Lots of information in such a small place. Staff was very friendly and helpful. My wife used to have a stroller fetish, and my oh my, MacLaren was way WAY too pedestrian. You go to the 3rd floor where all the switch levers are that controlled all the train switchesamazingour guide was passionate and actually operated the switches in the summers in his youth. . As the train passed the neighboring tower, the dispatcher informed the tower that it was entering his territory, from either: As switching was automated and centralized to GCT, the SoNo Switch Tower and its sister towers were decommissioned in 1984. Youll like it if: You can climb three steep flights of stairs New Book Published! of the railroad switch tower. SoNo Switch Tower Museum. 7. The Guggenheim Museum of modern and contemporary art was designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry. Accidents at such places were becoming alarmingly frequent. One must climb up the steep stairs on the back of the building to reach the switch tower, but once up there, an important piece of railroading history is right there totally accessible. changing trains from one track to another. Getting There: SoNo Switch Tower once a hub to controlling - CTPost Dont believe me? This little museum is an enthusiasts mecca. Hartford Medical Society Historical Library, 140. The SoNo Switch Tower Museum should be a part of you day in Norwalk. New Britain Youth Museum at Hungerford Park, 102. Take them to this museum. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Menczer Museum of Medicine & Dentistry, 13. Read our. Well worth a visit. The SoNo Switch Tower Museum should be a part of you day in Norwalk. During guided tours of this amazing living museum, learn about the stories of: The SoNo Switch Tower Museum offers a fascinating insight into the past of the railroad industry. While not as well known as other cutesy nicknames like WeHo, SoHo or TriBeCa (West Hollywood, South of Houston St. in Manhattan and the Triangle Below Canal Street Bottom line there is more than enough to do within easy walking distance for one and all. No charge, donations keep the place running. Rent a whole home for your next weekend or holiday. We left the aquarium to get some real food when we walked past the switch tower museum. Most switch towers have been torn down in the name of progress and really, the term progress is apt here so these remaining reminders provide a glimpse into the not-too-distant past. The Norwalk Museum (CTMQ visit here), the Maritime Center (CTMQ Visit here) And great restaurants as well. A vital cog in the New York, New Haven and Hartfords main line service between New Haven and New York City, Tower 44 worked hard for the railroad from its opening on July 5th, 1896 until its retirement in 1984! This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. The docents were passionate and informed about the history of railroading in the US. It is located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain . Click Here for Details Click Here to Donate to the SONO Switch Tower Museum! The SoNo Switch Tower Museum is a great example of early 20th Century railroad technology preserved. Ballard Institute & Museum of Puppetry, 37. And its really pretty cool. This place is actually pretty cool for a hard-core train buff but miniscule, which is why I gave it an average rating. These towers were staffed by operators who would manually operate the switching of the tracks by throwing giant levers in the tower. Look a bit farther away for great options if youre wanting a mix of historic heritage along with modern amenities and convenience. Discover the important function performed in this building, while watching trains pass by. The museum volunteers and docents are knowledgeable and informed about the tower's history, and the people who once worked in these important junction control points. Since the advent of better computers and technology, the interlocking switch system has gone away. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. The SoNo Switch Tower Museum is one such museum. These switch towers controlled the rail tracks which kept the trains from colliding. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. The tower remains open as a museum and can be toured on weekends. SHOP. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester Admission Ticket, Met & Natural History Museum Skip-the-Line - Exclusive Combo Tour, Museum of Natural History Guided Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max, Private sailing trips in the Thimble Islands, Branford, CT, Private Historic Yale Smart Phone Self Guided Walking Tour, All-Garden Pass for the New York Botanical Garden, Explore New Haven with a Scavenger Hunt by Zombie Scavengers, Westchester Indoor Skydiving Admission with 2 Flights & Personalized Certificate, Ghost Stories: A Mysterious, Macabre Tour in the Metropolitan Museum, Underground Donut Tour - New York's Only Donut Tour, Met Museum & Central Park Skip-the-Line Combo Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max, The United Kitchens in the Borough of Global Eats with Culinary Backstreets, No questions have been asked about this experience. more, This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Youll also get to see some of the amazing machinery that made this mode of transportation possible. It was only fitting I took the train to So Norwalk train station to visit SoNo Switch Tower Museum. Strain Family Horse Farm Cowboy Museum, 222. 1 of 6. SoNo Switch Tower Museum vacation rentals - Vrbo Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate, 184. I recommend that it be visited by all age groups. This little museum is an enthusiasts mecca. Visiting the historical SoNo Switch Tower Museum is a great way to explore the history of the railroad industry. oh man, so much here. 3 floors to explore. Did you know that the busiest railroad tracks in the United States connect Boston and Washington, D.C.? Hall of Fame, 187. Historical photos adorned the walls, but really, the star attraction here are the switches. Choo-choo. The Norwalk Museum (CTMQ visit here), the Maritime Center (CTMQ Visit here) And great restaurants as well. The museum explores the story of Signal Station 44, all 88 years of it. Middletown Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, 97. Staff on each floor explain the in and outs how the switch tower works. We were shocked ONE person performed all three major tasks and could switch fourteen switches MANUALLY in just five minutes; I could barely do one in that time! Pay to Park Now Reserve at Nearby Locations. only open on weekends. It also covers the history of how essential railway operations were managed and developed. The Childrens Garbage Museum, Defunct 16. Stanton House Inn 2023. Sono Switch Tower Museum is a museum in Norwalk in United States. preventing trains from crashing. Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford, 167. The Basque Country is a land of fascinating paradoxes and enigmas. Children? Staff on each floor explain the in and outs how the switch tower works. Some model switch towers. Historical photos adorned the walls, but really, the star attraction here are the switches. Holley-Williams House Museum, Defunct 15. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester Admission Ticket, Met & Natural History Museum Skip-the-Line - Exclusive Combo Tour, Museum of Natural History Guided Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max, Private sailing trips in the Thimble Islands, Branford, CT, Private Historic Yale Smart Phone Self Guided Walking Tour, All-Garden Pass for the New York Botanical Garden, Explore New Haven with a Scavenger Hunt by Zombie Scavengers, Westchester Indoor Skydiving Admission with 2 Flights & Personalized Certificate, Ghost Stories: A Mysterious, Macabre Tour in the Metropolitan Museum, Underground Donut Tour - New York's Only Donut Tour, Met Museum & Central Park Skip-the-Line Combo Tour - Semi-Private 8ppl Max, The United Kitchens in the Borough of Global Eats with Culinary Backstreets, No questions have been asked about this experience. A popular pick of Norwalk hotels includes the Residence Inn by Marriott Norwalk. Welcome to the SONO Switch Tower Museum! - westctnrhs.org A very important task but at that time job. It was only fitting I took the train to So Norwalk train station to visit SoNo Switch Tower Museum. Restaurants near SoNo Switch Tower Museum: SoNo Switch Tower Museum, Norwalk: Address, Phone Number, SoNo Switch Tower Museum Reviews: 4.5/5. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. This is a good stop for most everyone but is not for anyone who would have trouble with stairs. They gladly take donations to help preserve and maintain the property. Street, South Norwalk, CT. A Porsche-like showroom for MacLaren baby strollers. Kids will enjoy visits to Basondo and the Karpn Fauna refuge for threatened wildlife. It's very interesting to see how far the trains have come along with modern technology. The line of towers from Grand Central Terminal included: The 68-lever Armstrong machine was a feature of the 1880s-built tower. Mystic Seaport; Museum of America and the Sea, 28. Its a fun little place and one that used to be rather crappy and run down. Great Museums in CT | Visit CT Fairfield Academy and Old Barn Exhibit, 122. This unique museum offers a look into the history of the railroad industry, from its humble beginnings to its heyday. It was very interesting as well as intimidating. In The Basque Country, Paddy Woodworth takes us on a sweeping tour of this . about a 10 minute walk. 100% of travelers recommend this experience. SoNo Switch Tower Museum 4.5 43 reviews #8 of 29 things to do in Norwalk Speciality Museums Visit website Call Write a review What people are saying " Closed until May " Mar. Wallace Barnes and Barbara Hackman Franklin Art Gallery, 98. The SoNo Switch Tower controlled train traffic on the New Haven line until it became computerized in 1984. Quinebaug and Burlington Trout Hatcheries, 47. Staff on each floor explain the in and outs how the switch tower works. Youll be able to understand what life was like for its past owners and discover the local lifestyle from the turn of the century. Connecticut Legislative Office Building, 81. The SONO Switch Tower Museum tells the great history Hello Tim Shields! SoNo Switch Tower Museum - Tripadvisor 76 Maple Avenue This is a good stop for most everyone but is not for anyone who would have trouble with stairs. Other Largests, Longests, Mosts & Tallests, The Worlds Largest Colonial Style Building, Worlds Most Powerful Tandem Van de Graaff Accelerator (RIP), XIV. Welcome to the SONO Switch Tower Museum! Since the advent of better computers and technology, the interlocking switch system has gone away. SoNo Switch Tower - Wikipedia Welcome to the SONO Switch Tower Museum! - westctnrhs.org And its museums! Phone: (203) 869-2110 2022 We wanted to visit since the website says it is open on Sundays, but the gate is locked and there is a sign indicating the facility doesn't open until May 2022. The three-level tour has the main switch room in the upper floor (with a great view of the adjacent railroad junction); laid out as it was when in use. No sleeping on this job. Called Station 44 because it was the 44th on the line out of New York City, the tower also controlled all movements on the former Wilson Point Branch, the original terminus of the Danbury and Norwalk railroad. The Switch Tower is a three-story brick structure with an elaborate set of controls that are used to control the switches on the tracks from the Walk Bridge to Lowe Street. Highland Package Store Beer Can Museum, Defunct 1: The Museum of American Political Life, Defunct 4: National Shaving and Barbershop Museum, Defunct 5: The Frank Chiarenza Museum of Glass, Defunct 8: Somers Mtn Museum of Natural History and Primitive Technology, Defunct 9: The Winchester Center Kerosene Lamp Museum, Defunct 11: Menczer Museum of Medicine & Dentistry, Defunct 13. I think the opening hours are Sat & Sun 12-5pm, but check their website or drop them an email if you're really keen. There is much very interesting historical equipment and many artifacts. Shore Line Trolley Museum, The - Vintage transit vehicle displays plus a 3-mile ride, operated by the Branford Electric Railway Association; East Haven, Connecticut. If youre looking for even more explorations into history while in SoNo, a few historic locations nearby include: This 1868 house is a great place to check out. SoNo Switch Tower is a preserved switch tower in Norwalk, Connecticut, in the United States. Pease Museum of Natural History, 154. A tower operator would operate this mechanism by throwing levers that were connected to the tracks, thus changing the direction of the track. Convenient parking at P2223, 100 N Water Street, Norwalk, CT The interlocking is not only a landmark in the history of safe railroading, it is a landmark in the history of the computers that all of us now use everyday. SoNo Switch Tower Museum Norwalk Connecticut United States of America Hotels Expedia.com Plan your trip Find hotels near SoNo Switch Tower Museum, Norwalk from $90 Check-in Check-out Guests Most hotels are fully refundable. the mechanism of switching trains from one track to another. The following two paragraphs (railway interlocking are the same as the museums switches) are from the foreward to , The Classic Railway Signal Tower, written by Bill Withuhn from the Smithsonian: You have done more than any man living to save human life. So said King Edward VII, when he was the Prince of Wales, to one of the key inventors in the story of the railway interlocking, John Saxby. I cant think of anything more Yuppie than this, right across the street from the Switch Tower Museum: Seriously. Computer-assisted dispatchers manage 700 trains per day up and down the line near Grand Central Terminal. You will not spend much time in the museum but when in South Norwalk (SONO) it is worth a visit. Silver Lake Railroad - 6-mile train rides through the Madison Chain of Ponds, just south of Conway, New Hampshire. (Yvonne stuck with the non-museum Patrick Baker & Sons religious store instead.). Free to visit but gave a donation! Explore an array of SoNo Switch Tower Museum, Norwalk vacation rentals, including houses, apartment and condo rentals & more bookable online. While there commuter trains past by. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Free to visit but gave a donation! CT Audubon Society Center (Glastonbury), 42 & 39. I speak from experience living with one! 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The SoNo Switch Tower Museum is one such museum. The origination of the switching technology is a fascinating story and one that led to important advancements throughout industry. The tower also featured a model board that showed the exact location of each train. By William L. Withuhn (Foreword) 5.0 8 ratings See all formats and editions Hardcover $49.92 2 Used from $49.92 Paperback East Haddam Historical Society Museum, 24. Artifacts line the walls and a few tables here too; old books, old lights, an old Hancock air whistle but the coolest thing was (what I call) an old note-catcher. Now a hands-on museum! THE 10 BEST Indoor Things to Do in Norwalk (Updated 2023) - Tripadvisor And while up in the tower, theres a decent chance an Acela or Amtrak train will rumble by below. Email: info@stantonhouseinn.com Towers were used by railroads to control areas of track, Try, direct self-imports from Europe. Reviewed August 21, 2021. christopherbO9687MP, Acton, Massachusetts. The volunteers love their jobs and share their extensive knowledge of the early and current rail lines. June 13, 2009, [If you're interested in railroading stuff in Connecticut, check out my Railfan Depot page here.]. Address: 509 Westport Ave, Norwalk, CT 06851 3. It has limited hours so check it out before going. 98% of travelers recommend this experience. SoNo Switch Tower Museum - Tripadvisor [1] [2] Often referred to as SoNo, [3] [4] [5] the neighborhood was originally settled as Old Well, then chartered as the city of South Norwalk on August 18, 1870. SoNo Switch Tower Museum 4.5 43 reviews #8 of 29 things to do in Norwalk Speciality Museums Visit website Call Write a review What people are saying " Closed until May " Mar 2022 We wanted to visit since the website says it is open on Sundays, but the gate is locked and there is a sign indicating the facility doesn't open until May 2022. So, No? Sherman Museum of Jewish Civilization, 157. Sigh thank goodness the boys are a little older now. Part of a given pathway cant physically be set and signals given to show the way is clear unless a complete path is set. Mattatuck Museum Arts & History Center, 138. In fact, there is another exhibit at the museum entitled, Metro-North at 25, celebrating the commuter rail line that brings all the billionaire hedge-fund managers in Fairfield County to their Manhattan offices these days. 98% of travelers recommend this experience. Theyd give instructions to the switch towers as to where they were heading so they knew which switches to throw. top of page. The SONO Switch Tower Museum. Heck, just across the tracks and I-95 there are three more museums I didnt even mention yet and one is a rather excellent childrens museum called Stepping Stones. When done at the top we got to see the mechanism on the second floor and there is a small gift shop on the bottom floor. They also housed the mechanism for changing trains from one track to another. Museum is a short walk fromthe Maritime Aquarium. The interlocking is not only a landmark in the history of safe railroading, it is a landmark in the history of the computers that all of us now use everyday. Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information. Railroads used towers to house the mechanism of switching trains from one track to another back in the day. 2 great guys show you around the museum and explain the history of the place. SoNo Switch Tower finds internet fan base - The Hour SoNo Collection SoNo Switch Tower Museum Eco Evolution North Water Street Park Sheffield Island Ferry You get to move the switches, watch the lights and ring the alarms. Stanton House Inn $$ - $$$ American Vegetarian Friendly Vegan Options, $$ - $$$ American International Vegetarian Friendly, $$$$ American Steakhouse Gluten Free Options, $$ - $$$ Latin Mediterranean Spanish, Points of Interest & Landmarks Lighthouses. White Memorial Conservation Center Nature Museum, 152. Eat your Wheaties and wear your track shoes before trying to manage a switch change and then imagine a quarter mile of pipe attached to the other end creating extra weight.
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