West San Jose Interlocking Tower
The West San Jose tower was an interlocking tower protecting the crossing of the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific railroads near Auzerais and Sunol Streets in San Jose. An interlocking, in railroad terminology is a controlled railroad junction protected by an interlocking machine, a mechanical computer that enforces restrictions on switches and signals to make sure two trains cannot be on the same track.
The tower was known as the West San Jose tower from the Southern Pacific's point of view, and as Tower 17 from the Western Pacific's point of view. The tower was built in 1922 by the Western Pacific Railroad. As the later arrival, the WP was responsible for maintaining both the crossing, building the tower, and staffing the tower. They installed a Saxby and Farmer mechanical interlocking with twenty levers[1]. The levers controlled signals approaching the tracks from the WP and SP side as well as derails to force a train moving incorrectly off the tracks.
Reports describe the tower as unmanned after 1933. Another report says the tower was retired in 1944, and replaced with a manual electrical signaling system[2].
References
- ↑ Interlocking Plants Installed in 1922. January 1923 Railway Signal Engineer. "West San Jose, Calif. Crossing. 20 mechanical levers. Approach and detector locking, electric signals."
- ↑ Jeff S. Asay, Track and Time: An Operational History of the Western Pacific Railroad Through Timetables and Maps. 2006, Feather River Railroad Society.