Towers ???

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RailPilgrim

Wannabe Driver

• Feb 28, 2018

• #1

Why do the US call them "towers" when most are either at ground level or at best 1 floor up.
Surely there must be a reason for it but I have failed to find anything so far.

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/649761/

 

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pware

Trainz Veteran

• Feb 28, 2018

• #2

You could add many other railway terms to that. Some examples:-

US: Switchback = AU/NZ/UK: Zig Zag
US: Ties = AU/NZ/UK: Sleepers
US: Engineer = AU/NZ/UK: Driver
US: Conductor = AU/NZ/UK: Guard
US: Caboose = AU/NZ/UK: Guard Van

 

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RHKluckhohn

Active member

• Feb 28, 2018

• #3

Makes as much sense as calling them "boxes" when they're actually two stories with windows all 'round.

Why is the U.S. conductor in charge of the train and not the engineer? Because the first pair had a fist fight and the conductor won.

:B~D

 

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cascaderailroad

New member

• Feb 28, 2018

• #4

Most US Towers were 2 stories, high enough to see over top of drafts of railcars, and on the PRR they were oftentimes spaced so close to each other, that each tower had a line of sight view of next tower, where a lantern or flashlight was visible to the next tower

 

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JCitron

Trainzing since 12-2003

• Feb 28, 2018

• #5

We also refer to ties as sleepers.

 

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prr325

Boarded April 2010

• Feb 28, 2018

• #6

And the PRR sometimes called towers "cabins". Which could get really confusing because they also called cabooses "cabin cars", sometimes just "cabin" for short.

 

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Christopher824

CDETrainz.com

• Feb 28, 2018

• #7

Very good read at Wikipedia says...

The raised design of most signal boxes (which gave rise to the term "tower" in North America) also provided the signalman with a good view of the railway under his control.

See Here

 

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davesnow

Crabby Old Geezer

• Feb 28, 2018

• #8

Why do they call the places where we go to see a sports game "STANDS" when we sit on them?

Why do we drive on the PARKWAY and park in the DRIVEWAY?

Why does a ship carry cargo, and a car carry shipments?

Why isn't 11 pronounced onety one?

Why is Tom Hanks ON televison but IN a movie?

 

Last edited: Feb 28, 2018

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RailPilgrim

Wannabe Driver

• Feb 28, 2018

• #9

Many thanks guys. Some interesting points.

 

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chrisaw

Member

• Mar 1, 2018

• #10

Another idea pre dates railways in that the name could have come from semaphore towers, especially when you look at old signal boxes with the arrays of signals above them.

Chris.