Nostalgia & History > What happened to that EJE signal in Whiting, IN?

For many years, a lone searchlight signal stood along the CN/EJE tracks just outside Whiting Park. It once governed a track, long removed, that connected the J to the B&O/CSX tracks that run parallel to the J.

I just noticed that the signal is gone and all that is left is a cabinet that was next to it. Anyone know what happened to the signal? I am hoping that it may have gone to a museum, but maybe CN decided to reuse it somewhere else.

Have not been to Whiting in several years (I reside two time zones away) but do recall an eastward distant signal which I think was the approach board to the B&O crossing to Youngstown Sheet and Tube. It was located a little east of Front Street. The other signal I recall was west of 117th Street and was for the Whiting interlocker (known as MS in the NYC and PC days) and governed the J connection to the B&OCT Whiting Branch. This doesn't answer your question but I hope it may help others to answer it when they go through their photos. My last shots there were in the 80's and all was still there.

Seventyfive Wrote:
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> The other signal I recall was west
> of 117th Street and was for the Whiting
> interlocker (known as MS in the NYC and PC days)
> and governed the J connection to the B&OCT Whiting
> Branch. This doesn't answer your question but I
> hope it may help others to answer it when they go
> through their photos. My last shots there were in
> the 80's and all was still there.

You obviously know more than I do about this signal. I know that MS controlled the connection between the B&OCT and the NYC, but did not know it also controlled the J to B&O connection. If I recall correctly, MS was located between the B&O and NYC tracks about a block east of 117th Street. There was also a tower governing the interlocking of the B&OCT and the PRR. I tried checking out the J-B&O connection in the book, Indiana Railroad Lines, but this junction is not mentioned.

The B&OCT track is still in use south of 119th Street, or at least I have occasionally seen some switching in the past few years. The track is gone north of 119th as, sadly are the towers and the PRR track at that point. (NS uses PRR further west.)

Thanks for the information!

You are correct, MS was just a little east or south of 117th Street. MS closed in October 1969 and was then controlled from the PC dispatcher's office at 16th and Lumber Street in Chicago. MS Tower stood until August 1972. The PRR tower at the B&OCT crossing lasted longer but was closed sometime after July 4, 1976 and before April 1977; I don't know when it was knocked down. An old-timer once told me the PRR tower originally stood in Hegewisch at the SC&S-Chicago River Line junction and was later moved to Whiting when control of the junction was moved to Calumet Park Tower. Years ago I saw remnants of a concrete foundation about the right size there.

The B&OCT Whiting Branch hosted a Whiting railroad days display about ten years ago at the end of track near 119th Street. I recall some CSX power and a caboose and possibly power from another road, maybe the CN. Those photos are yet to be found so I will edit this if they turn up.

Check out this fantastic site for area interlocking diagrams: broadway.pennsyrr.com and enjoy the links on the site as well.

Type in a search for: ms tower whiting indiana and you will find more track charts and several photos of MS including the little control board we used there in 1969.

This is a really fascinating area to fan but unfortunately was not covered adequately in the glory years.

I hope your original question about the missing signal gets answered as I would like to know too.