"Centralized Traffic Control with reverse signaling, allowing trains to move in either direction on either track, was installed on the main line between Cleveland and Buffalo in a pioneering application of CTC in high-density, high-speed territory. Two of the four tracks could now be removed and freight trains could roll on the fast passenger tracks. Improvements in service and reduction of maintenance costs were immediate." ref. 2
To see the difference before and after CTC was installed in 1957 between Cleveland and Buffalo all one has to do is compare Erie Division "Employee Timetable" #76 dated September 24, 1954. You had a four track main line with 12 interlocking signal stations which were opened and manned twentyfour hours around the clock. Here were the crossover tracks and levers in the tower to align the switches. These towers included: Bay View (BV), Angola (NA), Dunkirk (X), Westfield (WX), Wesleyville (WV), P&E Crossing (XC), Dock Junction (DJ), Ashtabula (OD), Madison (OX)i Painesville (AF), Willoughby (SW), and (BR) north of Collinwood, Ohio.
On January 16, 1957, Alfred Perlman was the first to push the button at the Erie, Pa control center activating the world's longest stretch of electronically - controlled railroad at a cost of $6,238,460 which enabled one operator each shift to control the trains between Erie and Cleveland while another operator each shift controlled train movement between Erie and Buffalo, "Synchroscan" transmits train - control and train location indications. Controls are transmitted from the remote-control center in Erie in l to 2 seconds ... frequently-spaced, power operated track crossovers (remote interlockings) divert trains from one track to another on the two track speedway making use of sections of track that would otherwise be idle. By operating selector buttons and knobs at the control panel ... he can run fast express trains around slower freight trains or give prority to famous "named" trains that were in a hurry. ref. 2
THE NEW YORK CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY
LAKE DIVISION ETT#16 October 25th, 1964 |
|---|
TIME |
TRAIN |
NAME/DESCRIPTION |
DIRECTION |
| 12:21AM | #16 |
OHIO STATE LIMITED |
EAST |
| 12:45AM | NY-6 |
Freight |
EAST |
| 1:30AM | CD-6 |
Freight |
EAST |
| 1:37AM | #26 |
TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED |
EAST |
| 1:45AM | NY-2 |
Freight |
EAST |
| 1:45AM | #25 |
TWENTIETH CENTURY LIMITED |
WEST |
| 1:53AM | #27 |
NEW ENGLAND STATES |
WEST |
| 1:54AM | #28 |
NEW ENGLAND STATES |
EAST |
| 2:20AM | LS-5 |
Freight |
WEST |
| 5:08AM | #57 |
CLEVELAND LIMITED |
WEST |
| 6:20AM | BF-3 |
Freight |
WEST |
| 6:29AM | #4 |
MAIL AND EXPRESS |
EAST |
| 6:42AM | NC-1 |
Freight |
WEST |
| 8:11AM | #59 |
THE CHICAGOAN |
WEST |
| 8:50AM | BC-3 |
Freight |
WEST |
| 9:00AM | BP-1 |
Freight |
WEST |
| 9:33AM | #35 |
THE IROQUOIS |
WEST |
| 10:00AM | ML-12 |
TRI-LEVEL AUTOMOBILE TRAIN |
EAST |
| 10:34AM | #90 |
THE CHICAGIOAN |
EAST |
| 10:45AM | CB-2 |
Freight |
EAST |
| 11:15AM | SVL-5 |
FLEXI-VAN TRAIN |
WEST |
| 11:32AM | BF-1 |
Freight |
WEST |
| 11:34AM | #3 |
MAIL AND EXPRESS |
WEST |
| 11:40AM | SV-1 |
FLEXI-VAN TRAIN |
WEST |
| 11:40AM | SV-6 |
FLEXI-VAN TRAIN |
EAST |
| 12:30PM | SV-2 |
FLEXI-VAN TRAIN |
EAST |
| 1:30PM | NY-4 |
Freight |
EAST |
| 1:45PM | GP-1 |
Freight |
WEST |
| 2:05PM | LS-1 |
Freight |
WEST |
| 2:44PM | #222 |
BUFFALO |
WEST |
| 3:18PM | #23 |
MAIL AND EXPRESS |
WEST |
| 5:19PM | #14 |
MAIL AND EXPRESS |
EAST |
| 5:38PM | #51 |
EMPIRE STATE EXPRESS |
WEST |
| 8:00PM | PS-10 |
Freight |
EAST |
| 9:32PM | #6 |
FIFTH AVENUE CLEVELAND LIMITED |
EAST |
| 11:30PM | #15 |
OHIO STATE LIMITED |
WEST |
| 11:30PM | CB-4 |
Freight |
EAST |
Crossovers were located an average of every seven miles and lever-men cannot throw a wrong switch. An engineer can't fail to obey a signal. If he.does, the train automatically stops, and the train can not go until the engineer complies with the signal. Even under blizzard conditions the dispatchers can by push-button start snow melters operating at switches miles away. ref. 3
Freight trains can now operate at 60 miles an hour and crack passenger trains at 80 miles an hour over this 163 mile stretch of mainline double track. The two outer tracks of the former four-track main with speeds of 50 miles an hour and 30 miles an hour would be dismantled. ref. 3
Mr. Perlman disclosed that by 1963, the Centrals entire mainline between New York City and Chicago will be electronically controlled. The system is now being extended from Buffalo to Syracuse (1957). ref. 3
In 1957, the former New York Central "Erie Divsion" between Buffalo, New York and Cleveland, Ohio was renamed the "Lake Division." "Employee Timetable" #3 dated April 27, 1958 lists only six signal stations (towers) open day and night. These included: Bay View (BV), Wesleyville (WV), P&E Crossing (XC), Erie (MS), Ashtabula (OD), and (BR) north of Collinwood, Ohio. There were in addition to these towers mentioned, others which were open during the weekday, but closed on Saturday and Sunday. These included: Angola (NA),, Silver Creek (SI), Dunkirk (DO), Westfield (WB), North East (N), Fairview (FW), Lake City (SX), Conneaut (SK), Ashtabula (SD), Geneva (SB), Madison (OX), Perry (KI), Painesville (OQ), Mentor (OR), Willoughv (WY), and Wickcliff (F). There were also 40 remote interlockings along the Lake Division.
By 1962, Lake Division "Employee Timetable" #12 issued October 28, now lists remote interlockings as control points (CP). Of the six signal stations open 24 hours a day in 1958, only two remain; P&E Crossing (XC), and Ashtabula (OD). Of the other 16 signal stations opened part time in 1958, there were now only five of which four are open seven days a week between 8:00 AM and 11:59 PM. Dunkirk (DO), Westfield (WB), Ashtabula (SD), and Painesville (OX). Erie (MS), was open Monday-Friday 11 P.M. to 4 P.M. and weekends from 11 P.M. to 7 A.M.
Automatic electronic classification yards were built at key marshalling points. Young Yard at Elkhart, Big Four Yard at Indianapolis, Collinwood Yard at Cleveland, Gateway Yard at Youngstown, Frontier Yard at Buffalo, and Selkirk Yard at Albany. ref. 2
Gardenville Yard, built at a cost of several million dollars and opened in 1953 was now obsolete with the opening of the $10,600,000 Frontier Yard in 1957. One by one, Bay View (BV) signal stations' reason for being, was deminished. First it was Centralized Traffic Control and elimination of crossover switch tracks in front of the tower, next came the opening of the electronically controlled Frontier Yard and the closing of Gardenville Yard with Bay View being the southern anchor of the Terminal Railway of Buffalo with the New York Central and its predecessors dating back to 1898. Lasty, the creation of Penn Central, the result of the merger between the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad on February 1, 1968, the subsequent bankruptcy in 1970, the creation of Conrail on April 1, 1976, and the start up of Amtrak on May 1, 1971 all were part of the history of Bay View (BV) tower.
It's uncertain when the last tower operator worked at Bay View. Probably during the late 1960's? Surprisingly, this venerable structure long closed and boarded up would stand in silence still vigilant toward the safe passage of Penn Central, Conrail and Amtrak trains day and night for over twenty years. One reason for Bay Views importance is that under both the Penn Central and Conrail, the former New York Central "Erie Division," later, "Lake Division," now known as the "Cleveland Division," where lines east and lines west met, its strategic importance was the demarkation point between the Northeastern Region (Buffalo Division) and the Western Region (Cleveland Division). Its also known that up until at least 1986 and possibly later, there was a 19 foot height detector located at Bay View "BV." for a number of years, both Penn Central and Conrail listed the time of passage for first class trains "Lake Shore Limited" at "Bay View." |
CONSOLIDATED RAILROAD CORPORATION
WESTERN REGION - CLEVELAND DIVISION December 22nd, 1995 |
|---|
TRAIN SYMBOL |
DIRECTION |
ROUTE |
REMARKS |
| BRSE |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-SELKIRK (ALBANY) |
|
| BUCO |
WEST |
BUFFALO-COLUMBUS |
|
| BUEL |
WEST |
BUFFALO-ELKHART |
|
| BUIN |
WEST |
BUFFALO-INDIANAPOLIS |
|
| BUPI |
WEST |
BUFFALO-PITTSBURGH (CONWAY) |
|
| COSE |
EAST |
COLUMBUS-BUFFALO-SELKIRK (ALBANY) |
|
| ELBU |
EAST |
ELKHART-BUFFALO |
|
| ELSE |
EAST |
ELKHART-BUFFALO-SELKIRK (ALBANY) |
|
| INBU |
EAST |
INDIANAPOLIS-BUFFALO |
|
| INSE |
EAST |
INDIANAPOLIS-BUFFALO-SELKIRK (ALBANY) |
|
| ML401 |
WEST |
DOREMUS AVE (NEWARK)-BUFFALO-TOLEDO |
|
| ML403 |
WEST |
METUCHEN-BUFFALO-COLUMBUS |
|
| ML421 |
WEST |
NIAGARA FALLS-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
|
| ML433 |
WEST |
FRAMINGHAM-BUFFALO-STERLING (MICHIGAN) |
|
| ML435 |
WEST |
SELKIRK-BUFFALO-STERLING (MICHIGAN) |
|
| ML440 |
EAST |
STERLING (MICHIGAN)-BUFFALO-DOREMUS AVENUE (NEWARK) |
|
| ML452 |
EAST |
COLUMBUS-BUFFALO-SELKIRK (ALBANY) |
|
| ML480 |
EAST |
CLEVELAND-BUFFALO-DOREMUS AVENUE (NEWARK) |
|
| ML482 |
EAST |
CLEVELAND-BUFFALO-FRAMINGHAM |
|
| ML486 |
EAST |
CLEVELAND-BUFFALO-DOREMUS AVE (NEWARK) |
|
| ML488 |
EAST |
CLEVELAND-BUFFALO-SELKIRK (ALBANY) |
|
| NPSE |
EAST |
NORTH PLATTE (UP)-BUFFALO-SELKIRK (ALBANY) |
|
| PIBU |
EAST |
PITTSBURGH (CONWAY)-BUFFALO |
|
| RR231 |
WEST |
ROCHESTER-BUFFALO-CRESTLINE |
|
| RR232 |
EAST |
CRESTLINE-BUFFALO-ROCHESTER |
|
| SEEL |
WEST |
SELKIRK (ALBANY)-BUFFALO-ELKHART |
|
| SEIN |
WEST |
SELKIRK (ALBANY)-BUFFALO-INDIANAPOLIS |
|
| SESL |
WEST |
SELKIRK (ALBANY)-BUFFALO-ST. LOUIS |
|
| SLSE |
EAST |
EAST ST. LOUIS-BUFFALO-SELKIRK (ALBANY) |
|
| TOMT |
EAST |
TOLEDO-BUFFALO-METUCHEN |
|
| TTEL |
WEST |
CROTON (NEW YORK)-BUFFALO-ELKHART |
|
| TVLA |
WEST |
NORTH BERGAN-BUFFALO-LOS ANGELES |
CR-BNSF |
| TV5 |
WEST |
BOSTON-BUFFALO-EAST ST. LOUIS |
|
| TV6 |
EAST |
EAST ST. LOUIS-BUFFALO-BOSTON |
|
| TV7 |
WEST |
BOSTON-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
|
| TV9 |
WEST |
WORCHESTER-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
|
| TV10 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-NORTH BERGEN |
|
| TV13 |
WEST |
BOSTON-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
|
| TV14 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-BOSTON |
|
| TV24 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-BOSTON |
|
| TV77 |
WEST |
KEARNEY-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
|
| TV78 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-KEARNEY |
|
| TV79 |
WEST |
NORTH BERGEN-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
|
| TV80 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-NORTH BERGEN |
|
| TV99 |
WEST |
BOSTON-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
|
| TV100 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-BOSTON |
|
| TV200 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-KEARNEY |
APL |
| TV201 |
WEST |
KEARNEY-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
APL |
| TV202 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-KEARNEY |
APL |
| TV203 |
WEST |
KEARNEY-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
APL |
| TV204 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-KEARNEY |
|
| TV261 |
WEST |
KEARNEY-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
BNSF |
| TV263 |
WEST |
KEARNEY-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
BNSF |
| TV500 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-KEARNEY |
|
| TV550 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-KEARNEY |
|
| TV551 |
WEST |
SYRACUSE-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
CP/NYS&W |
| TV553 |
WEST |
SYRACUSE-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
CP/NYS&W |
| TV555 |
WEST |
SYRACUSE-BUFFALO-CHICAGO |
CP/NYS&W |
| TV556 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-CROXTON |
|
| TV590 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-CROXTON |
|
| #48 |
EAST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-NEW YORK-BOSTON |
AMTRAK |
| #49 |
WEST |
CHICAGO-BUFFALO-NEW YORK-BOSTON |
AMTRAK |
 |
 |
Today in 1999, Bay View tower is but a memory as Conrail had it torn down on May 17, 1995 by Allwash of Syracuse. As you come to the grade crossing, its as if there was never anything on that site. All you see are three mainline CSX tracks. |
 |
The railroad signal stations of yesterday located along the once mighty New York Central Railroad between New York City and Chicago are all now a faded temory of a bygone era when it was the human element which kept the nations freight and great steel fleet of passenger trains on the move. On the Cleveand division of Penn Central and Conrail their modern day counterparts were designated Ore Dock "OD," Quaker "QD," Draw Bridge "DB," and Berea "BE." "HBD" or Hot Box Dectors as well as "DED" Dragging Equipment Detectors keep on the lookout for potential problems. The "HCD" High Car Detector once loated at Bay View has been moved up the line to CP5 in Lackawanna, New York.
Bay View signal station was a part of the changing chronology of the railroad from 1923-1995 and was there for every momentous event from the steam locomotive through the diesel era, re-equipped and inaugural passenger trains, special events, World War II, the changing freight train scene and computer technology. Its image has been preserved on countless photographs, slides, and videos. As sit at my desk finishing up this article, I hear those familiar words over my scanner, "Conrail...Bay View... New York...track one...no defects...total axle count...two, seven, six...train speed...four, seven...over." as another Conrail symbol westbound freight train is "Coming by the Bay!" |
"Coming By The Bay" is dedicated to John G. Frazer 1946 - 1996 for the
special memories and good times shared at Bay View Tower watching trains!
FOOTNOTES
1. "Alfred E. Perlman 1902-1983" Trains Magazine, July, 1983, pg 5
2. Encyclopdia on American Business, History and Biography, Railroads in the Age of Regulation,
"Alfred E. Perlman," by Richard Saunders, Clemson University, s.v. pg 341-348
3. "Central Dedicates 163 Miles of New Push-Button Track,"
Buffalo Courier Express, 16 January 1957, pg 63.
Acknowledged Contributors:
Jim Baker, Town of Hamburg Historian
Bob Rohauer, Conrail Locomotive Engineer
Jerry Toomey, New York Central Signal Tower Operator, retired
This page was last updated: October 30th, 2021 - Original posting, 5/7/2000
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