Monday, March 28, 2016

Franklin Park's Railfan Park (Tower B-12 restored)

20160328 1911 Looking northwest from the parking lot
While researching the B-12/Franklin Park Junction, I learned that the tower had been moved 4.5 blocks west to be a museum. So, even though rain was predicted, the clouds were bright so I went to check it out on (Easter) Sunday at 3pm. (The expressways were jammed. Was everybody going to grandma's for dinner? Fortunately, the side roads were good.) The tower, of course, was closed. I could not find any hours posted.

RR-Picture-Archives has pictures of this park rather than pre-1997 pictures at the junction.
Looking North

Looking Southwest
Looking east from the far west corner of the park

Turning 180 degrees for the view looking west down the tracks. I could see the headlight of a train in Bensenville yard, but it never moved while I was in the area. (3:34-4:21)
The east end had a gate open so that I could step out onto the Calwagner Street crossing. This view is looking West.
Looking East
My lens was wide enough to catch all eight of the levers left in the house. The rest of the interior was some chairs and pictures. And maybe they let you open the windows on the side to take pictures of the trains.
Even on a cloudy day, I had trouble avoiding a my shadow
showing in the picture. At least the text itself has no lines.
It takes effort to move a tower.
I assume this was originally red instead of pink.


I took a closeup of this sign thinking I would post it to Fallen Flags. But when I got home I realized it was rather faded. I should have taken a picture of the sign on the caboose because it looks like it has been restored.

Dennis DeBruler posted five photos with the comment:
I searched the group and I could not find this one. It is on display next to the preserved B-12 interlocking tower in Franklin Park, IL.
License: Creative Commons Attribution: Dennis DeBruler (CC BY)
41°56'12.9"N 87°52'08.9"W
41.936915, -87.869142
1

2

3

4

5

Three photos from an eBay listing with a minimum bid of $500. Comments on the source post identified it as the model board that was in B-12.
1

2

3

Michael Melone posted
3/26/2023 in Franklin park. Interesting to come across and watch crews pull them off the ground.
Melissa Brand: I have video of it happening. So glad it wasn't going faster!
My Instagram @lissahhb it's split in 3 videos there and excuse my language. I have the whole thing going from start with 7 engines but I cut those off for posting. It started with the 11th car which was empty and then the hopper following it. A few cars over was a tanker so I'm really really glad they finally stopped.
[Some comments explain why this timetable westbound train, #247, was going east on this track.]
Edward Moran: Tower B6 is also known as tower A5.

Something forced the lumber car to tip over. It is not at all clear why it tipped. But as it went back to vertical, it jerked the truck of the hopper car off the tracks.
1:36 video

A June 2007 Flickr photo of a former SOO engine pulling an eastbound CP freight past the tower.

No comments:

Post a Comment