Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne Line

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Y@
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Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne Line

Unread post by Y@ »

Could anyone provide me with a track chart or list of milepost locations of this line between Gary and Lima? I don't know much about the line aside from the towns it goes through. Mainly looking for siding locations and the mileposts that go with them, but other mileposts information is welcome as well.
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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by MSchwiebert »

As things are now, or before Conrail "rationalized" it?

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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

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As they are now. :)
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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by MSchwiebert »

Fortunately, I've got a couple of old CSX Great Lakes Service Lane ETT's that have the former PRR listed. Now they don't list every town (for example West of Lima, Convoy is not listed as it has/had neither a block limit sign or a siding) but it should give a general idea.

Starting @ Lima and going west:

Sugar Street (I&O Crossing) MP 259.6
Lima (CSX/NS Crossing) MP 260.3
Cole (east end of 13,000 ft siding) MP 261.9
Delphos MP 274.5
Van Wert MP 287.4
Estry (Crossing with former Cincinnati Northern) MP 287.8
OH/IN State line MP 300.4 (in the "town" of Dixon)
Adams (Jct. with former GR&I to Decatur) MP 314
Piqua Rd. (Ft. Wayne Yard) MP 317.5
"MIKE" (NS Huntington District Crossing) MP 319.2
Arcola MP 328.0
Essex (3500 ft. siding just east of Columbia City IN) 332.5
Pierceton MP 350.0
Winona (12000 ft siding just east of Warsaw) MP 357
Warsaw (Crossing w/Marion Branch) MP 358.7
Gale (8300 ft siding west of Warsaw) MP 361.0
Selby (9815 ft siding) MP 363.0
Atwood MP 365.5
Bourbon MP 373.0
Plymouth Jct (Crossing with former NKP Indy - Michigan City line) MP 383.8
Hamlet MP 398.7
Hanna (Crossing with former C&O of Indiana) MP 408.8
Ewing MP 414.2
Valpo MP 424.2
CN Crossing MP 426.9
Spriggsboro (Control point that uses the former PRR along with with the parallel former NKP as double track) MP 427.4
Wheeler MP 431.0
East Hobart MP (End of double track operation with former NKP) MP 433.0
Current end of Track MP 443.2

I did not include locations for HBD/DED's because they are probably no longer the same as what's listed. I'm not familiar enough with the out of service section to know precisely what that entails, but I believe that the track west of there is mostly in but not used. Somewhat surprisingly, the ETT did not list a siding at Hamlet, there is a rather lengthy one there that is used by the elevator for loading out grain trains, indeed the co-op owner was one of the most vocal opponents to Conrail's plans to abandon the line west of Warsaw after Amtrak left. I also do not know how frequently the "double track" west of Warsaw is used by NS these days either, (same goes for the connection track at Plymouth - if it's still there) Finally I did not include the additional connection tracks that NS put in a few years back in Ft. Wayne to smooth traffic flows in town (mostly to get New Castle district traffic off of the track between Runion and Junction tower), but it's a start.

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Y@
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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by Y@ »

Thanks for the info Mike, it's a big help and greatly appreciated!
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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by Mr. Tops »

Just a few more notes...

The siding at Essex is much larger than 3500 ft. Don't know how long exactly, but I do remember the west end is MP 333. There are three customers served from the siding; SDI, Superior Essex and the co-op on the very west end of the siding. SDI itself has a 9 track yard within their facility that both CF&E and NS use; scrap metal in and structural beams out.

Gale/Selby Siding are connected, it is actually one big siding with a crossover in the middle; east of the crossover is Gale, west of it is Selby. Before I went back to UP, the west end of Gale Siding (referred to as "Gale Lead") was used for the westbound setout/pickup of Warsaw traffic and Sleby was used for storage, as was Winona Siding. There is also a small yard off Gale Siding used by the Warsaw local (WAVA) mainly for storage of Donnelly cars. The east end of Gale Siding is used for eastbound setout/pickup of Warsaw traffic.

There is also a siding with a crossover in the middle of it in Hamlet as already noted for grain trains and a smaller siding at Valpo used mostly as a runaround track for the WAVA when they switch VonTobel. East of Mike, there is a siding bascially used as a yard track, called "2 west". Ft. Wayne yard consists of (from S to N) the main and 1-6 tracks. The siding continues east of the yard lead all the way to Adams, where the Decatur brach comes off.

The western most point on the CF&E is Tolleston, where it dumps into CSX's Porter Brach. The track west from there is removed, as is the diamond. However, the switch that would take you between the SE connection and straight across the Porter Branch is still in place, though if they ever lined the switch straight away, you wouldn't make it very far...maybe 10 feet before you came off the rails. :lol:

The newer connection at "Junction" allows NS trains from the south access the NKP to Chicago via the connection at "Sand" and vice versa. 235 however, sometimes does not take the connection at Sand and uses CF&E all the way to "County" in Hobart where there is a connection to the NKP. Signalled territory from Mike to Sand, track warrant from Sand to CN Crossing at Spriggsboro, then signalled again from CN Crossing to County and then track warrant from County to Tolleston.

Any other questions, just ask...I don't remember everything; it's been 8 months since I've been back at UP making the big $$$$. I sorta remember but most of the mileposts, I don't. "ThatGuy" that can offer his expertise or just ask Auggie. I would also follow the line on Bing or Google maps in satellite view to learn it, if you haven't already.

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Y@
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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

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Thanks Bob. Good stuff there!
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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by CSX_CO »

Mr. Tops wrote:The western most point on the CF&E is Tolleston, where it dumps into CSX's Porter Brach. The track west from there is removed, as is the diamond. However, the switch that would take you between the SE connection and straight across the Porter Branch is still in place, though if they ever lined the switch straight away, you wouldn't make it very far...maybe 10 feet before you came off the rails. :lol:
Last I knew, the track was still in the weeds, and was reinstalled when CSX took over control of the former PRR from Conrail. They put the diamonds in at Tolleston and rehabbed the track up to the NYC at CP 499 (or is it CP 500?). When the van traffic didn't materialize as they'd hope for the PRR (which would have been the big user of this connection up to Park Manor), then they pulled the diamonds at Tolleston and Clark Jct. I'm not so sure the line ever saw a revenue move after split date.

As far as Hamlet, it could be the elevator actually owns the siding there now, and wasn't listed in the 1999 timetable as the railroad couldn't use it for meets. That and the CSX timetables were pretty spartan on their in depth details.

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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by sd70accsxt700 »

I see the same you are seeing CSX-CO as it appears to still be in the weeds. In fact at the diamond at Clark Jct. to the south the tracks are in the weeds and look long abandon. But just north of the diamond, the tracks look ready for van trains and Amtrak, but they dont go any where.
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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by MSchwiebert »

Thanks for the additions & comments! I lived in Ft. Wayne from 1993 to 1997, so I got to see the NS's use of the former PRR increase west of Ft. Wayne.(A "golden era" compared to now!) As for the siding at Essex, did that get lengthened as part of SDI going in?

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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by Chris7092 »

Quite a few various NS trains use the CF&E west of Ft. Wayne. The info I heard was something about needing to run one train per day to keep the trackage rights agreement. I've seen 235/25A/261/262/282 and others use the CF&E. The only trains I don't see use it are the super hot 217/218 and the 215/216/295...anything else appears to be fair game.

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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by Mr. Tops »

I know I heard other trains out there while I worked there. 235 was always the sure bet. I also occasioanlly heard 236 and I want to say 295 or something like that...a higher 200-series train. I do believe it is one train per day although I'm not sure how closely they follow that agreement.

As far as Essex Siding goes, I'd have to imagine it was extended at some point if the old timetable said it was 3500 ft. Whether it was when SDI came along or not, I couldn't tell you.

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Re: Looking for help/details on the CSX (ex PRR) Fort Wayne

Unread post by Chris7092 »

Definitely could have been 295, that runs out there as well.

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