45th Street Tower: Rock Island and NYC Mainline

(SignalBox, Satellite)
NorthAmericanInterlockings:  (these are the photos copied below from William's
                                                      posting) photo photo photo photo photo photo
Chicago and Northern Indiana Railroad Interlocking Towers (click the marker for more information)
This was at the throat of the RI and NYC Root Street Yards.

William Shpotkin posted six pictures of the 45th Street Tower with the comment:

Here are pix of Chicago's 45th St Tower. All were taken by the late Don Davis. The pix of loco #638 leading a W/B trn of "Al Capone" cars passing the tower and the "West Side" frt job are dated May 21, 1968. The remaining pix are dated April 19, 1968.

1
David Daruszka also posted: "Rock Island suburban train passing 45th Street tower. Photo by Don Davis, May 21, 1968." When he made it the cover photo, he explained: "That is the 45th Street tower. Dan Ryan Expressway on the left and Stateway Gardens housing projects on the right. Root Street is back in the distance with the Chicago Junction bridge going over the expressway. "

2
Peter Zimmermann also posted: "Rock Island 45th street tower. This makes me think of a literal old castle type tower, ominous looking."

3

4

5

6

It appears that William copied his photos from others. This looks like Photo 3.

Darren Reynolds posted

Wow!!! That is one ugly tower!! Rock Islands "45th.St."

In Chicago, Illinois on April 19,1968

Photo by: Don Davis

Darren Reynolds posted five photos. This is the only one that is new.

The interlocking machine and Desk (the operator's use the top of the interlocking machine as a desk) on August 19, 1968 at "45th.St." tower

Phot by: Don Davis

1938 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

The tower is not in this aerial. It was evidently built as part of the Dan Ryan construction.

So I looked at Historic Aerials. 1952 looks like 1938. 1962 looks very different because they are constructing Dan Ryan on the left and the high rise housing buildings are on the right. There is a glitch in the joining of photos at 45th Street, but there does appear to be a tower on the west side just north of 45th Street. But I could not find this tower in the 1972 maps.

Update: Tod Riebow also posted many of Don's photos.