PLEASE BE CAREFUL MOVING AROUND THIS AREA! The old switching mechanism is exposed and several inches high. Be careful crossing over it. You can safely go around the mechanism at the east end, close to where the walking path ends.
The Pennsylavnia Railroad's "BF" tower was at the junction of the main lines running between Columbus, OH, and either St. Louis, MO, or Chicago, IL. BF was the tower's ID in communications.
The set of switches and signals at this junction was a fairly complicated arrangement. The "straight thru" was referred to the "Logan" or "Logansport" side, because the next major yard to the west was Logansport, IN, and the line went on to Chicago. The "left hand" side was referred to as the "Richmond" or "Greenville" side, because they were the next larger towns on that line. The next major yard was at Indianapolis and the line went on to St. Louis.
Each "main" line (In the picture below looking west, the pair of tracks in the center and the pair curving off to the left) had eastbound and westbound rails and there were lines from other parts of the yards joining the main lines near the junction.The "BF" tower is the 2-story building on the right.
Prior to the construction of the "BF" tower, setting all these switches and signals was accomplished by switch tenders, men who would manually throw the switches according to the schedule for the next train to pass through the junction. Errors could and did happen, causing derailment, injury, and lost time and money.
In 1929, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) built the brick "BF" tower, replacing the "BJ" wooden tower nearby, and installed an interlocking switch mechanism, which allowed the tower operator to control all the switches and signals at the junction via throw-arms, or levers, in the second level of the tower. Interlocking meant that the mechanism would only allow levers to be moved that resulted in a correct alignment of the switches and signals. The lever mechanism was overlayed with a series of bars with notches and tappets, such that when a lever was moved, tappets would drop into notches of the incorrect levers and prevent them from being moved. Only levers that moved switches and signals in agreement with each other could be moved.
In the picture below, you can see the throw-arms, the rows of bars behind them, and a map of the junction switches and signals above. There were lights in the map at each switch and signal showing the status.
Each lever raised or lowered a rod or pipe vertically, which turned a corresponding horizontal pipe that ran out through the foundation, which caused a long rod to move alongside the tracks, which caused a switch to change positions or a signal to change. In the winter, snow would sometimes pack in around the trackside rods and make it very hard to move the levers! In the picture below looking west-southwest, you can see the rods running alongside the tracks in the lower right.At the end of each rod is a lever, which pushes or pulls a rod going out to a switch or signal, changing its position. The picture shows an east-bound train coming from the Greenville side.
Tower operators communicated with other towers and dispatching centers on the lines. They also passed messages to train crews in the locomotive or caboose by standing trackside and handing up the message at the end of a long pole.
To claim a find of this virtual cache, please answer the following questions and send them to me by email or through geocaching.com:
1. How many pipes pass through the foundation of the south side of the tower?
2. Per the historical marker, what is the name of the levers operated by the tower personnel?
3. On the marker, what year was the tower closed?
4. The tower operator communicated with other outlying towers and dispatching centers. What three methods of communications are mentioned on the historical marker?
Please post of picture of your geocaching group when logging your find (not a requirement).
Don't forget to do the "Bradford-A Railroad Town" Adventure Lab that starts at this location.
The "BF" Tower is owned by the Bradford Ohio Railroad Museum and is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Check www.bradfordrrmuseum.org for current operating hours and admission prices. Admission to the museum is not required to visit the tower, but a visit will show you the history of Bradford, the impact of the railroad on the village, and the roles of railroad employees. It also includes a tour of the "BF" tower, truly a treat no rail fan will want to pass up!
Please leave the following text at the bottom of the page, so cache finders understand the Virtual Rewards 3.0 project.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.