LwS S2, E4: Tower XC and the Port of Erie
In May of 1951, John Prophet took his wire recorder to Interlocking Tower XC in Erie, PA. XC sat at the junction of the New York Central's 6-track east/west main line, and the north/south P&E Branch of the PRR. This was perhaps the busiest location John ever recorded from as ore and freight trains on the Pennsy ran on a continuous basis as they made their way from two nearby freight yards to the very busy "Anchor Line Docks" that sat right on the shores of Lake Erie. Iron ore and coal were the two primary commodities being moved.
In addition to regular trains, John also caught dozens of steam engines running "light" between the yards and the docks; all passing his vantage point at Tower XC... all taking shipments to the steel producing cities of Pittsburgh and elsewhere. These are some of the most spectacular recordings John made.
Below are several maps of the area surrounding Tower XC. Use these to better understand the movements of the trains John recorded when he was at the tower.
Below is the blueprint for the tracks controlled by Tower XC.
Iron ore and coal were the primary commodities moved in and out or the Port of Erie by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Below are some photographs of the docks when they were known as the P & E Docks, and later, the Anchor Line Docks.
Two panoramic images of the Anchor Line Docks.
The following images were provided by Jerry Skrypzak but were originally obtained from "The Keystone"; the official news-magazine of the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society. The images show the process of unloading iron ore and coal from lake freighters and into waiting hopper cars.
Below is an aerial shot of the PRR roundhouse in OD Yard.
Two views showing PRR cars at the Anchor Line Docks.
Below are Google Earth images of the area in which Tower XC once stood and what the entire area of the docks look like now in Erie, PA.
Tower XC in its prime.
The last days of Tower XC.
Here are the two pages of notes that John wrote for his Tower XC recordings. Please use these to follow along with the sequences since trying to remember everything I point out in my narrative will be very difficult. But then again, John's notes are difficult to follow at times.
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