The Switch Tower Museum

Thursday, 19 May 2011 15:39

For close to 100 years, the South Norwalk Switch Tower guided trains through its block along the main line between New York and points north, its operators vigilantly keeping trains all running on the correct tracks. The operators were actually using 68 four-foot high levers to mechanically move connections for signals and switches from 1896 until the tower was decommissioned in 1984. The tower was also the location of the Cos Cob Power Board, which distributed power generated at the Cos Cob Power Plant in Greenwich through the overhead wires. A group of volunteer train historians and enthusiasts has taken over care of the building, now known as the SoNo Switch Tower Museum, at 77 Washington Street in South Norwalk.

It's open to visitors on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 from May through October; admission is free and donations are appreciated. Guests are invited to try their hands at moving the levers and imagining how it would have been for a switch tower operator, keeping careful track of the train log and making sure all signals and switches were correctly positioned. The tower, up a fairly steep flight of stairs, offers a great view of the MetroNorth and Amtrak tracks. On the first floor is a gift shop.

Details

The SoNo Switch Tower Museum is at 77 Washington Street in South Norwalk, right at the Main Street intersection. Municipal parking is nearby. For information, call 203-246-6958 or visit sonotower.org.