Nostalgia & History > More About the CB&Q's Oakland Tower

The photo is CB&Q E8A 9941A at Oakland Tower on June 4, 1964. I didn't mark the slide but this looks like the westbound North Coast Limited.

Here are some details about Oakland Tower.

The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific and the Chicago Burlington and Quincy each had a single track between Division Street Tower and St. Croix Tower in St. Paul, MN. The railroads are now the Canadian Pacific and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. The tracks were/are along the east side of the Mississippi River. Division Street Tower was at the east end of St. Paul Union Station and St. Croix tower was where the railroads diverged for the CB&Q to remain on the east side of the River and the Milwaukee Road crossing over to the west side. Both lines then followed the River south (railroad east) for many miles. They met again in La Crosse, WI.

Between Division Street Tower and Oakland Tower were two yards. The CB&Q's was called Dayton Bluff after the adjacent bluff and was east of the joint double track mainline. The Milwaukee's was Pigs Eye after the adjacent lake. It was on the west (River) side of the main line. The south exit of Pigs Eye Yard was at Oakland Tower.

Oakland Tower could crossover trains between either track in either direction and let trains in and out of Pigs Eye. The tower is long gone but the interlocking plant is still there (remotely controlled) last time I went by.

The CB&Q employees at Oakland Tower were Operator/Levermen meaning they could write Train Orders and Clearances and pull levers. I substituted there in June 1964 for vacationing Operator/Levermen.



 

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Where did Newport Tower fit into that scheme of things? === === = === ?

Kt sat about mid-way between SPUD and St. Croix Tower.  The Joint Dispatcher was there and so was the connection to the Rock Island Yard across the River.
 

highgreengraphics Wrote:
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> Where did Newport Tower fit into that scheme of
> things? === === = === ?

IIRC the Milwaukees Newport tower was moved offsite for preservation, but don't know it it's been maintained.

The Q just removed the bailing wire holding Oakland tower together and it took itself down.  Well, maybe not really, but it was close.

The mechanical towers along this line were:
     Division Street.- CBQ tower.  Protected joint lines entrances to St. Paul Union Depot and connections to Mile Post 0 of GN and Mile Post 0 of NP., and to Q's North Yard.
     Hoffman Ave - Milw tower.  Protected west entrances to Q's Daytons Bluff Yard, Milwaukees St. Paul Yard (aka Pig's Eye), CGW's Belt Yard, and Barge Terminal.
     Oakland - CBQ tower. Protected east entrances to Daytons Bluff and Pig's Eye.
     Newport - MIlw tower.  Theoreticly protected the crossing of the Q and Milwaukee.  Actually, though the lines crossed, there was no diamond, and it was handled with crossovers between the two lines.  Also, protected the Rock Island's connection to its' line over to South St. Paul.  From here, the Q followed a water level single track line along the Mississippi to St. Croix used primarily by westbounds.  The Milwaukee took an overland route to St, Croix via "Langdon Hill" used primarily for eastbounds  Grades were more favorable for eastbound trains, which is the reason for left hand running on the entire "joint line".
     St. Croix - CBQ tower,  This was a diamond crossing with cutoff tracks offering routing trains in either direction to/from the joint line to either the Q's double track river level line on the Wisconsin side, or the Milwaukees double track water level line on the Minnesota side.  Both lines crossed again (using bridges) at LaCrosse. Wi.

-LD



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/22 16:19 by LarryDoyle.

For a Q fan, this one is oh so nice. Thanks,  Marty. 

MartyBernard Wrote:
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> Kt sat about mid-way between SPUD and St. Croix
> Tower.  The Joint Dispatcher was there and so was
> the connection to the Rock Island Yard across the
> River.
>  

Marty is correct here.  At one time, before the Q and the Milwaukee negotiated the Joint Terminal District operations, the two roads crossed here.  They cossed again at St. Croix tower, also a Milwaukee tower, and then crossed for the final time at Grand Crossing in La Crosse.  I'm not sure of the history involved here and I wonder how the Q got the lower grade River Line between Newport and St. Croix Tower.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA