Here's a blurb I wrote up some time ago regarding my time at Kearsley tower in 1970 -- if you are interested!

Kearsley controlled the signals for the C&O crossing with the GTW "Old Main" just north of the tower, and the C&O crossing of the GTW Flint Sub (referred to as "the diverted line") which was 0.6 mile south of the tower. We lined the signals for all movements on both the C&O and GTW. The GTW "Old Main" was single track yard limits. The GTW Flint Sub was double track "current of traffic" operation with block signals. The C&O was single track CTC controlled from Saginaw. Although we lined the signals on the C&O, the dispatcher in Saginaw also had to code in for us to get a signal. We only controlled one switch. It was just north of the GTW "Old Main" diamond and was the south end of what was called the Kearsley Pass and ran west of the main track up to South McGrew (Flint River). We rarely used it. The signals on the GTW "Old Main" were semaphores. There may have been derails that worked with the signals, but I can't remember for sure. All of the other interlocking signals at the time were tri-lights with two heads.

Southbounds showed up on our board with a "ding" around the Flint River, northbounds around Atwood. GTW eastbounds on the Flint Sub showed up on the board around their Flint depot, and westbounds around Belsay. Instead of just a "ding" on the westbounds, there was a bell that rang and kept ringing until you pushed a button to silence it. Someone had dozed off at one time delaying a GTW passenger train, so they put in the "alarm clock" bell to get our attention!

We copied C&O trains orders that covered any slow orders for both northward and southward trains. Northward trains could be going to Saginaw or terminating at McGrew. Southward trains could be going to either Toledo, Detroit or Grand Rapids via Plymouth. We also copied pick up messages for southbounds to pick up auto parts at Grand Blanc and/or loads of autos at Wixom (Lincoln). We had one of those small racks with clips that some stores used for small bags of potato chips and clipped the messages on it to keep them organized! There was a mechanical train order hoop apparatus on which we hung the orders/messages for delivery to the trains. On the train order signal we displayed yellow (diagonal semaphore blade) to indicate "receive orders."

There was a hot box detector just south of Grand Blanc and the readout tape was in our tower. We would examine the tape after a train cleared the detector and notify the dispatcher if the train was "OK" or if it showed a hot journal.

There was no running water at the tower. On the first level was a "toilet" that when you lifted the lid, a flap opened. When you closed the lid, the flap closed and a flame burned up your deposit! I never used it unless desperate!!

Both the C&O and GTW ran about 20 trains a day each. GTW still had 2 passenger trains each way. On the GTW "Old Main" there was usually a switcher that went west toward downtown, and then came back east a little later.

Because of union scope rules at the time, the yardmaster or clerks at McGrew could not give pick up information directly to the dispatcher. They had to call us on the phone with the info, and then we relayed it to the dispatcher. If the yardmaster happened to get on the dispatcher's line and say "We have a 20 car pick up here for a northbound," the dispatcher would tell him to call Kearsley. After they called us, we'd get on the line and tell the dispatcher about the pick up!! Kind of silly, huh?!

For me, that summer working at Kearsley was like being a kid in a candy store. Great memories to be sure!

We kept a record and reported movements by the tower on the C&O, but not the GTW. We were too far from their diamonds to verify locomotive numbers.