1940s – Two photographs showing a dispatcher and lettermen at work from inside a railroad tower and central traffic control office
Californis: 1940s. Unbound. Each of these Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway photographs measures 10” x 8”. Both have rectangular handstamps on the reverse that read, “Please Credit / Santa Fe Railway.” The images in both are in nice shape with some slight curling, tiny stain spots and the margins are worn.
The caption taped to the reverse of one image reads, “Dispatcher Less Webster works the control panel of Santa Fe’s new C.T.C. installation at the Fresno headquarters. The C.T.C. installation between Bakersfield AND Fresno will expedite the handling of freight and passenger trains in this area, and also relieve the congestion on the Wasco and Shafter districts during the potato shipping season.”
The caption taped to the other reads, “The Union Station Tower at the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal. There are 144 levers on the board, and the two levermen control all 36 switches within the Terminal.”
. Good to Very Good. Item #010637Period photographs of the outsides of railroad control towers are scarce, inside photographs showing control boards being operated by dispatchers and leverman even more so. At the time of listing, no similar photographs are for sale in the trade. Rare Book Hub and Worthpoint show none have appeared at auction, and OCLC identifies none held by institutions.
.Price: $350.00