Miami Crossing where the PRR is crossing the NYC (Big Four).
The tower is sitting north of the crossing and the track
receding in the background is the NYC headed east toward Columbus Union
Station.
Photo from BJ Kern/Edward H Miller Collection
Miami
Crossing tower was located 3.5 miles west of Columbus Union Station along
the north side of the Columbus State Hospital campus and south of McKinley
Avenue. It controlled the crossing of the PRR (little Miami line)
and NYC (Big Four). On the PRR east of this crossing was the B&O
crossing. To the west was open country. On the NYC east
of the crossing was Grandview tower. To the west was open country.
The tower was staffed by a Big Four operator.
|
A sad looking Miami Crossing on
its last legs. The tower was burned down by vandals in
1973. Photo taken May 1971 by Galen Gonser |
A Penn Central freight passing
Miami Crossing headed toward Columbus. Photo taken May 1971 by
Galen Gonser |
|
Night at Miami Crossing.
Photo taken November 1969 by Galen Gonser
The camera is looking southeast down
the PRR track. In the distance the PRR curves to the east and
heads toward Columbus Union Station. Photo by
John Fuller from the Collection of John Fuller. |
The switch levers at Miami
crossing were part Armstrong, part electrical. Photo taken May
1971 by Galen
Gonser. |
Before the Miami Crossing tower shown above was built there was an earlier
tower controlling the crossing of a double track PRR and single track NYC
(Big Four). Miami Crossing sits on the north side of
what was called, in the 1940s, the Ohio State Hospital for the Insane.
Later it was named the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital. The large
campus grounds of the hospital face on the north side of West Broad St.
Miami Crossing seen from the east
looking west. |
This photo is also looking
west. The PRR is the double track and the NYC the single. |
This shot looking toward the north is
taken from the hospital grounds and is the more difficult to orientate.
The PRR track goes in front of the section crew building located on the
right and behind the tower. The NYC goes on this side of the
tower and this side of the small buildings located on both the left and
right. The fence on the right can also be seen on the left of the
top left photo. All three photos ca. 1900 from the Galen Gonser
Collection.
