself, and more. In 1926. So it deserves its recognition as an important interlocking of its time.

Time Line

1915. April 15. An interurban car collides with a DT&I train at a grade crossing on West Jefferson avenue near Zug Island, killing 15 people. [NYT-1915-0415:1]

1927. When overhauling its 16-lever mechanical interlocking plant at Delray, Mich. recently, the DT&I found the equipment in such a poor condition that it was decided to tear down the tower and completely rebuild it. This mechanical installation protects the DT&I crossing the DUR, the DSR and the MC. An interchange track with the latter road is located also within the interlocking limits. A swinging drawbridge which spans the Rouge river is within the limits of the Delray plant and is thus protected by the interlocking signals. A new building, conforming to DT&I frame building specifications, was constructed and all mechanical fittings were repaired and nickel-plated. The building is painted gray, trimmed with white. All the interior woodwork except the floor, banister and steps is painted white, the balance being varnished. While the removal and reinstallation of the equipment was handled by railroad forces, the overhauling and nickel-plating of the levers and locking bed of the machine was done in the Fordson plant. Where the pipe lead-ins pass under the tracks, a special housing of concrete walls and steel covers was provided. [RSE-1927-12]

1935. Jefferson Avenue Tower communicated on Grade Line No. 5 (1 long, 2 short). Also on this grade line were Delray (3 short); Rouge Drawbridge (4 short); West Detroit (2 short), and YD Tower (1 long, 1 short, also known as Pleasant Street).  [MC Detroit Yard EE Timetable No. 76]