Depew Depot at Niagara Junction New York Lehigh Valley Railroad Real Photo Postcard

An interlocking tower, a crucial element of railway safety and efficiency during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, managed complex mechanical or electro-pneumatic systems. These structures enabled a signalman to control multiple switches and signals across a railway junction or a designated stretch of track, preventing collisions and expediting train movements. The presence of multi-arm semaphore signals further indicates a period before the widespread adoption of modern color-light signaling.

Such sophisticated infrastructure reflects the era's profound reliance on rail transport for both commerce and passenger travel. Towers like this managed the intricate dance of trains, ensuring the smooth flow of goods and people across vast railway networks, making them vital nodes in a nation's transportation backbone during the peak of the railroad age.