More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

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csxt4617
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More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by csxt4617 »

Looks like CSX is going to be cutting in more new signals on the GR sub this week. I see on their curfew page there's a train control project this week from Joy Holdout to west end Livingston. They've got new signals installed, but bagged from the west end of New Buffalo to Livingston (didn't see any new ones at either end of Livingston, so they must not be doing those yet). One point of interest, they put in cantilevers at the west end New Buffalo and east end Sawyer. I think that's the first cantilever signals west of Grand Rapids. (I know there'ss one near Godfrey in GR, and some on the Plymouth sub)

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

New cantilever signals, really? Cool! If anyone can get any photos after they are cut in that would be great to see. I wonder why they decided to put up more than just a pair of mast signals in...?

csxt4617
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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

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Looks like the next phase is getting ready to start. Saw a bunch of trucks unloading containers and some signal bases this morning near the old car house in Benton Harbor. Not sure how far they'll be going, other than starting at West End Livingston (where they left off). I did notice while out driving near Stevensville over the weekend little marker flags on the ground at some of the crossings, so the utility companies have their underground stuff marked.

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by amtrak1007 »

GP30M4216 wrote:New cantilever signals, really? Cool! If anyone can get any photos after they are cut in that would be great to see. I wonder why they decided to put up more than just a pair of mast signals in...?
I have to make a run to Michigan City Friday, and was planning on taking photos of the signals on the line. Look for postings sunday or monday of intersting or new signals.

CSXT4617 they started at Porter and worked their way east correct?

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

Hey Amtrak1007, if you get a chance, check out the unusual tri-light signals in the St. Joe/B-H area between the Benton Harbor yard and St. Joe swing bridge. I'm curious to know if they're still there.

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

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GP30M4216 wrote:Hey Amtrak1007, if you get a chance, check out the unusual tri-light signals in the St. Joe/B-H area between the Benton Harbor yard and St. Joe swing bridge. I'm curious to know if they're still there.


Thanks for the reminder. I'll try to get those!

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by csxt4617 »

New signals are installed and in service from Porter to West End Livingston (not including WE Livingston).
Yes, the triangular tri-lights are still there at the west end of the yard, and are VERY accessible now, with
the construction of the new road. Only the EB one on #2 main has all 3 lights though. The WB one on #1
has 2 on the top (yellow/red) and one on the bottom (green). Both signals are slightly different the way
the heads are mounted to the masts. There might also be at least one at 85 too, not sure. There used to
be a pair of them, but I think at least one was replaced a few years back.

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

I got a couple photos of the EB signal at 86.9 from the new road (what a GREAT place for a new road!). Unfortunately, I never saw any eastbound trains to warrant a photo of the WB signal.... should have done it without a train anyhow.

4617, thanks for the extra details. Amtrak1007, thanks for taking a look for myself and anyone else who is interested!

Image

Image

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

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Man, I'd sure like to get one of those old signals. While a full 3 target signal might be too much for MY property, a nice little dwarf of "pot signal" would be really nice in my garden. Does anyone know the disposition of these signals? I'd like to be able to contact someone for a possible purchase. Scrap prices are low these days, perhaps CSX or whoever is disposing of the old signals would like a better price for one.

Todd

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

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Saw more trucks unloading stuff today.
Good shots there GP30. They've done some work on the power lines. They've moved the ones across that open field (which is in the middle of being converted to a golf course) and now there's a new set running on the north side of the tracks along that new road. They shouldn't spoil photos, so it's no biggie. Alot of work going on in the area with the new golf course. All the old buildings along Graham St (which is on the north side of the yard) were all removed too. Of course, at one time, there was about half a dozen spurs from the yard crossing Graham St to all those now-gone factories. No wonder they had a yard there. Probably kept several crews busy 24/7.

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by csxt4617 »

Signals are now starting to arrive...saw them unloading a flatbed today with an absolute and 2 intermediate back-to-backs. Hopefully I can get a better look at them this weekend when the signal crews aren't around ;D If they're like the previous ones, they'll have the location written on the bottom of the base, along with the color lenses each head has. It looks like they're doing the prep work at the crossings as well. Have seen new utility poles for the new crossing signal bungalows, and orange tubing buried under the road crossings.

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by donnieland »

it looks like they are replacing the sreachlite signals with the new signals just like the ctc was installed
on the east and west end of the pm - c&o grand rapids div
1st to get ctc seymour to lake odessa - ctc control machine located at elmdale
2nd was porter to st joe ( didn't control bridge eb abs at we bridge ) the old power switch and signals
were approx 1000' south of the station at st joe - real close to the street bridge to the beach
ctc control machine located at new buffalo
3rd was st joe to grandville with machine located at waverly
after consolidation of dispatcher in gr at union depot and then wyoming yard
4th east yard plymouth to p co junction
the 12" south lyon control panel was next to the east yard to p co jun section and the new seymour
to lake odessa ( old panels out - new grs panels in - ctc same old but with spring switches replaced
we fox and at least one other location - believe seymour) with power switches- dispatchers faced
the east yard to p co jun panels with the 6' dispatchers sheet - to's were still in use between
lake o and north lansing and lansing and south lyon
5th was the trowbridge to sheldon rd ctc was installed
6th was a small panel on the hotbox readout table for ensel ( at that time north lansing to lansing was still
conrail controled by ma tower )
don baxter

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by csxt4617 »

Another update:
A few more signals have shown up, and some disappeared. I noticed new back-to-backs are now installed at Hilltop and Vine (next to the old ones, and are bagged, of course). Also saw one of the new Livingston bungalows (don't remember if it was east end or west end). Looks like they may be putting in some sort of advanced approach going eastbound at Vine, as the eastbound signal has 2 heads (there's another regular signal block at Hilltop, so it should only have one). I'm guessing it's because of the down-grade from Hilltop to the bridge, it'll probably show Approach Medium if the bridge isn't lined up.

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

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Just an update, they're still working on putting in the new ones from WE Livingston to St Joseph. Back to back intermediates are installed next to the old ones at Hilltop (90) and Vine (92), but Stevensville is moved a bit west, next to the John Beers Rd crossing downtown (and the signals are the type mounted on top of the signal bungalow). EE Livingston, the WAS is in, as is the EAS on the siding. At WE Livingston, EAS is installed, and the WAS will be mounted on a cantilever again. They've done that on one end of every siding now except for Michigan City. I was wondering why, when they had the pile of signals in Benton Harbor, there wasn't any for the WAS WE Livingston...guess those were probably delivered on site (and must have been recently). All installed signals are still bagged, of course, until they're cut in. They're also slowly working on the crossings too (every crossing controller seems to be updated during the signal upgrades)

(oh, so there's no confusion, EAS=Eastward Absolute Signal, WAS=Westward Absolute Signal, EE=East End, WE=West End)

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

Thanks for the update, 4617, sounds like they are making slow but steady progress northward. I wonder what they will install through the doubletrack segment from St. Joe bridge northward... cantilevers? Now that would be cool!

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by EJE Dispatcher »

Well, let see here:

The cantilevers were install at:
WAS New Buffalo (This signal was all ways hard to see until you were all ready around the corner)
EAS Sawyer (This signal wasn't visable from the WE)
WAS Livingston (This signal wasn't very visable from the EE)

Cantilevers to be possibly Installed:
WAS St. Joe (WE of DT before the bridge)
EAS Riverside (EE of DT)

The intermediates to be possibly moved:
Sig. Benton Harbor and Sig. Paw Paw will be combined on/near the old Paw Paw signal location, With the Capibility of Dual-direction running; instead of current Directional running.

The Grey Interlocker:
There is a few different ideas about what will happen with this: 1 is they will put in universal x-overs for Dual-Directional running, which means they will replace the current 10mph x-over with 35mph x-overs, install new Absolutes WAS#1/#2 EAS#1/#2 getting rid off the pot signals..2 is that they are going keep it the way it is (but doesn't seem logical because as everyone has seen they don't like putting in DRAWFS)...3 is that it becomes an intermediate and the get rid of the x-over.

WARNING: SOME OF THIS INFO. IS BASED ON MY OPINION, NOT RUMOR, BUT OPINION...

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

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Yeah, if I had to predict where the new ones would be on the double track, I'd figure the 2 sets of intermediates to be replaced with a cantilever near Paw Paw Ave, since it's about halfway between the bridge and Grey, and on a curve. That way they would be visible from both directions over a train on an adjacent track, and could have heads for both ways. I'd also expect a cantilever at St Joe, due to the curves, and it'd probably be located next to Upton Dr, rather than around the curve. A cantilever would be nice at Riverside too, due to the curves. Grey would probably just be left/right hand signals. On the double track, the signalling there isn't really directional, it's CTC, but only has signals going one way. I hope they fix that as well ;D Having Grey with a universal would be nice, and I can't see them removing it altogether, as even with the limited trains currently running, it still gets alot of use. The crossover at Grey is already signalled for 30mph, so I can't imagine it's only a 10mph frog. (I could be wrong though)

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

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Did another check this morning, all the new signals are now up (and bagged). They finished the cantilever at WE Livingston (the eastbound signal was already up) and all signals are now up at the east end. They still have alot of crossing work to do, as just about every one needs a new bungalow to tie into the new system. They only have a few of these installed, and a couple are sitting at the old car house in Benton Harbor. It's funny seeing the new ones next to the old ones. The new ones are massive compared to the old searchlights. The westbound at E Livingston, the top head on the old signal barely is at the top of the middle aspect on the new one.

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by csxt4617 »

Today's the day they start cutting in the new signals from St Joe to W.E. Livingston. Signals are suspended west of St Joe (Amtrak got DTC blocks), so it should be interesting. Hopefully everything goes ok.

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Re: More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

Unread post by amtrak1007 »

Thanks for the update. Any idea if they've moved the intermediates? or have they just done 1 for 1 replacement?

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