Nostalgia & History > GN Westminster Tower, St. Paul, 1964

I took this picture on June 3, 1964. I rescanned the slide today. [An earlier scan was done by a novice who was not very good.] The tower looks abandoned but well kept up. What was the scoop in 1964 -- and today? Ok, I know where Westminster Jct. is, so the tower must have controlled at least some of the wye's switches. I have visited the Jackson Street Roundhouse with two grandsons. They loved it.

When I took the picture in 1964 I was the relief operator/leverman at the CB&Q's Oakland Tower which was a few miles south and somewhat east of Westminster Jct.


Thanks,
Marty Bernard



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/14 20:12 by MartyBernard.

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Westminster Tower would have been active at the time of this shot.
I believe it was taken out of service when the BN CTC'd the Twin
Cities Terminal area. However, the tower still stands and houses
signal equipment. It is one of two towers still standing in
Minnesota. The other is in Albert Lea, MN and the crossing of the
former Rock Island, now UP Spine Line, and the Milwaukee, now CP
after several intervening identities.

I got up in there once and I believe it was an electro-pneumatic tower
with pistol grips. Of course, it would always be there so I didn't take
a picture.

This is still one of the great locations in the Twin Cities, although this
particular spot where Marty is standing is off limits today.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

ntharalson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I got up in there once and I believe it was an
> electro-pneumatic tower
> with pistol grips. Of course, it would always be
> there so I didn't take
> a picture.

Yes, pistol grip. I believe it also had one of those large clockwork-like timers to synchronize transmissions - something like 110 baud.

NP East Side Line tunneled directly under it, I believe.

I didn't think it was still standing.

-John

This tower is gone. Thee is still a sign and CTC turnout for Wesminster. It has been razed to build a road and bridge. The bridge does have a small train watching platform on its north side too.

Thomas G.

ntharalson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Westminster Tower would have been active at the
> time of this shot.
> I believe it was taken out of service when the BN
> CTC'd the Twin
> Cities Terminal area. However, the tower still
> stands and houses
> signal equipment. It is one of two towers still
> standing in
> Minnesota. The other is in Albert Lea, MN and the
> crossing of the
> former Rock Island, now UP Spine Line, and the
> Milwaukee, now CP
> after several intervening identities.
>
> I got up in there once and I believe it was an
> electro-pneumatic tower
> with pistol grips. Of course, it would always be
> there so I didn't take
> a picture.
>
> This is still one of the great locations in the
> Twin Cities, although this
> particular spot where Marty is standing is off
> limits today.
>
> Nick Tharalson,
> Marion, IA

Splitrock323 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This tower is gone. Thee is still a sign and CTC
> turnout for Wesminster. It has been razed to
> build a road and bridge. The bridge does have a
> small train watching platform on its north side
> too.
>
> Thomas G.
>

Well DRAT! Small consolation is the photo platform on the bridge.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA