Miller Tower, Martinsburg Traditional Cache

CSXT's (x-B&O) Miller (R) Interlocking Tower at Cherry Run, West Virginia, has closed. Its door was locked shortly after 11PM on Sunday, September 24. Twenty-five people were in attendance at a closing ceremony which included the singing of the hymn "Bless this House" (modified to fit the occasion), a benediction by a clergyman, a reading of the final entry on the tower's train sheet, a recessional for operators from the past who were there in spirit, a final sounding of the tower's horn, and musical accompaniment by a guitarist and a drummer.

Principal participants in the ceremony included Allen Brougham (operator), Paul Swain (operator), Marvin Duvall (retired operator), Michael Koch (pastor), Tom Kraemer (CSXT locomotive engineer, guitarist), and Mario Hendricks (drummer). Until its switches were removed a week earlier, Miller had a mechanical interlocking, one of only six such interlocking systems in the country by which switches are thrown using levers connected to pipelines.

The tower's closing was part of a 60-mile signal improvement project on CSXT's Cumberland Subdivision extending from Harpers Ferry to Orleans Road, West Virginia, with the installation of "electro-code," making its intervening interlocking towers obsolete. Miller was the first tower to be retired by the project; the others are Martinsburg (NA), West Cumbo (W), and Hancock (HO).

History:
Miller Tower (circa-1910-1912) had been constructed to a standard plan drawn by the B&O's office of architect for a frame tower structure size 15 X 21 feet, with six windows on its front and back, four windows on its west side, and three windows and a door on its east side.
The B&O annual report for the year ending June 30, 1910, includes a cost item for "extension of track, and interlocking" at Cherry Run and Miller. According to an ICC valuation report issued in 1919, the tower was built and in service in 1913. But according to a B&O signal pricing publication, the date is listed as 1912.

The B&O annual report for the year ending June 30, 1912, includes the cost item for "water and fuel stations" at Miller, West Virginia, but not specifically for the interlocking itself. The new tower had a 40-lever Union style #52 electro-mechanical machine, including 36 working levers and four spares. This was replaced in 1952 by a 20-lever interlocking machine. Oil lamps were in use at the facility until 1929, and running water was introduced to the building in 1955.

The building was expanded to the back in 1936 in order to house signal relay equipment on the second floor. There had been a flood that year, with water reaching the bottom of the second floor, and this heralded the need to keep sensitive equipment out of harm's way. Subsequent floods - notably in 1972, 1985 and 1996 - which reached into the first floor area, confirmed the wisdom of that decision.

November 20, 2005, was the day in which Miller Tower got reassembled at its new home just west of the Martinsburg, West Virginia, Roundhouse complex. On that day, a Sunday, the second floor was placed atop the first floor, its switch machine was put back in place, and the roof reattached atop the building.

And now for the Cache search Info …

While searching for this small cache you will be brought to the Gate Location to where Miller Tower was reassembled, Once completed the Tower will be put on display for all to see.

Stealth will need to be at its Highest, due to the cache location the nearby street and Muggles may be watching, Please find and rehide with the Greatest of Stealth.

Parking is available beside the cache at the Entrance to the Gate, but Use Caution as Railroad and Roundhouse Authority workers use this gate to access the Railroad and Round House areas.

Cache container has a Log Sheet/ Stash Note and writing Utensil.

On the outside of the container are Half of the Coordinates to the Miller Tower Bonus Cache (GC2NCZ8). Locating the Miller Tower, Cherry Run Cache (GC2NCAN) will provide you with the other half to complete all three Tower caches