18-06-23 PHOTOS: HARRIS Exposed

The HARRIS Tower museum in Harrisburg, PA (duh) has been one of my go-to places to visit with annual pilgrimages dating back to 2012. Even in those early days I used the tower and it's mostly functional US&S Model 14 interlocking machine as an exhibit for friends who were interested in the history of computing, but not necessarily rail stuff. I could get someone to talk to on the ride up and they would get to play with a really cool simulation of 1940's interlocking tower operation. HARRIS is only open Saturdays between May and June and while communications from the museum staff is somewhat problematic, it has always been a reliable operation.

Well that was until this year when the machine was taken down for a general re-painting and refurbishment. As typical with volunteer run non-profits the rehab of the machine took a bit longer than usual, so when I arrived with a friend in tow we were met with a decidedly less interesting static display. I made the best lemonade I could with a non-interactive tour and some photos of passing trains outside. My friend also got something out of the nearby Strawberry Fields Mall, which was largely unchanged from the 1990's and he has a thing for retro malls. You can find all of the photos, mall included, here.

Like I said the 1930's vintage Model 14 interlocking machine was due to get a complete fresh coat of paint along with any other required maintenance. As such much of the sheet metal housing was removed for painting and only some of it was in place when I arrived in June. This did show off some of the internal structure that is not normally visible in the Model 14 era machines.

The lamps in the illuminated track layout were also being refreshed. The telecon type wires are replacements that run directly to the PLC's controlling the simulation as opposed to track circuit relays in the relay room.

I also learned that the supposedly "integrated" signal rundown timers in these 1930's pattern machines simply hook back to a traditional glass globe timer mounted under the lever bed!

Some additional rear panels has been opened, like this one exposing the magnetic locks for levers 73 through 87.

The magnetic locks are what integrate the relay logic and the mechanical logic. When energized, the coil lifts a small metal bar that engages with teeth in a semi-circular locking quadrant, allowing the lever to rotate. If the mechanical interlocks also allow a lever to move, then electric contacts are rotated that trigger a switch to be thrown or a signal displayed.

A rather worn out NS SD70 Classic #2635 leads UP ES44AC #8030 past HARRIS tower with a westbound manifest freight.

Foreign power was the theme of the day as NS C44-9W #9563 led old school CSX C40-8W #7907 eastbound with a doublestack intermodal train.

Amtrak P42DC #119 soon showed up with the eastbound Pennsylvanian and led it into the normally westbound track #7 at Harrisburg Station due to work being performed on track #6.

A westbound autorack train with NS C44-9W's #9924 and #9275 was the next to proceed past the tower.

Truly foreign power in the form of Ferromex SD70ACe #4079 was sandwitched by NS ES44AC #8030 and ES44AC #3612 at the nead of a westbound doublestack train.

At least HARRIS' ATCS display was working, showing most of the train movements in the area.

Amtrak Train #43, the westbound Pennsylvanian, soon departed the same track #7 with P42DC #121 on point and a private car on the rear!

The PV was the former PRR observation car Louis Sockalexis and is currently for sale.

Well that's all for now. Next time we had back to Washington DC and the Great Falls of the Potomac.