www.txrrhistory.com - Interlocking Tower
81 - Houston, TX (5mi SW)
Tower 81 is located in southeast Houston at the junction of the
former Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio (GH&SA) Railroad
and the former Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe (GC&SF) Railway.
An interlocking tower at this junction was formally established
in 1910 but may have existed prior to this time. The GH&SA
line was a major route running from nearby Harrisburg on Buffalo
Bayou west to San Antonio and El Paso. The Santa Fe line was a
major branch line into Houston from the Santa Fe main line at
Alvin, and by 1910, was being operated under lease by the Houston
Belt & Terminal (HB&T) Railroad of which Santa Fe was
a principal owner.
From the turn of the century through the early 1930s, the Southern Pacific Railroad acquired several Texas railroads including the GH&SA and consolidated them into the Texas & New Orleans (T&NO) Railroad as the Southern Pacific's principal operating railroad in Texas. Sometime thereafter, the crossing at Tower 81 became known as T&NO Junction. The signal tower is no longer standing.
Today, the ex-GH&SA line is a Union Pacific property and
is not as heavily used as it once was. The HB&T constructed
the New South Yard just north of Tower 81 and continues to operate
significant levels of traffic through this yard. The line south
to Alvin is now part of BNSF.
Modern Photo of Interlocker 81
Looking south along the HB&T/BNSF line, an equipment hut numbered
"81" has replaced the manned interlocking tower at the
site of Tower 81. The nearby sign denotes the crossing as "T&NO
Junction".
The other line is not visible because the photograph was taken
from a spot adjacent to the crossing diamond. The concrete
foundation adjacent to the equipment cabinet is likely the remains
of the tower structure. Photo by Jim King
Tower 81 Location Map
Map by Jim King
