[PRR-talk] Looking for information on switch/dispatch tower in the Monongahela district

[John Hamman]

Hi all,
I am planning on modeling the PRR in the areas that two of great
grandfathers worked.
One was a switch man (probably not the official title, just my personal
description) who worked in what was described as a single room tower with a
bathroom on the first floor and the office on the second. He would write
orders(for the train conductors) from a telegraph and attach them to a long
pole with a clip on the end and run down stairs and hand them to the
conductor as they drove boy. There were also control sticks in the office
that could switch the tracks. There were possably as much as 10 of these. He
worked in the following towers; Shire Oaks, Duquesne, monogahela, charleroi
and uniontown.
I am looking for diagrams/info/pictures of these towers, especially the
shire oaks one. He worked durring the time period of 1912-1960. He spent
most of the time in these towers but later was promoted to work as a
dispatcher in the Pittsburgh office.

My other great grandfather worked the same time period and was mostly a
fire-man (or coal man), conductor, and eventually the trains engineer. He
lived in Pitcairn and worked out of that area.
I am still finding more about him, but I would like to see if anyone can
help me find what kind of engine he most likely ran and what his typical run
would take him (what towns, etc...)

If anyone can help give me insight on this, it would be greatly appreciated.
God bless,
John E. Hamman
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