Elkhart, Ind.

[BIG AMISH]

The new switches at 421 (in front of the depot) for track 2 and the coach track were installed Tuesday afternoon.

[conrail7695]

HOLLY HELL I missed it.. crap!. Witch means if that was done there in the neighborhood doing the rest of them at 419 and 417.. need to go down and see what I can see.. THANKS for the heads up big AMISH!

The new switches at 421 (in front of the depot) for track 2 and the coach track were installed Tuesday afternoon.

[justalurker66]

I knew I should have gone downtown yesterday. Thanks for the heads up!

[conrail7695]

I went down as soon as I heard. If you look west from 421 you can see the 423 CP area and I did see in my Binoculars two speed swings and a back hole doing work. Thinking that was them because some one had a track warrant at 423 for 12 hours. I hope to see them move EAST to add the other new switches in at 417, and 415...I hope I hope!

I knew I should have gone downtown yesterday. Thanks for the heads up!

[justalurker66]

There was still one new switch just north of the track east of the Kalamazoo Branch diamond. It looks like a replacement for the track 1 switch that branches to track 2 eastbound. The switch has been there for a few weeks.

[justalurker66]

A visitor today ... running solo eastbound with a stack train.

[justalurker66]

Photo taken earlier today at CP 415 showing the WB (Track 2) signal:


The concrete base was built earlier this week. It looks like there is rebar sticking up for a building or a concrete pad to be added to the top. Is this the base for a new CP415 signal? It is far enough from the tracks that the new siding extension would pass between the concrete base and the two main lines - and allow removal of the existing CP415 WB signal if a new one is placed on a cantilever.

[MaintainerGary]

Elkhart yard is overflowing with all the cantilevers that are going to go up around Elkhart/Goshen. Three C&S construction crews are working in this area.

[justalurker66]

I like seeing progress.

The mast is in place at CP 415 WB this evening ... with the signal bridge sitting next to the mast on the ground. The bridge is prewired for one three headed signal. (I was wrong about the "rebar" ... those are the bolts used to mount the mast to the base. A lot of bolts.)

EDIT: The signals were added to the bridge Wednesday - Vader signals in the same pattern as the current CP 415 WB signal. The bridge is still on the ground.

I also noticed a base waiting for a signal (no mast yet) at Peddler's Village Rd on the north side of the tracks just east of 4141W.

There is also a new base for the northbound crossing signal at Badger Rd (Martins). The track crew has moved both rails to the south side of the new alignment ... and there are some ties laid out near the car tag reader at Greene Rd. Still plenty of work to do ... but progress is visible.

[justalurker66]

There are now a lot more ties laid out between 414 and 412. The ties east of Badger Lane by Martin's have rails on top of them.

I wonder if the story can be told ... the base for the new signal at 414 (replacing 4141E/4141W/4142E/4142W) has been moved across the tracks. It was on the north side ... it is now on the south side of the tracks with enough of a gap for the third set of tracks. So ... was it placed on the north side of the tracks in error? Or was there a last minute design change?

[justalurker66]

Daily progress ... there is a crane with two flatbeds on the MOW siding near Meijer. It got a workout today. Most of the switches that were set out in the yard have been deployed elsewhere along the track between Elkhart and Goshen. The four at 417 (Concord Mall) are still there.

This morning the mast was put in place for the new 414 signals. It looks like the south side of the track was better.

More ties were laid out north of Beaver Lane (Martins). And at Indiana Ave the mast for the new crossing gate south of the current signals is in place (no gate or cantilever yet).

[justalurker66]

4141E and 4142E as the sun sets on the old intermediates.

[justalurker66]

Courtesy of the Elkhart Truth:

Crews have been working along the tracks that run from Indiana Avenue, along U.S. 33 to the C.R. 17 overpass. Norfolk Southern is installing a third track that will help divert traffic heading in opposite directions.

Over the next few weeks, some of the crossings will be closed while crews finish working in the area:
* The Beaver Lane crossing will be closed Monday, Sept. 22, and is expected to reopen Wednesday
* The Indiana Avenue crossing will close Wednesday and reopen Friday
* Green Road’s railroad crossing will be closed Monday, Oct. 6, and reopen Wednesday
* The Peddler’s Village crossing will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 8, and reopen on Friday

The crossing gates have been relocated at Beaver Lane and Indiana Avenue providing clearance for the third track.
There is a pre-built panel near the Beaver Lane crossing, ready to me moved into place Monday.

The overhead portion of the new CP 415 WB signal is in place ... the track crews seem impatient, setting out ties right up to the old (still active) signal on both sides of the signal. But based on the above timetable, we should be seeing crossing gate moves/construction at Green Road and Peddler's Village in the next two weeks in preparation for the third track in those two locations the week after (Oct 6th). Perhaps even the move of the signals at 414 to the new cantilever.

Four of the switches previously stored at the yard near 415 are laid out near the new 417. I believe the other two are in Goshen.

In other news:
INDOT and Goshen are moving forward on a plan to buy four properties in Goshen, closing the crossings of 9th St and Washington (perhaps leaving only a foot/bicycle path crossing) and moving the Marion branch curve southwest to allow trains to pass at 20 MPH. Currently trains slow to 10 MPH. They hope to complete this realignment next year (2015) before INDOT begins work on the road realignment of US 33 through Goshen in 2016.

[lakeshoredave]

wow what a shot of that vgn unit alone on a stack train

[justalurker66]

Thanks ... it is nice to catch something unexpected when hunting something else.


BTW: Beaver Lane is open ... Indiana Ave is closed. The crossing gate has been moved at Peddler's Village (and has a "3 Tracks" sign in advance of the third track installation. The new base is under construction for the south crossing gate at Greene Rd.

The new road signals actually fit between the new track and the turn lanes on US 33! There is an auxiliary signal at Peddler's Village so people in the right turn lane see a crossing gate light before turning right into the gate.

Still single lane gates at all four affected crossing - no upgrade to quad gates.

[MaintainerGary]

I was told that they need everything ready for the third track project by October fifth because the ballast train is set to drop stone on the sixth. Subject to change......

[justalurker66]

A brief update ...
The final crossing gate move (Green Rd) was completed this morning (a new walk out cantilever), Now only train signals stand in the way of the new rails.
Indiana Ave remains closed a week after construction began there.

[justalurker66]

Hmmm ... apparently "closed Wednesday, open Friday" didn't mean the same week ... or the next week. Indiana Ave remains closed after two weeks.

The Peddler's Village crossing closed on schedule and it looks like it will be open late today. Green Rd is the last crossing that needs a third track ... the panel is built and ready to drop in once Peddlers Village is open. The track crew is working around the 414-2 signals.

Something seems strange about the new cantilever at 414. Signal heads were put up for one track but they seemed to line up over the future track 3. Two of the heads were moved, but it does not appear the cantilever is long enough to serve both tracks one and two. Maybe they should have put it on the north side of the tracks where the base was originally installed?

The new crossing signals look good along US 33 ... and with the lights for the turn lanes one can see which crossings are activated for a good distance.

[rob46580]

Why will the track 1 signal need to be moved to signal bridge? It should be fine with one where the current one is.

[justalurker66]

Why will the track 1 signal need to be moved to signal bridge? It should be fine with one where the current one is.

Consistency would be nice ... but it would not be the first time a signal was replaced and a nearby old signal was not touched. (CP 397 would be a good example.)