Railroaders' Nostalgia > Tower Tuesday Part 3

After Burbank Junction Tower survived the derailment of the "SMV" in December, 1966, the plant was electrified and all piping formerly connected to the levers was removed.  The levers in the tower controlled the same switches and signals, but there was no more resistance in the movement of the levers.  Finally, the city of Burbank condemned the old wooden tower in 1967 and it was removed from service in 1968.  A new metal shed was erected just east of where the tower once stood.  The metal shed stood directly under the Burbank Blvd. overpass and was slightly closer to the tracks that the old tower.

The "Book" made its way to the new metal shed and continued to provide a running diary of the many events, incidents and allegations that occurred around the area.  SP was smart when it added a set of crossovers at Allen Avenue, about 2 miles east of Burbank Junction.  These crossovers provided the tower operator with ways to sort trains headed to Los Angeles Taylor Yard or to run a Coast Line train around a Valley Line train held at Burbank Junction.  A new CTC type machine was built and installed in the metal shed when the transition from the wooden tower was made.  Now the tower operator didn't even need to stand up to line the routes for the trains.

The metal shed lived through some exciting events, including the 1971 Sylmar earthquake which shook the entire LA Basin with a magnitude over 6.  Then there were always the typical operating events that provided an otherwise dull second shift with some excitement.

Photo 1:  Notation of the Sylmar quake in the "Book"
Photo 2:  An interesting event on an other wise quiet second shift
Photo 3:  The new "tower" under Burbank Blvd

Pete
Oxnard, California

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Putting the shed under the overpass made it a bit better for the operator. In the shade during the summer and out of the rain in the winter.

I read your notes especially had to laugh about the notation concerning whamo Hudman!

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SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
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> I read your notes especially had to laugh about
> the notation concerning whamo Hudman!
>
> Posted from Android

Jim I saw Hudman's name in the train registers Larry Fredeen rescued from one of the Taylor Yard dumpsters.  On one day in late 1981 it showed he was the engineer on the Chats Hauler, Brian Butterfield was engineer on the extra Chats, and "Dangerous Dan" was engineer on the Saugus.

Allen

Poor 'ole Hudman, AKA "Wham-O" sure took a lot of abuse, most of whick he brought on himself.

Brian Black
Castle Rock, CO

Dan, Hudman, Butterfield, have gone to the big roundhouse in the sky.

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