Ayer tower manned again?

Hi all

What's the skinny on Ayer tower being manned again? I heard rumblings about it, and last week saw a man sitting up inside.

JD

NellsChoo wrote:Hi all

What's the skinny on Ayer tower being manned again? I heard rumblings about it, and last week saw a man sitting up inside.

JD

It depends on what you mean by "manned". It wouldn't be by an operator, like the one in Waltham, since the signals and switches are remotely controlled from North Billerica. It's probably a yardmaster, or clerk. Ayer supposedly is replacing Rigby as a classification point. They've used the tower structure for office and storage space since it closed as an actual train control location back in the early '80's.

Hmmm... so there is indeed a human at the Waltham tower? I had heard this, but don't understand why. There are no freight customers around there anymore, and just MBTA track, so why have a man there? Ayer I can see, but why Waltham as well?

I guess I'm just too young to understand the towers' uses...

JD

NellsChoo wrote:Hmmm... so there is indeed a human at the Waltham tower? I had heard this, but don't understand why. There are no freight customers around there anymore, and just MBTA track, so why have a man there? Ayer I can see, but why Waltham as well?

I guess I'm just too young to understand the towers' uses...

JD

Towers are used to control switches and signals in a specific area. Waltham is the last working tower on the former B&M. I'm not sure of the reason, but I believe the operator there controls the Fitchburg Route between Swift Interlocking and CPF-WL. One factor that may be important is the grade crossings at Waltham itself. The crossing signals probably can be controlled from the tower, so if there's a problem, the operator can deal directly with it. It's also where the route goes from double to single track and back again. The Waltham operator controls switches and signals and routes trains and issues From D's under the authority of the MBCR Boston West Dispatcher. He would have a board or computer screen showing the track diagram for his territory and the signals and switches under his control.
When Ayer was operational it controlled the signals and interlockings between Ayer and what was known as Willows East, at North Littleton. Before 1980 the interlocking at Ayer also extended west of the tower to where the current Moore's Crossovers are now.

Waltham Tower controls W. Cambridge to CPF-WL (exclusive) and as correctly stated works under the direction of the Boston West TD. The
tower has two seperate machines that includes a small lever interlocker controlling downtown Waltham Interlocking itself. Everything else is off the other machine.

Waltham Tower and Buzzards Bay Tower are the last towers in operation in Massachusetts now that South Bay Tower is gone. Tower H at Boston Engine Terminal handles non-vital or non-mainline switches/moves.

Having worked Waltham Tower, I can say it was a nice place to be when the freights were still running. Without them, it became pretty bland.

Dave

The operators at the movable bridges on the Salem line still control local switches and signals so those also count as active towers.

Shame SOUTH BAY closed, I heard it was causing all sorts of operational difficulties.

GP40MC1118 wrote:Waltham Tower and Buzzards Bay Tower are the last towers in operation in Massachusetts now that South Bay Tower is gone.

Umm, don't you mean South Bay Trailer?!?!? LOL

That's not true about the northside drawbridges. They are not operators, but Engineering/B&B employees. None of them control any switches or
interlockings. Technically, they control signals over their bridge, but they are NOT to be confused with tower or block operators.

Tower A in Boston once was an operator/towerman location. Once it's mainline functions closed in 1991 and transferred to the Terminal TD, the
operator now just controls the Charles River spans. However, the Terminal TD controls signals over the bridges.

Draw 7 was once a block operators location. It OS'ed trains, gave out
train orders.

Dave

I can confirm that the Ayer tower is manned. Saw a crew (EDRU) stop and go up to the office for paperwork. Also heard AYSE callin the "Ayer Tower" Today. Aug. 2nd. Billy.

Ayer Tower has probably been reopened for clerical employees and others. As far as being "manned" for train movements, the signal functions of the tower have been gone since the mid-80's - originally to what was the Gardner Train Dispatcher (now District #3).

D

Great to see GRS/PAR using Ayer tower again. There is always concern that circumstances quickly change and the wrecking ball arrives. The historic tower on CSX at Sand Patch was closed and quickly demolished before any group could move to preserve it.

The MBTA has floated the plan for a new commuter rail station in the area of Devens, between Ayer and Shirley to replace those stations. This is opposed by Ayer officials. So, it is not inconcievable that there could be an expanded parking facility, instead. Some architect just might figure that Ayer tower is in the way, and you know what that would mean.

Dick

Dick H wrote:Great to see GRS/PAR using Ayer tower again. There is always concern that circumstances quickly change and the wrecking ball arrives. The historic tower on CSX at Sand Patch was closed and quickly demolished before any group could move to preserve it.

The MBTA has floated the plan for a new commuter rail station in the area of Devens, between Ayer and Shirley to replace those stations. This is opposed by Ayer officials. So, it is not inconcievable that there could be an expanded parking facility, instead. Some architect just might figure that Ayer tower is in the way, and you know what that would mean.

Dick

First I've heard about a new station near Devens. Any specific location proposed? I know there's some vacant land along the ROW east of Walker Road in Shirley.

The Town of Ayer has had the "anti railroad" attitude for some time. They fail to realize, that it was the railroad that helped build the town.

J

They seem to be changing that idea, though. Supposedly the parking will be across Main St near the bike path. And Main St has really been fixed up a lot. I remember when I was a kid driving through town with my mom the place was really run down...

JD

NellsChoo wrote:They seem to be changing that idea, though. Supposedly the parking will be across Main St near the bike path. And Main St has really been fixed up a lot. I remember when I was a kid driving through town with my mom the place was really run down...

JD

Ah yes, site of the Park Street diner. Anyone remember that? Remember spending a snowy day there railfanning back who knows when. Ayer isn't what it used to be when Fort Devens was there though.