Saxon tower was one of five interlocking towers the TS&M built in 1888. Saxon is the only building that I have a photo of in al

Toledo, Saginaw and Muskegon - Interlocking towers

Saxon tower was one of five interlocking towers the TS&M built in 1888. Saxon is the only building that I have a photo of in all three TS&M paint schemes. Saxon served as an interlocker from 1888, protecting the C&WM crossing, until it was replaced with gates on Oct. 5th 1933.

In this pre1900 photo Saxon is painted in the original TS&M depot scheme of Tuscan red. The SAXON sign was installed by the C&WM (the crew on the handcar are on the C&WM). The TS&M side has a train order board and the C&WM has the bracket but no signal.

This is the second TS&M scheme of dark yellow and dark olive green. It replaced the old scheme around the turn of the century. On this scheme the station names were painted on the ends of the building.

This is the last preGTW scheme that was applied in the 1910's. The buildings were painted light gray with a band of dark green around the bottom. The windows, doors, and trim was painted green. This scheme was used for about 30 years so there was variation in the grays and greens. It was replaced with the GTW maroon and cream scheme in the early 1940's. This scheme also had the depot name painted on the ends but was replaced with sign boards in the mid-1910's.

The TS&M had five interlocking towers built in 1888. Simpson was removed on March 1, 1920. Virgil was most likely removed around this time, it was still iinterlocked in 1917 but by 1925 it was gone. The tower at Cedar Springs (nicknamed "Target") was removed on Dec. 23, 1930 (the GTW had trackage rights over the PRR into Muskegon starting in 1930). Saxon (Sparta) lasted until Oct. 5, 1933. The Greenville tower was in use up until the GTW abandonment in Jan. 1983, fifty years longer than any of the others. TN