CP 421 Upgrade

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justalurker66
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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Missed on Wednesday due to darkness and a train on the Coach Track that pulled up within a car length of the dwarf ... the future EB signal bridge on the ground waiting for installation and new switches between the freight track and Coach Track awaiting installation (with the EB signal bridge in the background).
cp421-Aug5th-1.jpg
cp421-Aug5th-2.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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cp421-Aug8th-1.jpg
cp421-Aug8th-2.jpg

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Saturnalia
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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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This is going to be a very interesting project - thanks for documenting!
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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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According to Elk crews as of now they're doubling crews. They're going to shove trains toward 426 westbound thru the work area when permission is granted. Crew in yard will shove eastbound trains toward 421when permitted. All subject to change of course on a day by day basis.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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If this is true then NS might connect the old main #1 after the diamond is removed directly to the Elk.

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justalurker66
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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Super Chief wrote:According to Elk crews as of now they're doubling crews. They're going to shove trains toward 426 westbound thru the work area when permission is granted. Crew in yard will shove eastbound trains toward 421when permitted. All subject to change of course on a day by day basis.
Trying to understand: It sounds like you are saying Grand Elk will need to shove cars through CP 421 instead of pulling cars through with an engine leading? That would make sense if they are setting a weight limit and do not want engines to pass over the restricted track. Push the cut through and have engines on the other side of the restriction take over when the cars have been pushed far enough (cutting off the pushing engines). Is that what you mean?

Lead WB engines could be cut off at Prairie St and run up the Elkhart and Western to get them out of the way, but that would require another set of engines behind the train. Then NS engines west of the restriction could pick up the train. EB trains would be easier with NS pushing out of the yard past the restriction.

But until Track 2 is taken out of service I don't see the need. Trains should be able to run on Track 2 to CP 423 and into the yard there, It seems like that would be a lot less hassle. I can see a weight restriction on the track connecting Track 2 to the current North Freight track (construction crews are working near that connection). But I don't see NS severely restricting Track 2. They need that track open for their own trains.

I am going to try to keep an eye on CP 421 as much as possible. If I see any tracks removed or new switches installed I'll post what I see. In addition to the switches in the photos above it appears that crews are working on a new LH turnout that will be placed west of the current South Freight track's current EB signal.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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I just don't see where any of the changes will prevent the GDLK from entering the Chicago Line for any extended period of time. There would definitely be speed restrictions over new track, but if you can run a train over it, power can, too.
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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Another idea they're talking about is putting an engine on each end of the train? I've still got to find out why the construction has brought about these ideas their discussing?
It has not been mentioned of late trains going to Detroit via NS then back down the Michigan line to Kazoo. They're trying to keep the normal traffic pattern during the construction which now sounds like thru to Thanksgiving if Main St. Is to be closed till 11/22.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Super Chief wrote:Another idea they're talking about is putting an engine on each end of the train? I've still got to find out why the construction has brought about these ideas their discussing?
This is one of those times where "we will see" might be the best answer. I do not see a reason for a long shut down.
Super Chief wrote:It has not been mentioned of late trains going to Detroit via NS then back down the Michigan line to Kazoo.
It was mentioned one week ago in this thread.
Super Chief wrote:They're trying to keep the normal traffic pattern during the construction which now sounds like thru to Thanksgiving if Main St. Is to be closed till 11/22.
The crossing was open last night. Elkhart has the go cart races this weekend. If NS is closing main street (temporarily) I have not seen any preparation to do that.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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The Elkhart Truth mentioned the crossing is going to be closed, the Detroit trains on this thread were to start 8/9 and Elk had a lot of issues yesterday which kept them in Michigan for a very long time 302/102 was broke down in Constantine and 501 died behind them at 5pm.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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From Tuesday's edition (I am a Sunday only subscriber):
http://www.elkharttruth.com/hometown/el ... 011c6.html

"The crossing will be closed to motorists starting at about 9 a.m. on Aug. 13. It is expected to reopen to vehicular traffic around the last week of November. Motorists traveling south on Main Street will be detoured onto Middlebury Street; motorists traveling north will be detoured to Prairie Street. Drivers are encouraged to use caution while traveling in the area.

"During the closure, Norfolk Southern will replace existing track infrastructure through the crossing with new tracks, switches, and signals. The work includes realigning the track infrastructure to reduce future maintenance outages and improve the flow of train traffic through the crossing."


I stopped this afternoon (and saw the NS Local serving the E&W pass through, caboose leading the train). All tracks remain in place.

I was able to confirm (for what it is worth) 1WAK is still active in ATCS and reflects a train beyond the switch on the lead to the E&W. The switch is a hand throw and when open the track (2WAK) was "OOS". It will be interesting to see if anything carries through to the new interlocking. The train ran through CP 421 to the North Freight lead.

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justalurker66
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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Lets get this party started ...
cp421-170813.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Monday's work was on the North Freight track.
The switches that were north of North Freight were installed in North Freight.
(Tracks at "Sw 2" and "Sw 4" are no longer connected.)
cp421-170815.jpg
cp421-170815z.jpg
BTW: It is hard to be sure, but it appears that "Sw 1" may also be disconnected between North Freight and South Freight.
I have not seen "1RWK" in a few of weeks in my logs of CP 421.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Sounds like Grand Elk will indeed run traffic via Detroit to some extent during this construction.
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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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A train entered CP 421 from GDLK (routed to Track 2 WB) at 8:04am yesterday morning.
A train went from Track 3 at 1:35pm, kept the approach track occupied (without passing the GDLK signal) then returned to Track 3 at 2:32pm.
A train went eastbound through CP 421 from Track 2 to GDLK at 3:46pm yesterday afternoon.

Nothing has passed to or from GDLK today (so far) but there is an occupancy (since 11:50am) east of the signal.
(There have been several other occupancies of GDLK east of their signal over the past couple of days that cleared up with the train going back east.)

It looks like another busy day for construction - this time on South Freight. Sw 2 (the crossover between North Freight and the Coach Track) went out of correspondence around 8:03am.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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ATCS shows a train passing westbound from GDLK to Track 2 at about 3:11pm. The occupancy east of the GDLK signal was not cleared.
A train has just been cleared (7:43pm) eastbound back to GDLK from Track 2.

Trains have been passing today on Tracks 1 and 2 as well as on North Freight (when clear of people).
The Coach Track, South Freight and Track 3 from CP 417 have been OOS.
cp421-170816.jpg
Waiting for the dust to clear ...
The straight track that was north of North Freight replaced the removed switch on South Freight.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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The Elk was routed after going thru 421from their track to track 2 wb then switched over to track 1 to Osceola past 426 so Amtrak could be switched to track 2 behind them. Then Chicago East dispatcher radioed them and asked if rear of train had protection. They then proceeded to back entire train into yard on approach lead. This is the pull and shove method the crews said they would have to do to get into yard for a while. Don't know if they have to pull an outbound eb train back to 426 then shove it toward 421 or not till verified.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Since the Elk has to do this end around move to get into yard whats the east end of the yard like? All NS east bounds waiting to get thru 421?

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Just got a confirmation from yesterdays crew after all the moves to get the wb train into the yard they did tie on to the outbound train shoved west out of yard past 426 and pulled east towards 421 on track 2 to get back home.

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Re: CP 421 Upgrade

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Super Chief wrote:Since the Elk has to do this end around move to get into yard whats the east end of the yard like? All NS east bounds waiting to get thru 421?
NS has managed to keep either North Freight or South Freight open all week with some temporary times when both are blocked but then one opens for trains to pass. Today both are open and everything is normal on the east end of the yard (except the crossovers between North and South Freight and the crossover to the Coach Track for the Kalamazoo branch). Trains seem to be flowing freely.

Going past CP 426 then backing in exceeds GDLK's trackage rights but if it is easier to get the train across the yard that way than through CP 423 it works. Theoretically they could also go west through CP 421, reverse through CP 421 one train length then go back west on North or South Freight. But doing the shuffle at CP 426 saves going through the construction zone three times. I am

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