WOODLAWN TOWER

SS 154 (SIGNAL STATION 154) WOODLAWN TOWER

Woodlawn is a section of Pawtucket

SS 154 Was Built To Control The West Entrance To The Line Relocation.

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG

When SS 156 at Boston Switch was closed in 1935, Woodlawn was assigned responsibility for the entire line relocation. Before Woodlawn Tower was built, SS 155 at Dexter Street guarded the east side of the old line. The road on the right once carried the track lead to the Barton Street team yard. The Conant Street bridge is overhead.

Photo c.1958.

SS 154 was an interlocking tower which meant it controlled switches and signals that were interlocked by a machine in the tower to prevent conflicting train movements.

Tower Operator Ernie Brousseau

The photograph shows the rear of the tower with a track and signal diagram displaying the line between Woodlawn (left) and Boston Switch (right). The location of the tower can be seen at the top center of the track diagram. At the left end is the entrance to the Northup Avenue Classification Yard. The siding at bottom center is the entrance to the Pawtucket freight house yard while the siding next to it is almost a mile distant close to Boston Switch. The right end of the diagram is Massachusetts and the whole diagram covers about three miles of track. Notice the forked order "hoop" on the wall which was used to pass orders, messages or instructions to train crews.

The diagram board in 1980 shows major changes. The Providence & Worcester railroad is independent and runs on the old westbound mainline which is unconnected at Boston Switch. Old westbound track No.1 is closed and Amtrak uses the old eastbound mainlines.

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG

THE VIEW FROM THE TOWER

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG

About 2,800 feet of track can be seen to the north. Dexter Street and the Station are in the far distance. In this 1980 view, Amtrak uses the two tracks on the right and the Providence & Worcester uses the closest track. The next track is closed and most of it is gone.

WOODLAWN HAS BEEN ABBREVIATED TO LAWN IN THIS 1980 VIEW

THE TOWER REMAINED IN SERVICE UNTIL 1991

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG

The Northup Avenue Yard is in the distance,

The first bridge is Mineral Spring Avenue followed by Lonsdale Avenue.

Woodlawn Depot once stood on the left on the far side of Lonsdale Avenue.

WOODLAWN DEPOT

The station at Quincy and Lonsdale Avenues was about a mile west of the Pawtucket-Central Falls station.

In 1912, the grade crossing commission decided that Woodlawn station should be abandoned because "the physical situation at the Woodlawn station is exceedingly dangerous and will be likely to become more dangerous in the event of the railroad being operated by electric power". The decision was not acted on and the station remained a stop until about 1930.

WOODLAWN TOWER FROM CONANT STREET

The destination of the Y-4 and Y-3 0-8-0 switchers moving on eastbound Track 2 is unknown. If they had come from the Charles Street roundhouse for work at the Northup Avenue yard they would probably be facing the other way.

The local freight pulled by a K-1-b 2-6-0 has been stopped for signals at Woodlawn Tower and will probably soon proceed into the Northup Avenue Classification Yard. The engineer is standing in the gangway and using the pause to have a drink of water. The view is from above the freight house lead at Conant Street. The tower and yard are just ahead.

A pair of ALCO RS-11's and an EMD GP-9 are stopped for signals at Woodlawn Tower c.1957.

The old line is on the right. The 0.4 percent grade from Conant Street to Dexter Street can be seen.

Photo by Edawrd J. Ozog

THE PROVIDENCE WRECKING TRAIN AT WOODLAWN TOWER

The train is pulled by a G-4 4-6-0. It sits on the lead to the Barton Street team yard. The tower is just behind the crane while Conant Street bridge is just ahead of the locomotive.

THE VIEW FROM WOODLAWN TOWER

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG