Elkhart, Ind.

[Firemedic Mike]

American locomotive crane was working with a tamper, ballast regulator, CAT front-end loader and several MOW trucks on what appeared to be panel switch work at the West end of the yard yesterday. Also there are now two black American cranes in the yard: the usual one with a PRR idler flat, and one with an NS idler flat. Not sure of the numbers on either, and not sure if the second one is at the yard permentantly, but I hadn't seen it until all this work started.

[Jochs]

When I was there yesterday, Main Street in Elkhart was closed and the crossing torn up. I don't go there often enough to notice which tracks and switches have been replaced, provided they don't totally redesign CP 421. (I go there probably once every 4-6 weeks...more often in May with the 765 in town.)

[justalurker66]

When I was there yesterday, Main Street in Elkhart was closed and the crossing torn up. I don't go there often enough to notice which tracks and switches have been replaced, provided they don't totally redesign CP 421. (I go there probably once every 4-6 weeks...more often in May with the 765 in town.)

Main St has been torn up for several weeks. There was a track crew out there when I passed a week or two ago, but that crossing has been out of service since early June.

(On June 8th both tracks one and two were asphalt free - no crossing. The yard tracks had their asphalt and the Kalamazoo line also had asphalt between the rails at Main St. New unused rail remained laid next to both Track 2 and the third track (one pair per track) as well as short segments of new rail along Track 2 around the corner east of Main St. New switches were next to the yard tracks in several places.)

The Main St closing makes it difficult to reach the NYCRR Museum and neighborhood south of the tracks. The city has Prairie St closed at Main St for a sewer project that will extend along Main St to the south. There was a nice tear jerking article in the local paper about a gas station along that stretch that had just opened five or six months ago losing business due to the road closure. Out of pity I bought gas there (hard to reach from McDonald St). Within a week the city closed the station and another station across the street for selling fake pot, despite being warned not to sell the product. I guess they don't have to worry about the lost traffic any more.

[justalurker66]

A bad day in Elkhart-Goshen. Apparently the railroad needs electricity to keep their signals working. Signals from 419 to at least CP 412 were dark most of the day. The crossing gates appeared to be working.

[MaintainerGary]

Apparently the railroad needs electricity to keep their signals working

I'm glad they got the power back up by Martins (Beaver lane). Only five generators left out there...

[justalurker66]

Apparently the railroad needs electricity to keep their signals working

I'm glad they got the power back up by Martins (Beaver lane). Only five generators left out there...

It looks like Peddlers Village got power back around 10pm. Hopefully that ends the need for bring your own power.

[justalurker66]

I saw a good example of why the third track is needed this morning around 3am:

There was a nice parade of trains eastbound on two and westbound on one ... pretty much fleeted signals with trains flowing through non-stop. Then a northbound Marion train arrived. CP 415 WB went Medium Approach after an EB train passed. CP 415 EB turned to stop ... the EB train cleared CP 412 as the Marion train waited (blocking crossings through town). The Marion train got a Slow Clear and proceeded until just short of Green Rd and stopped (I'm not sure why it stopped there - the signal was showing Approach Medium). Then it rolled forward and took the diverging route.

Meanwhile EB trains started to stack up. One stopped at CP 415 with the end just clear of the nearby crossing at Ferndale Rd. The next stopped short of Sunnyside (4172E) by the time the Marion train reached Indiana Ave there was already a third EB taking it's place in line. Bringing that Marion train to the yard stopped EB traffic for at least three trains and slowed everything behind it.

The connection between CP 412 and CP 415 will certainly help ... both with the congestion on the railroad as well as the blocked streets as the Marion train waited for a clear signal.

[t.winx]

I appreciate all the updates, guys! Any word on when that 3rd main will be completed? Have they even broken the dirt yet?

[justalurker66]

I appreciate all the updates, guys! Any word on when that 3rd main will be completed? Have they even broken the dirt yet?

The base has been prepared ... and the contractor left town after finishing that. They still need ballast and ties to go along with the reused rail that they have laid out. None of the crossing gates or signals have been moved to make way for the third track at crossings.

Over the last week (including today) crews were out working on Track 2 near Goshen. Most of the crossings between 412 and 415 have been closed for about a week.

[twropr]

Do you ever see an instance where a heads-up DS runs the WB from the Marion Branch on TK 2 so that TK 1 is open for the eastbounds?

Andy

I saw a good example of why the third track is needed this morning around 3am:

There was a nice parade of trains eastbound on two and westbound on one ... pretty much fleeted signals with trains flowing through non-stop. Then a northbound Marion train arrived. CP 415 WB went Medium Approach after an EB train passed. CP 415 EB turned to stop ... the EB train cleared CP 412 as the Marion train waited (blocking crossings through town). The Marion train got a Slow Clear and proceeded until just short of Green Rd and stopped (I'm not sure why it stopped there - the signal was showing Approach Medium). Then it rolled forward and took the diverging route.

Meanwhile EB trains started to stack up. One stopped at CP 415 with the end just clear of the nearby crossing at Ferndale Rd. The next stopped short of Sunnyside (4172E) by the time the Marion train reached Indiana Ave there was already a third EB taking it's place in line. Bringing that Marion train to the yard stopped EB traffic for at least three trains and slowed everything behind it.

The connection between CP 412 and CP 415 will certainly help ... both with the congestion on the railroad as well as the blocked streets as the Marion train waited for a clear signal.

[justalurker66]

Do you ever see an instance where a heads-up DS runs the WB from the Marion Branch on TK 2 so that TK 1 is open for the eastbounds?

The Marion train in my example ran WB on track 2 up to the siding. Track 1 was clear but the eastbounds were stacking up on track 2 west of CP 415. I believe there was a WB that crossed over from track 1 at CP 412 to follow the Marion train into the yard. I don't know why it was not run track 1 to CP 421 ... perhaps track 1 to the yard is not desirable. But getting the siding extended from CP 415 to CP 412 will get the Marion train out of the way.

[conrail7695]

Well I was at CD-421 on Friday 18 July and saw that a lot of switches had been installed on the inbound runner to the yard. There was some new ballast on track 2 as well.. Tonight I go to the same spot and there are two new switches build and ready to install for the coach track to track two , and track 2 on to the Kalamazoo branch connected to the diamond at Main ST.. NS sure has been very busy the last few days building these two switches. I hope to go down tomorrow or a day or so later and watch this install. On another not, as I was watching trains tonight. I also caught a very late working track gang on track 2 tonight doing some final ballast/ track leveling work at about 419 to 421. There cleared that track warrant at about 22:59 this very late this evening. I HOPE TO GIVE ANOTHER REPORT IN A DAY OR SO WITH SOME PHOTO'S.

[j_c1987]

Since Elkhart is the topic I was hoping someone has any info on this coach. I think its a baggage car. I make frequent stops around the museum and Station every weekend and it is the first time I have ever seen the thing.

http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... ssageBlock

[justalurker66]

Here is a link to the roster at the museum:
http://www.elkhartindiana.org/departmen ... tureid=154

I'm not sure what that car is (or was).

[Firemedic Mike]

Former EL RPO. Off the rails but still on trucks and used by locals to conduct activities related to unlicensed pharmaceutical transactions and an unsanctioned homeless shelter and a place for persons to offer adult entertainment activities. (Read crackhouse, bum camp and whorehouse.) The thing has been on fire at least three times that I know of, the body is badly deteriorated, and it is a fairly unattractive nuisance.

[Firemedic Mike]

Other notes to the NNYCRR Museum Roster: NNYX 902, the three bay covered hopper, was LCEX 902, donated by Lonestar Cement. Also there used to be an ex-NYC boom car that went with the X-28 Crane. It was a wood sided car, possibly a gondola, with a a small cabin on it. It held water tanks and piping to resupply the crane. The car was burned, but the steel frame was intact. Sadly the museum cut apart the car in the early to mid 2000s. I helped to torch it once the efforts had started, but I truely do believe that the car could have easily been saved with the replacement of the wood decking and the sides of cabin. To give you an idea what the car looked like, it was similar to this, if not exact: http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/fun/fun6620.htm . The car was de-trucked, but the trucks were by it. It was PC green, but I believe it may have had MNCX reporting remarks. My memory is kinda fuzzy. Anyway, at the time it was decided to scrap the thing, and so scrap it we did. Sadly, it would have been great to preserve, but the resources were not there. It sat between the museum and where the pictured EL RPO sit now until it was burned, and then later cut up with a torch and hauled away.

[justalurker66]

I stopped by the station yesterday evening to look at the new turnouts for track 2. "CP 421 MAIN TWO #9" and "CP 421 MAIN TWO #5".

Here is a quick picture taken from the closed main street crossing.

http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... play_media

[conrail7695]

That are the two switches I referred to a few posts back.. hope to find out when the install will occur.. I really want to see this work done!!

I stopped by the station yesterday evening to look at the new turnouts for track 2. "CP 421 MAIN TWO #9" and "CP 421 MAIN TWO #5".

Here is a quick picture taken from the closed main street crossing.

http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... play_media

[justalurker66]

FYI: Track crews were out working the coach track by the Elkhart Amtrak station late this afternoon.

[conrail7695]

WHAT WERE THEY DOING AS FOR WORK ALONG THE COACH TRACK? RAILGANG?

FYI: Track crews were out working the coach track by the Elkhart Amtrak station late this afternoon.