Tower 52 - Cameron, TX
Most likely this photo of Tower 52 is looking southeast on the Santa Fe. On the back of the photo: "Photo by A. E. Brown, Collection of Gordon C. Basett." Image brought to us by the collection of William Osborn of Austin, TX.
Unlike many small towns that saw significant railroad service, Cameron was founded some 35 years before the railroad arrived. The first line through town was the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway in 1881, building from Galveston to Temple. The arrival of the railroad was critical to Cameron retaining the county seat of Milam County. Rockdale had gained rail service in 1873 and there had been elections in 1874 and 1880 to try to relocate the county seat. Without rail service, Cameron would eventually lose out to Rockdale. In 1891, the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad built north through Cameron, extending its line from Yoakum and Flatonia toward Waco. With railroad service in four directions, Cameron prospered, reaching 2,000 population in 1892. Tower 52 was established as an electric interlocker for the crossing in 1904.
The SA&AP line from Cameron south to Rockdale was abandoned by Southern Pacific in 1959, resulting in the decommissioning of Tower 52. SP retained the north line to Waco until 1977 when it, too, was abandoned except for some local trackage within Cameron used as an industrial spur. The Santa Fe line remains in active use as a major route of BNSF.
Text and photo by Jim King.
Historic Photo
Tower 52 - Cameron, TX
Most likely this photo of Tower 52 is looking southeast on the
Santa Fe. On the back of the photo: "Photo by A. E. Brown,
Collection of Gordon C. Basett." Image brought to us by the
collection of William Osborn of Austin, TX.
Modern Photo
Tower 52 site - Cameron, TX
This is the site of Tower 52 in Cameron. Looking north,
the Santa Fe line ran east-west at this point and the tracks heading
north in the distance, on the original SA&AP grade, were left
in place as an industrial spur when the remainder of the SA&AP
line was abandoned. A framed drawing of Tower 52 is hanging
on the wall of a restaurant in downtown Cameron. Photo by
Jim King.
