CP 421 Upgrade

[LakeATCS]

Well 1 is still OOS, but it looks like the floodgates are open for 2 3 and the freights.

[justalurker66]

First train was 205 entering the plant at 6:56. UP 4450 in the lead.
Still polishing track 1.

205 rounds the curve

205 passes through on track 2

Points removed but still work to do on the curve

[tttodisp]

I have only seen an occasional bit of data from CP 1. Does anyone know if they are still working on it or if it is in a poor location for monitoring?

[justalurker66]

The Kalamazoo Branch crossing Middlebury St (moved south at an angle)

Super elevation!

A new temporary platform for Amtrak (cold asphalt patch - rough to walk on)

[justalurker66]

I have only seen an occasional bit of data from CP 1. Does anyone know if they are still working on it or if it is in a poor location for monitoring?

I received 602 indications with 14% errors. It is broadcasting but with the work at CP 421 I do not believe NS has done final testing at CP 1.

BTW: NS is running westbounds on Track 1! It should be all set for the Amtraks (eastbound) tonight.
(EDIT - NS was testing. See below.)

[justalurker66]

Funny story (unless you had a ticket to board Amtrak eastbound from Elkhart):

Amtrak passed through the station a few minutes late. A small photo line of railfans greeted it's passing.
If I understand the story correctly, Amtrak planned on stopping. Chicago East was not planning on it.
So Chicago East routed the train on Track 2 (Track 1 was still out pending signal testing).
The station agent walked out to the new platform and placed a glo-stick to help spot the train.
The train rolled slowly by on Track 2 with the crew commenting on the different layout on the radio.
The waiting passengers took to their cell phones to find out what Amtrak was planning on doing.

The train rounded the corner slowly ... too slow for the defect detector. Due to the default detector failure the train stopped.
Once the crew was satisfied that there was no defect they continued east.

Maybe 48 will stop. The last I heard 30 will be held at Toledo and passengers will be taken to Toledo by cab.
So if you see a long delay at Toledo, blame NS.

The platform was built for Track 1. If the train had stopped on Track 2 passengers would have had to walk over the rails and ballast.
Track 1 is still OOS at CP 417 with occupancy showing. I am not sure what is there (if anything).
Six pieces of track equipment used today at CP 421 were taken to the MOW track at Oxbow and put away for the night, but that is east of CP 417 and the occupancy is west of CP 417.

Other than that, the CP looks good. NS was testing the Kzoo Branch signal after the Amtrak roll by. If CP 417 clears up trains should make it through on Track 1.

[LakeATCS]

The circuits are not shunted now, and they are doing signal testing on #1 and the Kalzoo branch now

[justalurker66]

A strange situation. Apparently Amtrak will not be stopping until Track 1 is open. However Track 1 appears to be open (not normal signal testing where trains appear and disappear but traffic passing through from CP 412 through CP 417 through CP 421 through CP 423 through 426). Maybe they opened Track 1 after the Amtrak (the train passed just before 1am on Track 2).

There is some work to be done in the curve (removing the rest of the switches were the points were removed). Crews were gathering before 1am and I heard someone earlier in the day talk about bringing people back at 2am to finish up some work.

Otherwise, the 421 decode looks good. The division between the six TK segments with switches and the three eastern TK segments is Main St.

[justalurker66]

29 rolled on track 1 at restricted speed behind a stack train. It paused at the platform then rolled on. At least one passenger left watching.

[tttodisp]

The circuits are not shunted now, and they are doing signal testing on #1 and the Kalzoo branch now

I ran a log overnight and saw nothing at all for CP 1. What feed are you using?

[justalurker66]

The circuits are not shunted now, and they are doing signal testing on #1 and the Kalzoo branch now

I ran a log overnight and saw nothing at all for CP 1. What feed are you using?

Personal antenna.

[tttodisp]

Thanks. I wonder why the local host is not picking it up.

[justalurker66]

Thanks. I wonder why the local host is not picking it up.

Tiny antenna at the CP too far away.

(See the pictures of CP 1 previously in this thread and note that it is on the east side of Elkhart, over a mile and a half east of CP 421.)

BTW: It was fun being trackside with about a half dozen other railfans during the final testing of Track 2 and 3 earlier in the day. One of the NS vehicles had a loudspeaker playing the maintainer's radio feed. So we could hear them call out for certain track segments to be shunted simulating a train running through the plant while lookouts were watching the signals to make sure the correct aspects were being displayed.

[tttodisp]

Did anyone figure out what channel they were using? BNSF seems to use AAR 060 (161.010) for system-wide PTC cutovers.

[Dajudge]

Most workers took day off to recover. All new tracks hooked up and open for business. Note supervisor setting by old bridge with radar gun checking trains for 30 mph. Also note platform has 40 foot of asphalt covering crushed limestone giving passengers something nice to lite on.

[Dajudge]

Here's a few more. Can you pick up the super-elevation on all tracks?

[justalurker66]

Did anyone figure out what channel they were using? BNSF seems to use AAR 060 (161.010) for system-wide PTC cutovers.

Signal maintenance was using 160.71 (40) this evening. 161.13 (68) and/or 161.43 (88) might have been used by other crews. (I only heard 40 today.)

I talked to a passenger who was on 30 last night. Amtrak took him to Toledo and gave him a cab ride back. The conductor was not told that the train was not stopping until after they were past South Bend, otherwise they would have let the passengers off there.

All Amtraks should now stop ... assuming they can find the platform.

[justalurker66]

Most workers took day off to recover. All new tracks hooked up and open for business. Note supervisor setting by old bridge with radar gun checking trains for 30 mph. Also note platform has 40 foot of asphalt covering crushed limestone giving passengers something nice to lite on.

There was a EB this evening that appeared to be going faster than 30 MPH ... but appearances can be deceiving.
There was also a WB that stopped in the curve. They had a red at CP 423 and were too long (still hanging out past CP 421).

The longest GDLK I've ever seen. Must have been 175 cars going 15 mph. Counted 7 axles locked up sliding in the rail.

Hopefully they will be able to get up to 30 MPH after running a few trains (MAS on the track is 30 MPH KH 0.0 to 3.4).
That was easier to do on the main lines (first train 10 MPH, next few trains 25 MPH then open it up to MAS).

All of the switches should be able to handle 30 MPH.

Did you see where the GDLK train went? North Freight?

(It looks like a GDLK train is lined up from Early Bird (CP 423) to the Kalamazoo Branch now.)

EDIT: Passing CP 1

(K31 is probably Local Control)

GDLK-EB.png (3.18 KiB) Viewed 4078 times

[LakeATCS]

darn NS! That is some darn FINE WORK.

[tttodisp]

Can you tell if the 1EAK is shared with the similar block at CP 421? I presume that they are.