North Clinton, MP 86.2 - Interlocking Tower - Clinton Subdivision (KCOS) - MKT Sedalia Subdivision

The February page of 2010 MKT Historical Society calendar shows an interesting photograph of:

"Katy's North Clinton, MO interlocking tower with the SLSF. View looking north from the Frisco's yard, circa 1953.

Donald R. Kaiser photo"

Glenn in Tulsa

 

The MKT calendar shot is nice.

I posted a photo taken from this tower looking south over the Clinton Yard.

Don Kaiser shot this one too and was kind enough to share it with me.

Don't know if this link will work but here goes:

http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=6415&d=1234639654

If the link doesn't work you may do a search for "Photo of Clinton, MO Frisco Yard".

 

North Clinton Tower

Found this photo while looking for some other stuff.

Photo is by Donald Kaiser, 1950's era. Looking Northwest towards the MKT crossing. Taken from the Northwest edge of the Clinton Yard. In the distance, the tower had been abandoned by the time this photo was taken. Not sure if the coal house on the right side of the photo belongs to the Frisco or the MKT. The tower was built by the MKT to their standard design.

Nice view of the crossing gate at the MKT/Frisco crossing. It is either new or freshly painted.

I wonder if this would have been erected after the tower closed?

Dale Rush
Carthage, MO

 

Re: North Clinton Tower

The electrically locked gate was placed after the tower was closed.

Note the "duck under" for motor cars.

 

Re: North Clinton Tower

Thanks Karl, that is what I thought, but didn't know for sure.

A "duck under" for motor cars!

I guess this would be both a convenience thing and way not to trip the signal circuits on the Katy just to get a motorcar across the junction?

I learn something new on here almost every day. I wonder how many times my Grandpa passed under that. He worked out of Clinton on a section gang for several years after the Blairstown section gang was shut down.

I plan on building a couple of those gates for my N scale layout. Need them at Harrisonville and Clinton. I want them to be working gates, or at least swinging gates, so I can work them into my operations. Probably will have to build them out of brass wire to be durable enough to handle.

Will certainly be a test of my soldering skills.

Dale

 

Re: North Clinton Tower

So, I got wondering, was the tower wood-framed?

From the various photos posted, it seems that it could have been.

 

Re: North Clinton Tower

The North Clinton tower and the South Clinton tower, which is extant, were cast-in-place concrete.

 

Re: North Clinton Tower

Wow, that was quick!

Cast in place concrete was my second choice, with the form boards leaving the impressions, hence my query. It could make building a model of one a bit of an issue.

Not a big one, but an issue nevertheless.

 

The shape of the tower and configuration of the cast pilasters into the side panels almost makes this look like they cast the sides on the ground on what we call a "casting bed"

A single form on a throw away slab that can be used over and over, in this case 4 times. Precast structures of this type are not necessarily post WW2.

This looks like a great "cast it yourself" project.

 

Anyone know dimensions?

Couldn't find any in the tower folder.

 

The Northern Division B & B book might have dimensions.

 

Do you still have it on disc?

PM me your address and I'll send you a check for one.

 

Robert,

The data for the tower is not included with the Northern Division B&B records, since the Clinton Subdivision is on the Eastern Division.

Secondly, both Clinton towers are MKT structures. Since the South tower is still around, a road trip to Clinton with tape and field book will get the desired information.

KEB

 

Yea, you're right.

But it will have to wait until the temperatures drop. I still kick my self for not taking photographs while making trips to Clinton and Osceola in the early 1970s. I don't think much was left in either places, but I do remember the "blowing up" of the low water dam in Osceola. We even managed to get seismograph readings of a Frisco local before the dam let go.

Hidden somewhere in a storage locker I have a lot of shots of the KCS and MP, but few of the Frisco.

I came to my senses late in life.

 

Okay, sometimes Google just doesn't help much.

I have seen the tower photos taken in a backyard.

Where was this backyard?

 

Thanks!

I have seen the photographs that you posted earlier.

I thought I saw what could be the tower, but since it is located behind a house I couldn't see it from the Street View.

I guess I will find out how friendly those folks are later this year.