Fairport: Tower question?

Hi All:

At http://www.perintonhistoricalsociety.or ... -tour.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, they make mention of Stop 6 being a "switch tower".

Anybody know where this stood originally? Never heard of this one before.

Thanks,

Frank

frankgaron2 wrote:Hi All:

At http://www.perintonhistoricalsociety.or ... -tour.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, they make mention of Stop 6 being a "switch tower".

Anybody know where this stood originally? Never heard of this one before.

Thanks,

Frank

That's a new one on me, too! I'd be interested to learn more.

-otto-

Wow! I never knew that building was a railroad tower! I have biked past it hundreds of times..
It still stands in Fairport..moved from its original location..
it is the canoe rental building along the canal just west of Main street, at the end
of Life Bridge Lane west..

found a photo online, on the west side of main street, north side of the canal, looking East:
http://cdn1.vtourist.com/4/2913520-Fair ... irport.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Scot

To get the ball rolling. How about over on the right , just to the left of the Thomas creek name. Just a guess. I didn't see anything else near the tracks like that.

The Perinton Historical Society Preservation Projects webpage does not say if the tower originated in Fairport.

http://www.perintonhistoricalsociety.or ... jects.html

It seems the assumption is the tower went from Fairport to Batavia, then back to Fairport. I am very curious to know where the tower first stood.

RailKevin wrote:The Perinton Historical Society Preservation Projects webpage does not say if the tower originated in Fairport.

http://www.perintonhistoricalsociety.or ... jects.html

It seems the assumption is the tower went from Fairport to Batavia, then back to Fairport. I am very curious to know where the tower first stood.

It says nothing about going from Fairport to Batavia then back to Fairport,
the page is quite clear about the towers history:

In 1956 the tower was brought in from the New York Central Railroad yard south of Batavia and installed in Fairport. In 1964 the building was purchased by Charles Kopp and moved to his marina on the Erie Canal.

It was donated to the Fairport Industrial Development Agency in 1995 and was moved to its present site on the northwest side of the canal on West Lift Bridge Lane in 1996. It was restored by the Matthews brothers and is now a canoe rental office.

from: http://www.perintonhistoricalsociety.or ... jects.html

It originated in Batavia, then the NYC moved it to Fairport in 1956, NYC stopped using it, in Fairport, in 1964.
then it became privately owned for non-railroad use, as it remains today.

Scot

However they are probably wrong about: "In 1956 the tower was brought in from the New York Central Railroad yard south of Batavia and installed in Fairport."
the incorrect part being the yard south of Batavia.
The mid 1950's is when the NYC moved the mainline from the middle of downtown Batavia, to the current "bypass" around the south side of Batavia.
It is almost certain that the tower stood somewhere in Batavia on the "old mainline" and was rendered surplus and unneeded on the new bypass,
so that is why it was moved to Fairport, where the NYC had some other (currently unknown) need for it there..

I have a "then and now" Batavia map here:
http://gold.mylargescale.com/Scottychao ... tavia.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would guess the tower most likely stood in the vicinity of where the Erie crossed the multiple-track NYC main,
which today is just east of the current Falls Road roundhouse, (which is located on the old main)..

That was a busy intersection! Not only did the Erie cross over the NYC main, but the NYC peanut line crossed over the NYC main as well..
a tower would make perfect sense in that area..

looking at modern maps: http://binged.it/1e2r2QE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Erie crossed the NYC right at the corner of Thorpe street and Dawson place,
the tower probably stood right about there..

Scot