NASSAU TOWER:
MINEOLA – JCT. OF MINEOLA- HEMPSTEAD AND OYSTER BAY BRANCHES WITH MAIN LINE.
PREVIOUSLY “MT” & “FAIR” TOWERS. RENAMED: 9/18/38.
ORIGINAL 1890 S&F 52 LEVER MECHANICAL MACHINE. BRISTOL ALL-RELAY CONTROL
PANEL CONTROLLING “LOCUST” IN SVC: 11/17/75. MECHANICAL MACHINE REMOVED c.
1997 AND REPLACED WITH ELECTRONIC CONTROL PANEL. Research: Dave Keller |
NASSAU Tower and Substation #8 - View SW 1969
Photo/Archive: Dave Keller |
NASSAU Tower 3/1993 Photo/Archive: John Ciesla
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US&S Tower Control Panel 5/09/1996 installation.
Photo/Archive: Jeff Erlitz 5/08/2020 |
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NASSAU Tower was the LIRR's interlocking and signal tower
for Nassau Interlocking at Mineola Junction, just east of the Mineola
station, from 1923 until 2020. As part of LIRR's Main Line Expansion
Project, which is creating a third track along the Main Line between Floral
Park and Hicksville stations, the tower was decommissioned. Nassau Tower
opened in 1923, located right next to the Mineola station and the LIRR's
Mineola Electrical Substation, which was built in 1910. This tower replaced
the original, brick tower, which was built in 1890 and destroyed in a train
wreck on December 31, 1922.
Back
when Nassau Tower was still operational, we can see train orders being given
to the locomotive engineer (left 2015). Train order operation, or more
accurately timetable and train order operation, is a largely obsolete system
by which the railroads of North America conveyed operating instructions
before the days of centralized traffic control, direct traffic control, and
the use of track warrants conveyed by radio. The system used a set of rules
when direct communication between train dispatchers and trains was limited
or non-existent. Trains would follow a predetermined operating plan, known
as the timetable, unless superseded by train orders conveyed to the train
from the dispatcher, through local intermediaries. Train order operation was
a system that required minimum human overhead in an era before widespread
use of technology-based automation. It was the most practical way for
railroads with limited capital resources, or lines with limited traffic, to
operate. To this day, many short lines, heritage railways, and railroad
museums continue to use Train Order operation. Currently, train order
operations have been completely replaced by modern operating methods. RIP
1923-2021 Photo/Archive/Info: Karim Odr |
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SAVE NASSAU TOWER pole posting 7/21/2020
Photo/Archive: Dave Morrison |
NASSAU Tower view SE 1966
Photo/Archive: Dave Keller |
NASSAU raze view SE 9182021 Photo/Archive: Gregory GriceNote: Photo
tacked on the pole is the
Dave Keller photo (left)!
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NASSAU Tower - Photos/Archive: Dave Morrison |
Pedestrian Grade Crossing Removal - September
9th, 2021 |
NASSAU Tower LIRR DM30 #501 eastbound at the pedestrian grade crossing
4/06/2021
Photo/Archive: Ed Frye |
NASSAU Tower pedestrian grade crossing view S 4/08/2021 Photo/Archive: Ed
Frye |
NASSAU Tower pedestrian grade crossing stanchion removal with temporary
field office at left. 9/09/2021 Photo/Archive: Ed Frye |
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There's Now a "Hush" Over Nassau Interlocking
With the razing of Nassau Tower now imminent, crews -- yesterday -- "got the
ball rolling" by dismantling the remaining grade crossing in the "friendly
confines" of Nassau Interlocking...namely, the small pedestrian crossing
that was located just west of the Tower. With all the local thoroughfares
that once cut through the Interlocking now re-routed by way of
newly-engineered underpasses, this pedestrian crossing -- used, lately, only
by railroad personnel -- has been the only reason for Main Line and Oyster
Bay train crews to sound their horns...echoing mightily off the walls of
adjoining structures, such as multi-level parking garages and the lofty,
retro-styled Morgan Parc apartments. That is...until now. With the whistle
boards and crossbucks taken down, and the flashing red lights extinguished,
a "hush" has fallen over Nassau Interlocking, as trains, now, glide-by on
welded rail, barely noticeable. Ed Frye
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NASSAU Tower Demolition Preparation Views - September 11th-17th,
2021 |
A hazardous material
remediation/abatement team -- who previously surveyed and assessed the
nature of Nassau Tower's environmentally-dangerous components -- set-out to
remove these issues in advance of the demolition that took place on
Saturday, September 18th to safely prepare Nassau Tower for its
razing...
I spoke with the on-site manager and he
told me the greatest concern was the shingles that covered the upper-half of
the entire building. They're referred to as "cementitious", meaning they
are basically composed of ordinary cement, bonded with asbestos fiber...a
commonplace exterior building material that lasted well into the 1950's. He
also said Nassau Tower's interior had many surfaces coated with lead-based
paint, as well as ceiling and wallboard material composed of what he
referred to as "ACM", i.e. "asbestos containing material".
Ed Frye
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NASSAU Tower tar paper removal View SW 9/11/2021 Photo/Archive: Ed Frye |
NASSAU Tower fascia removal View SW 9/11/2021 Photo/Archive: Ed Frye |
NASSAU Tower shingle removal View NW 9/12/2021 Photo/Archive: Ed Frye |
NASSAU Tower shingle removal complete
View NW 9/12/2021 Photo/Archive: Ed Frye |
NASSAU Tower shingles removed 9/15/2021 Photo/Archive: Dave Morrison |
NASSAU Tower hazardous material removal truck 9/15/2021 Photo/Archive: Dave
Morrison |
Nassau Tower - View E 9/17/2021
Photo/Archive: Dave Morrison |
Nassau Tower - View E 9/17/2021
Photo/Archive: Dave Morrison |
NASSAU Tower Raze Day
- September 18th, 2021 |
Shortly after sunrise,
September 18th, 2021, the LIRR and contractor crews, clad in yellow safety
vests and hard hats, lined-up their dump trucks, utility vehicles, and one,
solitary, excavator along Mineola's Main Street, the lone access to Nassau
Tower, to take down the time-honored structure, unfortunately
"standing in the way" of LIRR's soon-to-be-laid "Third Track". I was
there..."on the dot" of 8 AM...as Gateway Demolition's "dinosaur-jawed"
machine -- previously here to "gobble-up" Substation 8 -- crawled into
position to, once again, begin the process.
As evidenced in my photographs (i.e. through
the windows), the second story interior was sealed-off, with special
ventilation measures taken by way of temporary ducting. Not visible in
my pictures is an extended corridor constructed of plywood and sheeting for
entry into -- and egress from -- Nassau Tower...a precautionary hazardous
material measure taken. Quite a different, if not contrasting,
process...i.e. last weekend versus this weekend...first, a carefully
"orchestrated", measured procedure by the hazmat team, and -- then --
today...a brash "assault" on the structure, debris and dust "flying"
everywhere. In the span of less than three hours, it was all over...
Ed Frye
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NASSAU Tower raze demolition -N 9/18/2021 Photos/Archive: John
Krattinger |
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NASSAU Tower demolition - 9/18/2021 Photos/Archive: Dave Morrison |
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NASSAU Tower demolition aerials - 9/18/2021 Photos/Archive: Thomas
Farmer |
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NASSAU Tower demolition - 9/18/2021 Photo/Archive: Ed Frye |
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Nassau Tower prior to raze - View SE |
Nassau Tower demolition begins View S |
Nassau Tower demolition in action - View S |
Nassau Tower - Gateway excavator making short work of the raze. View S |
Nassau Tower demolition nearly complete - View S |
Nassau Tower - Gateway Demolition finishing the job. View S |
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NASSAU Tower Demolition - Epilogue Photo/Archive: Ed Frye |
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Freight Station "Agent At Freight Office" West St, Johns Street,
Hicksville sign found in the rubble 10/03/2021
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"The End of Nassau Tower" LIST Semaphore page 6 10/2021
Author/Archive: Dave Morrison |
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