Most IND interlocking machines were supplied by GRS and are not electro-pneumatic. Here is the list of active towers on the NYCS courtesy www.nycrail.com.
Master Towers (and their satellites)
as well as Interlocking Towers
The A Division (former IRT)
The towers in the A Division are all considered to be Master Towers
(except for those noted as satellites and those that only control a yard)
240 St Tower - located in the yard
- controls from 242 St south to the switches south of 103 St that govern
the moves into and out of M Track. Also controls both 240 Yard and 137
Yard.
137 St Satellite - located at north end
of northbound platform - can control the area both north and south of 137
St.
239 St Yard - controls only the
yard and yard leads. I am not sure if this will be taken over by Unionport,
but I doubt it.
Unionport Master
Tower - located in Unionport Yard - currently controls the mainline
switches south of 219 St and the mainline switches between 238 St and 241
St (formerly controlled by 239 St Mainline) and the switches in Unionport
Yard (east of the mainline). Eventually it will control from south
of Jackson Ave to White Plains and Dyre Ave.
E.180 Tower
- located between 3 Track and M Track just north of the station - controls
from south of Jackson Ave to south of Bronx Park East, as well as the entire
Dyre Ave line. Also controls the yard at E.180 St (west of the mainline).
Will eventually be replaced by Unionport Tower.
Freeman St Satellite - located at north
end of southbound platform - can control the area just north of Freeman
St.
205 St Tower - located in Mosholu
Yard - controls the Jerome Ave line from Woodlawn to north of 167 St, as
well as Mosholu Yard.
Westchester Master Tower -located
in Westchester Yard - controls the Pelham line from Pelham Bay Park to
just south of 3rd Ave/138 St, as well as Westchester Yard.
Mott Ave Tower
- located on the mezzanine level between the upper (4) and lower (2/5)
levels - controls from north of 149St/Grand Concourse on both levels
to south of 138 St on the Lexington Ave line and south of the station on
the White Plains line.
Lenox Tower - located at south end
of 148 St station - Controls from south of 110 St/ Lenox Ave to Lenox Terminal,
as well as Lenox Yard.
Times Square Mainline - located
on the mezzanine level at the south end of the station - Controls Broadway
from north of 96 St to north of Chambers St. 96
St Satellite - located at north end of station, next to southbound
fare control area - can control the 96 St interlocking.
Grand Central - located between
3 Track and 4 track south of the station - controls from north of 125 St
to south of Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge Loop and Yard, as well as
1 Track and 3 Track of the Shuttle.
125 St Satellite - can control north and
south of 125 St
Brooklyn Bridge Satellite - can control
loop and yard.
Nevins Tower
- located between 2 and 3 Track - Controls from south of Rector St and
south of both Wall Sts to north of Atlantic Ave.
Bowling Green Satellite - can control
the crossover between 1 & 4 Tracks south of Rector St, the diamond
crossover between Wall St and Bowling Green and both the inner and outer
loop at South Ferry.
Utica Tower
- located on mezzanine outside fare control at south end of station
- Controls from south of Eastern Parkway to Flatbush Ave and Utica
Ave. Flatbush Ave usually controls the
interlocking just north of the station.
Livonia Tower - located in Livonia
Yard - Controls from north of Junius St to New Lots Station and Livonia
Yard.
Times Square Queens - located at
north end of Flushing Line platform - Controls from Times Square to north
of Hunters Point Ave.
Queenboro Master - located south
of station - Controls IRT/BMT crossover (plus a lot of B div)
111 St - located south of 111 St
- controls from Main St to south of 33rd St.
Corona Yard - located in the yard
- controls all of Corona Yard and the yard leads.
B Division - (former BMT and IND)
There are a handful of Master Towers in the B Division, but this is
still the home of the single Interlocking Tower.
Master Towers
207 St Master Tower - located in
the yard - Controls from south of 168 St to 207 St Station; 207 Yard
leads north of Dyckman St and 174 St Yard.
168 St Satellite - can control 174 St
Yard and 168 St interlocking.
59 Master
- located north of northbound platform at 59 St - controls from north of
145 St to south of 59 St.
DeKalb Master
Tower - located on mezzanine behind token booth - Controls Lawrence
St interlocking on B'way local line; Gold St interlocking (between DeKalb
and the Manhattan Bridge Portals; DeKalb Ave to north of Pacific
St on Fourth Ave and to south of Prospect Park on the Brighton line, as
well as all of the Franklin Shuttle. Also has control of the wheel detectors
on both sides of the bridge.
Joe Murphy Master Tower
- located in 36 St/38 St Yard - Controls Fourth Av Line from north of 36
St to 95 St; West End line from 36 St to Ninth Ave, including connection
to NYCHRR and 36 St/38 St Yard; Sea Beach interlocking at Sixth Ave.
Stillwell Tower
(Tower B) - located in Coney Island Yard - Controls Stillwell Yard
and Coney Island Yard, but not Culver (City, Avenue X) Yard; Sea Beach
line from Stillwell to north of Kings Highway; Brighton line from Stillwell
to south of Kings Highway; Culver interlocking south of West 8th St (part
of Stillwell Station - allows choice of pocket). When signal upgrade is
complete, will also control West End from Stillwell to 62nd St (possibly
with a satellite at Bay Parkway).
City Hall
Tower - located at north end of station - Controls the Broadway
BMT line from Lexington Ave/59 St to the Nassau St cut in the Montague
tubes, as well as the mainline switches south of Broad St.
57/7 Satellite -located at south end of
southbound platform - can operate interlockings north and south of station.
This satellite is active for the duration of Q termation at 57/7.
Essex Tower-
located at Essex St opposite side of J1 track from platform (next to old
trolley terminal) - Controls Nassau St line from the Brooklyn side of the
Williamsburg Bridge (wrong-rail blind trips and normal direction wheel
detectors) to north of Broad St; the interlocking south of Broad St between
R3 and R4 Tracks (this might be controlled by City Hall - the schematic
is kind of vague); the Sixth Ave line from north of B'way/Lafayette to
south of Delancey St.
East New York Master Tower
- located in east New York Yard - Controls the Jamaica line from
Marcy Ave to Jamaica Center (lower level); the Myrtle Ave line from Myrtle
to Metropolitan Ave; the Canarsie line from south of Broadway Junction
to north of Livonia Ave; East New York yard leads; the Linden Yard lead
south of Livonia Ave and the switch between the lead from the Livonia Ave
el and the Canarsie lead.
Parsons/Archer Satellite normally controls
from north of 121 St to Jamaica Center.
QueensboroMaster
Tower- located south of the station on
the structure - Currently controls the IRT/BMT crossover; the Astoria line
from the 11 St cut to Ditmars Blvd; the 63rd St Connector from south of
Lexington Ave/63 St to 36 St, including all entrances to D5 Track; and
Crosstown line south of Court Square. When completed, this fully computerized
Tower will control all of the above plus - the Crosstown line from south
of Bedford/Nostrand to Queens Plaza; the Queens Blvd line from south of
Ely Ave to north of Roosevelt Ave (possibly farther, I don't remember);
the entire length of the Flushing line. Ina ll actuality, the model board
shows all of this trackage, but since the controls are all computerized,
it's very hard to tell the extent of control.
21 St Satellite - can control the area
from north of 21 St to south of Lexington Ave/63 St
Liberty Junction - located on the
structure between K1 and F4 Tracks - controls from Liberty Junction to
both Lefferts Blvd and Broad Channel.
Lefferts Satellite - located at the north
end of the platform - controls Lefferts Terminal
Howard Beach Satellite - located behind
the station wall of the northbound platform - can control the area north
and south of the station.
Bedford Park Master Tower - to be
located on mezzanine level at south end of station - this contract has
just been let, so the tower itself doesn't exist yet although some preliminary
work has been done at the station. When completed it will control the Concourse
Line from 205 St to south of 161 St, putting six interlocking towers out
of business.
Interlocking Towers
Unless otherwise noted, these towers control only the interlocking closest
to their location.
Canarsie Line
8th Ave/14 St - at south end of platform
in Dispatcher's Office
3rd Ave/14 St - at north end of northbound
platform
Bedford Ave - at south end of platform
Myrtle Ave - at south end of platform
Rockaway Pkway - at north end of platform
- controls from south of 105 St to terminal and yard leads
Crosstown Line
Bedford/Nostrand - north of northbound
platform on opposite side of E2 Track
Nassau Ave - north end of northbound platform
These will be taken over by Queensboro Master when signal upgrade is
complete.
West End Line
62nd St - south end of northbound platform
Bay Parkway
- south end of northbound platform
Tower D (Bay 50th) - located behind northbound
platform wall - controls all switches on either side of Bay 50th St station
and the switch on the leads closest to the tower
These three towers wil be taken over by Stillwell Master when signal
upgrade is complete.
Culver Line
Tower C - located in CI Yard between southbound
mainline and yard lead - controls Ave X, yard leads and Culver Yard.
Kings Highway - located at south end of
southbound platform
Church Ave - located at south end of southbound
platform - controls from south of Church to south of Ditmas and Church
Ave Yard
4th Ave -
at north end of northbound platform
Bergen Street
- at north end of upper level northbound platform
Jay St -
at north end of northbound platform
York St - south of south end of platform
6th Ave Line
5th Ave -
south end of southbound (upper level) platform - controls split/merge between
6th Ave and 8th Ave service and diamond crossover north of Lexington Ave
50 St (Rockefeller Center) - at north
end of northbound platform - controls Rock Center and diamond crossover
south of 57 St. This tower is no longer manned, resulting in the wonderful
"What you punch is what you get" admonition to Train Operators. Any wrong
line-ups here are solely on the TO.
34 St/6 Ave - located north of northbound
platform
W. 4th St -
at south end of southbound lower level platform - controls all switches
north and south of the station.
Concourse Line
205 St - at south end of platform
Bedford Park - at south end of southbound
platform
Fordham Rd - at south end of southbound
platform
Tremont Ave - at south end of southbound
platform
167 St - north of southbound platform
161 St - at south end of southbound platform
Queens Boulevard
Line
179 St - north end of northbound platform
- controls from north of 169 to terminal and relay tracks
Parsons Blvd - north end of northbound
platform
Parsons/Archer
- north of station on lower level -controls both P/A interlockings as well
as Jamaica/Van Wyck and Van Wyck Blvd. Lower level interlocking can be
remotely operated by ENY Master
Union Turnpike
- north end of northbound platform - controls north and south of station
as well as the yard lead up to Jamaica Yard portal
Continental
Ave - north end
of northbound platform - controls north and south of station as well as
the relay tracks and yard lead up to Jamaica Yard portal
Roosevelt
Ave - north end of northbound platform
Queens Plaza
- north end of northbound platform - controls north and south of station,
11 St cut and Ely Ave
These last two will be taken over by Queensboro Master when signal
upgrade is complete.
8th Ave Line
World Trade Center - north end of platform
Chambers St (8th Ave) - north end of platform
Canal St - south end of southbound platform
30 St/8th Ave - located south of 34 St
on the southbound side near the crossover between A1 and A3 Tracks
42 St/8 Ave - I admit to confusion on
this one. The schematic shows two towers - one north of the northbound
platform and one south of the southbound platform. I think that the northern
one, which is manned, controls all switches north of the station, while
the southern one controls the merge of the lower level track onto the mainline.
Fulton St/ Rockaways Line
Court St (Museum) - north end of platform
Hoyt St - south end of the abandoned southbound
platform
Lafayette Ave - south end of southbound
platform
Utica Ave - south end of southbound platform
Broadway/ENY - south end of southbound
platform
Euclid Ave - south end of southbound platform
- controls north and south of station as well as the first diamond crossover
on A5/A6 yard leads (used for relays)
Pitkin Yard - located in the yard - controls
the yard, yard leads and mainline from north of Grant Ave to north of 88
St
Rockaway Park - located at north end of
platform - controls Rockaway Park Yard and Hammels Wye, as well as the
approaches to the South Channel Swing Bridge. Hammels
Wye Satellite - located between F4 and F3A Tracks - can control
all interlockings associated with the Wye.
Mott Ave (Far Rockaway) - at north end
of platform
Yards
207 Yard - controlled by Tower A (south end of yard) and Tower B (north-west
corner)
Concourse Yard - controlled from Tower located in Yard
Fresh Pond Yard - controls yard leads and Metropolitan Ave
All other yards not mentioned somewhere above are hand-throw yards
and are NOT controlled by a tower.
Notes
All of these single interlocking towers cannot necessarily be seen
from the platform, eve though they are listed as being at the end of a
platform. They are also not necessarily manned 24/7.
The model boards at the master towers and the terminal Dispatchers
are capable of "seeing" a larger area than they actually control.
Sometime in the future, we will see more Master Towers springing up.
My guesses for some of them:
Canarsie line Master Tower - will control the entire length of the
Canarsie Line - will be made necessary for CBTC operation.
Fulton St Master Tower - to control the Fulton St line from Hoyt/Schermerhorn
to north of 88 St.
Stillwell Master Expansion - to control the Culver line from Kings
Highway to Stillwell Ave.
Jay St Master - to control from Church Ave/Culver to York St.
Jamaica Master - to control from 179 to the eastern end of Queensboro
Master.
Queensboro Master Expansion - to control from 5th Ave to Ely Ave.
59 Master Expansion - to control from 30 St/ 8th Ave to 59 St and to
control Rockefeller Center to 59 St.
West 4 St Master - to control from 34/6 to W. 4 St and W.4 St to Chambers
St /WTC