Back in September I posted a question about photos or drawings of SAL interlocking towers. I struck out. Now I'm looking for photos or drawings of SAL Elevated Crossing Shantys found at busy road crossings. Can anyone help? Even a photo of one in the background would be helpful.

-- Dave George (deg111@msn.com), November 18, 2002

Answers

Dave, that was a SAL elevated crossing shanty in the OB Special book. It was located at the Magnolia Street crossing of the SAL main line through Ocala. It was located west end the Ocala Union Station. There is a local book about the operator, and a picture showing him and his wife at the base of the shanty. The shanty was taken down in the late 1940's after it was struck by a vehicle and was damaged. It belive it was taken out of service some time in the mid 1940's after the crossing gates were automated. It did stand for a fews years after it was out of service. I can check the local book for more information if you want. Allen Wiener,a native of Ocala, Fl

-- Allen L. Wiener (SouRwy@aol.com), November 23, 2002.

Dave Check out page 71 of the 2nd edition of the OBS book. It shows diesels on tour in Ocala with a elevated crossing shanty. I assume it is a SAL structure.

-- Eric Corse (acleric@mindspring.com), November 20, 2002.

Dave, There were two elevated crossing shantys in Henderson NC. Both were removed sometime in the late 40s-early 50s. Can't remember where I picked up the photos but they were taken by a newspaer photographer who worked in Henderson. John Edwards

-- John Edwards (anjedwards@enter.net), November 19, 2002.

Hi Dave,

I was just trying to reply to your post on the ACL-SAL HS site. No, I don't have anything like that, I'm sorry. I'll copy Buddy Hill on this one--he's int he middle of a move but perhaps he can help when he settles in to his new place.

I've never known of any SAL elevated crossing structures north of Florida. In fact, the only one I've ever seen is in a photo in one of the popular SAL books (I think the one by RW Johnson) which shows a tower in the background in a Silver Meteor photo somewhere in central FL. I've never known of, or seen photo evidence of, any such structure in any other place. ACL is a different story--they had them everywhere and there's lots of photos around of them.

SAL didn't have many SAL-operated interlocking towers on it's lines (comparitively speaking to, say, northeastern lines like PRR or any of the mid-western lines). I can only think of about six or so in Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia. Plans? Who knows. Perhaps Denis Blake (I've CC-ed him also) has something--he's got connections. If you do run across plans, please don't hesitate to share them because there are a LOT of guys interested in the same thing!

Good Luck, John Golden Travis AFB, CA

-- John Golden (Golden1014@yahoo.com), November 18, 2002.