A history. CP 446/CP501

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LakeATCS
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A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by LakeATCS »

Well tonight is the big night. CP 501 gets changed over.

CP 501 or should I call is CP 446 as it was originally called. Yes CP 446.

Let me go back.

Back when Conrail started in 1976. The west end of the ex NYC wasn't the most Flexible piece of railroad.

From porter west to where it swung over onto the PRR there was only CP 482, CP 482, CP 491, CP 500 (yes there used to be another CP 500, we will speak on that in another post) and then HICK and CP 505. (Hick in 1977 was a ghost of it's past and even future self. There was NO southward connection to the IHB, trains would interchange via the IHB yard on the north side. The IHB and the B&O crossed at a diamond in the interlocking. )

Eventually in the late 70s this all had to change, enter CP 446. YES! CP 446. When the PRR was diverted onto the NYC at 501. Someone saw fit to literally re milepost the NYC from Buffington to Whiting! I am sure this was all red team vrs green team here. The line used mileposts that were on the PRR measurement from the line from Fort Wayne! Whats more they gained the PRR track numbering. South to north they were 1 2 3 4. So they put in a new interlocking at 446. Hick got all the crossovers and connections for the IHB. CP 446 was designed for "equal access" from the ex PRR or the ex NYC the PRR double main connected to 1 and 2, the ex NYC double main connected to 3 and 4.
CP 446 had a few more crossovers on the south side for the PRR entering.(see picture below)
cp446.jpg
Well this arrangement didn't last long. The ex PRR fell more and more out of favor as the 80s wore on.
By 1988 the current arrangement was in place. To better use the conenctions provided by CP 446 now renumbered to CP 501. The ex NYC south main was slid over to connect into CP 501 where the north main of the PRR connected in. The PRR was connected into this track, and a switch to the B&O was added. The two unneeded crossovers on the south side of the plant were simply removed.

Not all remnants of the former 446 layout were purged. Track 4 eastward had it's own signal bit. A holdover from when that track could have been independently lined to the PRR

Now that all goes, and the PRR becomes even more disconnected in Chicago. As the new 501 will only connect to the CSX connection. The short PRR "storage" section will become an orphan.

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justalurker66
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Re: A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by justalurker66 »

I noticed in the old codeline (retired last night) that the bits for the switch dividing CSX from NS on the old PRR connection were set up where "25" was to the NS/PRR and "26" was to CSX. Basically the "normal" route was down the PRR.

And in the new description of the CP NS refers to that connection as the "Ft Wayne Secondary Track". Even though the old secondary is now a MOW siding that ends before CSX's Clarke Junction.

If I remember my history correctly, the jog in the current NS line in Whiting was where the line leaves the old NYC alignment and joins the old PRR alignment? You mention the use of PRR miles from Bluffington to Whiting. Were PRR mile markers used west of Whiting?

LakeATCS
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Re: A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by LakeATCS »

justalurker66 wrote:I noticed in the old codeline (retired last night) that the bits for the switch dividing CSX from NS on the old PRR connection were set up where "25" was to the NS/PRR and "26" was to CSX. Basically the "normal" route was down the PRR.

And in the new description of the CP NS refers to that connection as the "Ft Wayne Secondary Track". Even though the old secondary is now a MOW siding that ends before CSX's Clarke Junction.

If I remember my history correctly, the jog in the current NS line in Whiting was where the line leaves the old NYC alignment and joins the old PRR alignment? You mention the use of PRR miles from Bluffington to Whiting. Were PRR mile markers used west of Whiting?
Yes the PRR west of Whiting didn't get renumbered into the 500s until things were reconfigured in the 80s

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Saturnalia
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Re: A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by Saturnalia »

Thanks for the write-up! Interesting story, something often overlooked these days.
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justalurker66
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Re: A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by justalurker66 »

It makes sense for those five miles to flip to PRR mileage if the mileage west of Whiting was PRR numbered. Especially with PRR and NYC both entering Bluffington as double track routes.

Here is a quick sketch of the changes.
Attachments
CP501history.png
CP501history.png (9.17 KiB) Viewed 6698 times

LakeATCS
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Re: A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by LakeATCS »

I am not sure those track charts were 100% correct as far as crossovers.

No reason to have the duplicate crossovers on the PRR side that way.

The following makes a little more sense, but not 100% sure unless I can find some 80s interlocking diagrams for the area.
CP501historyrev.png
CP501historyrev.png (10.67 KiB) Viewed 6688 times

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justalurker66
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Re: A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by justalurker66 »

LakeATCS wrote:I am not sure those track charts were 100% correct as far as crossovers.

No reason to have the duplicate crossovers on the PRR side that way.
I agree. The chart you posted to start this thread made it look like the B&O connection was part of Clark Junction ... with connections in all four quadrants. But there is a lot of detail missing.


A good site for PRR diagrams ... although old for this discussion (the PRR was on its old alignment in the diagrams on this site):
http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/M ... _main.html

PRR Clarke in 1949
http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/M ... ke_jct.gif

I have attached CP 501 in 1993 (pretty much the same as it was until Saturday)
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CP501-1993.gif

LakeATCS
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Re: A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by LakeATCS »

I found an 1984 track chart that may shed some light
track chart.jpg
These track charts sure varied widely.

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justalurker66
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Re: A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by justalurker66 »

LakeATCS wrote:I found an 1984 track chart that may shed some light

These track charts sure varied widely.
At least that shows a mark on the diagram for the "CHESSIE" connection.

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Re: A history. CP 446/CP501

Unread post by CSX_CO »

I have in my possession an article that highlights all the changes thru that stretch. It was on my desktop which is kaput, so hopefully I still have the email with the .pdf. If so, I'll attempt to post it.

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