Picture this: a cast concrete structure rising four stories high. That’s the old Armitage Tower. It stands proudly at Armitage Street and Sheffield Avenue. Today, we’re diving into the story of this unique Chicago landmark.
The Armitage Tower’s tale begins in the early 1940s. It was a crucial part of the State Street Subway’s construction. The subway connected to the North Side Main Line near Armitage station. This new connection required widening the existing tracks. Imagine six tracks running side by side.
To manage this complex intersection, an interlocking system was installed. The Armitage Tower was built to control these interlocked switches. From 1943 to 1968, towermen inside the tower managed the traffic. They switched trains between local and express tracks. They also directed express trains to the subway.
The tower itself is quite impressive. It stretches from street level to a control room. This room cantilevers over the tracks. Large picture windows on three sides provided excellent visibility. The towermen could see north and south along the tracks. Access to the tower was available from both street and platform levels.
Inside, the tower featured a panel displaying the track layout. Interestingly, even after Webster station closed, it remained on the panel for nearly two years. One can only imagine how busy the towermen were. It’s hard to believe they had time to read the newspaper.
After the CTA’s North-South service revision in 1949, train patterns changed. Only Ravenswood and North Shore Line trains used the North Side Main Line regularly. Evanston Express trains were added during weekday rush hours. During non-rush periods, all trains used tracks 2 and 3 between Armitage and Chicago towers.
In 1952, Ravenswood service was cut back to Fullerton on Sundays. Trains turned back at Armitage Interlocking. This continued until 1961, when owl and Sunday Ravenswood trains were cut back to Belmont.
Eventually, manual switches replaced the need for a tower at Armitage. The old interlocking tower was converted into CTA offices. For many years, it housed the North Section district offices. Transportation superintendents and rail supervisors worked here. Later, the CTA Signal Department took over the space.
In the mid-1990s, work began to renew the switches and convert Armitage back into an interlocking. In 1997, a new diamond crossover was placed in service north of Armitage at Dickens Avenue. New crossovers were also installed at Webster Avenue.
In 2001, the new Armitage Interlocking was placed in service. It included right-hand crossovers, left-hand crossovers, and a diamond crossover. However, the old Armitage Tower no longer controlled the interlocking. Instead, a relay house at Webster Avenue managed local control.
Interestingly, as part of the Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project, the signal system was upgraded from Armitage to Addison and Lakewood. Although Armitage Interlocking wasn’t reconstructed, the new master panel at Clark Tower can remotely control it. The Armitage Tower stands as a reminder of Chicago’s transit history. It showcases the evolution of railway management and technology.