The tower at Griffith, IN, has been restored and now is part of a rail park, open to visitors 5/14/09 (Jeff Reams)

The interlocking machine levers in the restored tower at Griffith, IN 5/14/09 (Jeff Reams)

The model board at the Griffith, IN, tower shows the crossing of the GTW (today CN/CP) and EJ&E 5/14/09 (Jeff Reams)

Deshler's ex-B&O station, all boarded up, sits silently at the junction of the CSX ex-B&O main line and the Toledo Sub. 5/14/09 (Jeff Reams)

Deshler Tower, at the crossing of CSX's main line and Toledo Sub, now is home to CSX maintenance crews 5/14/09 (Jeff Reams)

Minus its windows, the tower at Leipsic which once guarded the NKP/C&O diamonds still stands beside NS and CSX 5/14/09 (Jeff Reams)

The former W&LE station in Monroeville has been relocated away from the tracks and is in private use 5/09 (Richard Croy)

In its heyday, this was the Lake Shore Electric's Monroeville Station, now it is storage for the power company 5/09 (Richard Croy)

All that's left of the NYC in Monroeville is this short bridge over the Huron River, eventually to be made part of a bike trail 5/09 (Richard Croy)

The former NYC station in Canadaigua, NY, was also used by the PRR 4/18/09 (Sheldon Lustig)

CR caboose 21001 by the ex-PRR/B&O crossing tower at West Mansfield just west of the Erie crossing and joint depot 5/78 (Steve LaConte)

The NYC tower at Fostoria is closed and nature has reclaimed the right of way, yet this tower once housed NYC's first CTC machine 4/2/09 (Richard Croy

The Muncie, IN, ex-C&O Depot has been beautifully restored outside and inside, a civic asset 3/26/09 (Joe Kohnen)

This makes it official. RailAmerica has epainted and marked the formerPRR hump tower in Fort Wayne,. IN 3/26/09 (Joe Kohnen)

The ex-B&O Bremen, IN, Depot has been saved and is waiting on the big day for its move to a new site 3/8/09 (Kevin Tweed)

A T.rex stands guard at the Cincinnati Union Terminal -- not really; ir promotes the science museum inside 3/24/09(Joe Kohnen)

Glendale, a subirb north of Cincinnati, has done a great job of restoring this former B&O depot 3/24/09 (Joe Kohnen)

This old Wabash depot in Liberty Center, OH. appears to be in pretty good shape -- but no rails 3/21/09 (Joe Kohnen)

It's 187 miles to Toledo, as the CSX train rumbles, from Sharon Rd. (off I-75) in Glendale, just north of Cincinnati 3/24/09 (Joe Kohnen)

A restored ex-NKP station stands by the tracks in Malinta, OH 3/21/09 (Joe Kohnen)

Malinta, OH, also has a restored track maintainers shed (with a speeder inside) 3/21/09 (Joe Kohnen)

RD Tower, Cleveland, was a non-interlocked crossing of the WLE and 2 B&O(CT&V, CL&W) lines at Old Dennison Rd., Cleveland c. 1960 (Sheldon Lustig)

Lakeside & Marblehead Railroad Depot in Marblehead, OH 1/30/83 (Steve LaConte)

The Willard B&O pasenger station, c.1960. The little brick building at the far end was the RX operator, machine room, and offices (Tom Boylan)

CSX 4129 passes J Tower, Willard, in 1972 at the old Sectionline Rt. 30 crossing where the bridge is today (Tom Boylan)

The former NYC depot at Fremont, OH, 12/27/08 (Steve LaConte)

NS 6112 (SD40-2) stands alongside the ex-LE&W freight house in Fremont 12/27/08 (Steve LaConte)

View of the interlocking machine, the largest in the U.S., at CT Tower at Cleveland Union Terminal c.1970 (Sheldon Lustig)

Part of the model board at CT Tower controlling Cleveland Union Terminal c.1970 (Sheldon Lustig)

Ex-Erie freight station in Garrettsviille now is used for storage by a building supply company, 8/24/07 (Sheldon Lustig)

This shed at the old B&O roundhouse on West 3rd St., Cleveland, carries NKP, Erie, NYC, B&O, and W&LE logos 12/14/07 (Joe Assion)

Burt Tower once guarded the junction of Big Four and Erie in downtown Galion, OH, 11/18/75. The tower subsequently burned down. (Sheldon Lustig)

Already showing its age, this station served E-L at Galion on 11/8/74; the station has subsequently been demolished. (Sheldon Lustig)

This NKP station served Mentor, OH, in about 1960 (Sheldon Lustig)

PA Tower once guarded the movements at a NYC/B&O crossing in Cleveland c. 1970 (Sheldon Lustig)

This tower once guarded the crossing of the Wabash and NYC in Toledo c. 1970 (Sheldon Lustig)

A passenger consist, probably E-L, moves into Cleveland Union Terminal under the catenary supports as a Shaker Rapid exits headed east. c. 1954 (NYCSH

MLW 740 (H12-44) shortly after it arrived in Bellevue in 1981. It's now repainted and in the Mad River & NKP Museum there. (Steve LaConte)

The former N&W station at Ashville, OH, south of Columbus, has been relocated near the tracks and restored for a civic purpose 11/1/08 (Jeff Reams)

The Scioto Valley Traction depot and power house, the latter now a pizza shop, in downtown Ashville, OH 11/1/08 (Jeff Reams)

The ex-B&O Youngstown Station is well cared-for but it is no longer in use by anyone 10/19/08 (Joe Assion)

You still can faintly see the PRR Keystone logo on the tower of PRR's Youngstown Station, now a fireworks store 10/19/08 (Joe Assion)

This 6-story building in downtown Youngstown used to be the Erie station and offices; it has been recycled to commercial use 10/19/08 (Joe Assion)

The ex-Erie depot in Kent now is the [good] Pufferbelly Restaurant. E-L tracks were on the upper level, B&O/CSX by the river 8/15/08 (Steve LaConte)

W&LE passenger station in Norwalk, 1974 (Steve LaConte)

John St. Tower at the west end of Toronto Union Station. Check out the movie Silver Streak, it was "Chicago" tower there 4/17/82 (Steve LaConte)

The former Erie-Lackawanna depot at Spencerville stands by the now RJCorman tracks 7/13/08 (Jeff Reams)

The E-L depot at Monterey, IN, still stands but is boarded up and sports No Trespassing signs 7/13/08 (Jeff Reams)

Deferrred maintenance is starting to show on the former E-L depot at Rochester, IN 7/13/08 (Jeff Reams)

The rails are gone, but the ex-E-L depot at at Akron, IN, still stands and is in good shape 7/13/08 (Jeff Reams)

NA Tower, Cincinnati, from Amtrak "Three C" test train 9/20/97 (Steve LaConte)

The operator at Stanley Tower , Moline, OH, watches an Amtrak test traiin pass 10/02/95 (Steve LaConte)

Ex-NYC(Big Four) Galion Station has been restored and is being kept up but is no longer in use 4/16/08 (Sheldon Lustig)

The Wapakoneta, OH, station looks good as CSX now is using it as a M-of-W office on he Toledo Sub 6/29/08 (Joe Kohnen)

The former Western Union Telegraph office anchors the northwest corner of the station, with relocated AC Tower in the distance. (Richard Croy, 2008)

AC Tower, fully restored, now stands at the northeast corner of the station grounds. It is open if volunteers are available. (Richard Croy, 2008)

The forecourt of Marion Union Station shows the U-shape layout between the NS (PRR), CSX (NYC/E-L), and CSX (C&O) tracks. (Richard Croy, 2008)

The restored, and working, model board in AC Tower showing the diamonds and other tracks. (Richard Croy, 2008)

AC Tower's original pistol-grip interlocking machine has been completely restored and operates to demonstrate what the tower did. (Richard Croy, 2008)

Marion Power Shovel Co.'s plant adjoins Marion Station, and this big bucket is a memorial to the company and its employees (Richard Croy, 2008)

E-L 2514 and 4 other units lead a train east past Marion Union Station, taken from the steps of AC Tower, Marion, Summer 1975. (Jeff Reams)

The AC&Y station in Copley on 10/18/97 has been preserved for private use (Sheldon Lustig)

At one time, B&O and N&W shared this station at Chillicothe, OH, long closed in this 5/89 photo (Steve LaConte)

CSX 5930 (B40-8) leads an eastbound past the still-standing (How?, Why?) ex-B&O tower in Nova on 10/7/2000 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

The ex-B&O station in Ottawa, OH, is in good condition and now is home to CSX MofW crews 6/29/07 (Joe Kohnen)

This was the B&O passenger station at Ravenna, OH, on 5/22/66 (Sheldon Lustig)

PRR's Brady Tower, Brady Lake, 7/24/66, was 50 feet above the tracks, a real problem for the operator to hand up orders. (Sheldon Lustig)

This handsome NYC/T&OC station in Bucyrus on 7/6/96 has been saved and is being restored today as a civic project (Sheldon Lustig)

NYC/PC Burt Tower, Galion, 11/74 . Also known as "Burnt Tower" since it was destroyed by fire a few years later (Sheldon Lustig)

Long gone. This is how the Crestline Depot looked in May, 1979, when it served both PRR and NYC at their crossing. (Steve LaConte)

Crest Tower, now closed, used to guard the interlocking between the Big 4 and PRR at Crestline. It's now used for MofW office. 5/07 (Heinz Raidel)

A peek inside the ex-PRR roundhouse at Crestline, now being demolished, shows one of the smoke exhaust funnels, 9/06 (Heinz Raidel)

Looking out to the former turntable pit from the remains of the ex-PRR Crestline roundhouse, being demolished 9/06 (Heinz Raidel)

This is all that was left of one of the 2 ex-PRR roundhouses at Crestline, OH. Both are crumbling into ruins. 11/25/06 (Tom Boylan)

Crest Tower, 11/25/06. Left tracks are CSX Big 4 main; single track center is ex-PRR; right tracks are connection PRR to Big 4 (Tom Boylan)

This handsome reproduction station serves both the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic and the National Park Service in Peninsula 6/24/07 (Richard Croy)

A quiet moment at the closed Deshler Tower, now used as a CSX MofW office. Some CPL's still stand at the tower. 6/22/07 (Joe Kohnen)

NYC and NKP once used the East Cleveland passenger station, now closed in 3/19/66 and demolished today (Sheldon Lustig)

This watchman's tower protected the Fawsett St. road crossing in Toledo in 1963. (Marle Unger photo, Dale A. DeVene Jr. collection)

C&O Depot, Fostoria, 8/78, now gone, the freight station beyond still stands (Steve LaConte)

"J" Tower, seen here in 10/82, controlled west end of Willard Yard. The tower was demolished in 1990's when the overpass was built. (Steve LaConte)

Another goner. This was the now gone Erie-Lackawanna Depot in Galion in May, 1979. (Steve LaConte)

Erie-Lackawanna used this brick station to serve Garretsville and Hiram in 7/24/66; its current status is unknown (Sheldon Lustig)

The Garrett, IN, B&O/CSX passenger station as it was in 1989. A crew dorm was on the 2nd floor (Tom Boylan)

Looking west at Garrett, IN, in 1989. The old depot is at the left as a train exits the yard heading for Chicago. (Tom Boylan)

Hamler Tower, 9/5/82, used to guard the B&O/DT&I (now CSX/I&O) crossing (Sheldon Lustig)

For many years in the 1970's-80's, N&W's Huron Yard office was this former gas-powered motorcar. It was demolished in 1982. (Steve LaConte)

PRR's JO Tower in Akron controlled the B&O/PRR/Erie crossing under Mill St.; it was closed in the 1980's and now is demolished (Sheldon Lustsig)

B&O's station in Kent 5/22/66. The station was along the Cuyahoga River below downtown Kent. (Sheldon Lustig)

Long abandoned C&O tower along the CSX line at Kenova, WV, 5/89 (Steve LaConte)

Rarity! Mad River & Lake Erie freight house at Forest, OH, recently restored. MR&LE is Ohio's first railroad (1838) 4/27/07 (Steve LaConte)

The B&O station in Lester looks abandoned in 8/86, but today it's in active use by CSX for the locals to Lorain and Cleveland (Sheldon Lustig)

Lima's former Union Station (PRR, NKP, B&O) last saw service in 1991 when Amtrak pulled the Broadway off the route, 4/27/07 (Steve LaConte)

The W&LE station at Lodi, here in 10/98, has been privately purchased and now is being restored (Sheldon Lustig)

Yes!, this was PRR's Macedonia Station in 9/64. After the real station burned, they moved the sign to this shed and it carried on (Sheldon Lustig)

It sure looks like Erie-Lackawanna's Mantua Station on 7/24/66 had a recent paint job; its current status is unknown (Sheldon Lustig)

McKinley Tower, Canton, guarded the PRR/B&O crossing, 9/75 (Sheldon Lustig)

This is the former Wabash statio n in Montpiller, OH, now is private use 12/29/07 (Joe Kohnen)

Train orders for a Big Four train are up at Morgan Tower in Quincy, OH, where the Big Four (double track) crossed the DT&I 9/13/82 (Dale DeVene Jr.)

B&O Station and HN Tower, Newton Falls, 7/24/66. This tower still is operating in today's CSX system, but its days are numbered. (Sheldon Lustig)

The Vermilion NKP passenger stat ion has been moved from trackside and supposedly is going to be restored by a civic group. (Richard Croy)

The ex-NYC passenger station at Vermilion is used by the adjacent St. Mary Church, but it shows effects of deferred maintenance. (Richard Croy)

Oberlin's 1866 ex-NYX, exx-LS&MS passenger station has been beautifully restored by a civic group and now is a meeting facility. (Richard Croy)

Oberlin's 1866 ex-NYX, exx-LS&MS passenger station has been beautifully restored by a civic group and now is a meeting facility. (Richard Croy)

This was W&LE's Oak Harbor station in 8/88; it's now gone and NS has rebuilt the tracks as its Bellevue-Toledo line (Sheldon Lustig)

The W&LE Osnaburg, OH, station on 9/13/98. Where's Osnaburg? It's East Canton (Sheldon Lustig)

NKP, then N&W, called this their home in Painesville 9/18/66 (Sheldon Lustig)

PE Tower in Painesville guarded the crossing of B&O and NKP 11/20/68 (Sheldon Lustig)

AC&Y Depot in Plymouth, OH, 12/22/88. The B&O crossed at a diamond by this depot. The AC&Y now is the W&LE and the B&O is the Ashland (Steve LaConte)

As part of Ohio's Bicentennial celebration, this historical marker was placed at the Painesville NYC, ex-LS&MS, passenger staton (Sheldon Lustig)

Sad sight. The remains of P&LE's control tower and offices at the former Gateway Yard in Campbell/Struthers near Youngstown (Joe Assion)

PRR's Ravenna station on 8/22/66 (Sheldon Lustig)

RN Tower (now gone) in Ravenna 5/20/66 (Sheldon Lustig)

CSX "J" Tower guarded the west e nd of Willard Yard; it was torn down and the road became a bridge after the Conrail breakup in 1999 (Tom Boylan)

Shelby Tower, now gone, guarded the crossing of CSX and Conrail in 1983. CSX is still there but the CR track now is Ashland Rwy. (Tom Boylan)

This 3-floor tower at Sherwood, OH, controlled the B&O and NYC crossing 10/67 (Sheldon Lustig)

W&LE trains once used this station in Smithfield, OH, between Brewster and Mingo Jct.; now it's a maintenance facility (Mike Rujak)

This was Erie-Lackawanna's Solon Station on 5/28/64. It has been saved and modified for a small business. (Sheldon Lustig)

State Line Tower ("SL") in Hammond, IN, was out of active service and was being used as a maintainers' base 5/10/2000

This was the NYC/LS&MS station in Sturgis, MI, 3/7/98 (Sheldon Lustig)

PC's/NYC's Swan Creek Tower, Toledo, 3/68 (Sheldon Lustig)

This tower in Toledo controlled the TT/AA/PRR/C&O crossings 8/16/92 (Sheldon Lustig)

Sturdy Wandle Tower stood at the crossing of the PRR and WLE in Canton in 9/75 (Sheldon Lustig)

This was the front of the Willard roundhouse shortly before it was demolished in 1994. A yard engine is in Stall 3 for work. (Tom Boylan)

The Willard Roundhouse in the 1980's. It was built in 1909, and replaced with a shed in the '90's. The turntable remains in use. (Tom Boylan)

Doomsday! The Willard roundhouse came to an end 8/7/44 with the first bite of the demolition machine. (Tom Boylan)