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The present RU Cabin, strategically located at the east throat of Russell Terminal, was constructed in the early 1930s as part of the road's plant modernization plan, replacing a wooden structure. It was originally built to the road's standard rectangular brick design, but then had an extension added to the lower level to house car clerks. The addition did nothing for its looks, but served its purpose for many years. In the upper portion of the tower an operator could look east down the triple track mainline with its crossovers and signal bridges, and west at the passenger main to the left, the tracks fanning out into Russell's five yards in the center, and the "River Lead" to the engine terminal and shops on the right. The operator controlled all movement in and out of the east end of the terminal. Downstairs in the front extension of the tower, a clerk watched trains entering the terminal and dictated car owner and number into a telephone line to a recording device two miles away. Other clerks would then transcribe the data into switch lists for the yardmasters. In this day of computers and automatic car scanners, it is hard to imagine a clerk visually recording the thousands of cars a day that passed the RU window. At its peak, RU controlled 26 pneumatically operated turnouts and related signals, nine crossovers, and two train order semaphores through a 43-lever electropneumatic machine. In 1944, during the peak war years, RU was moved 900' to the east as part of a major realignment of yard tracks. The move was staged over a four-day period while all yard activities continued. After decades of vital service, RU was closed as a manned tower on December 4, 1999 and its functions were transferred to the CSX central dispatching facility in Jacksonville, Florida. The east end of Russell Terminal was within a few feet of a city street, affording a safe and photogenic locale for generations of railfans. It was also notable for two landmarks: RU Cabin and multi-track signal bridges spaced closely together. On September 7, 1955 Bill Clynes framed a westbound manifest passing by RU amidst the bridges. The photo is also notable for capturing a rare F7 A/B consist and for the three C&O cattle cars just behind the lead boxcar. C&O's F7s tended to be found most often in three-unit sets until the 1960s, when they ceded their front-line duties to the newer second-generation units. (William T Clynes)

Photograph from Chesapeake & Ohio In Color Volume 3 by Jeremy F. Plant and William McClure III..

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