the fate of elvas

Apparently Union Pacific will tear down Elvas Tower, the interlocking control tower at the Elvas Avenue wye, in early March. It has been out of service for decades but still stands, becoming slowly more dilapidated and frequently vandalized despite the heroic efforts of the California State Railroad Museum's Maintenance of Way department.

Take your photos now if you want to catch 'em. Apparently the last group of vandals ripped everything copper out of the tower and left an awful mess. CSRM crews are trying to extract anything worth salvaging or preserving that is left inside, including the actual mechanical interlocking hardware.

There was some hope that Elvas Tower could be moved, in order to someday be part of the Railroad Technology Museum. Sounds like UP is following its usual policy of selecting the dumb option and just knocking down a piece of local history, after letting it stand neglected for so long. Take your photos now...