Interlocking tower interior layout? - Model Railroader Magazine

I enjoy modeling towers of all kinds. There's some distinction regarding interlocking or signal or even crossing tower. I like them all.

In some of my older towers I've installed "armstrong" levers.

Leverman by Edmund, on Flickr

I believe it is AMB  and GC Laser that makes a laser-cut lever kit. Some railroads had a color code for the levers so I painted some white, blue, red or yellow depending on weather the lever controlled a lock, points signal or was out of service.

In this brick tower I modeled a later electro-pneumatic machine and I used colored fiber optics to represent pilot lights on the board.

PRR_SG_tower-bay by Edmund, on Flickr

PRR_SG_tower2 by Edmund, on Flickr

IMG_5305_fix by Edmund, on Flickr

I have two bi-color LEDs rigged up to the fiber optic and they change as I throw the Tortoise switch machine and you can see the route colors change.

IMG_5281_fix by Edmund, on Flickr

In my little model RR world there still existed many towers as they were quite common and relatively closely spaced before the advent of "remote" controlled switches and CTC. I've seen instances of areas of busy trackage where a tower was located less than half a mile apart. Even out on the main line towers could be located as close as a few miles. 

With the manual levers there would be considerable rodding and linkage connecting the various levers to the controlled devices.

Thomas Underwood Coll B&O305 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

Thomas Underwood Coll B&O228 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

Thomas Underwood Coll B&O224 by John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library, on Flickr

031025 fan-hancock_1 by lmyers83, on Flickr

This could be both fun and challenging to model.

ChrisVA

Placement: Assuming this would most likely be placed at a crossover track between two tracks, hence the "interlock" term?

The actual "interlock" refers to the system of cams and sliders which prevent certain levers from being manipulated unless a designated sequence of events takes place. This is to insure that a switch can not be thrown in error or after a certain logical route has been setup through "the plant".

State Line locking room by Jon R. Roma, on Flickr

It can be quite intricate!

This is worth a look:

Good Luck, Ed