(rshsdepot) Colunus , Ohio's Scioto Tower

["jdent1_@_optonline.net" <jdent1@optonline.net>]

Rail tower closes after nearly century=20
By The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - The last tower for manual traffic control of area railroads=20
sits empty for the first time in nearly a century=2E=20

At 2 p=2Em=2E Friday, a computer in Jacksonville, Fla=2E, took over the wo=
rk=20
done in the Scioto Tower near downtown by people such as train operator
Walter Dorsey=2E The third-generation railway worker has worked for CSX
Railroad for 43 years=2E=20

CSX is consolidating dispatch operations, company spokesman David Hall=20
said=2E=20

The tower's levers allowed the operator to manually move tracks left or
right to send trains in the correct direction=2E The flip of a switch=20
changed signal lights, commanding trains when to stop and go=2E=20

This is not the first change Mr=2E Dorsey has seen in his years at the
railroad=2E Morse code was used when he began=2E=20

Mr=2E Dorsey, of Frazeysburg, said he probably will transfer to CSX's=20
railyard on the city's south side, but he'll miss being an operator=2E=20

CSX and Norfolk-Southern trains use the tracks that the Scioto Tower
controlled=2E=20



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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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