NE Indiana NS Chicago Line PTC project

[justalurker66]

171003Capture.png (9.94 KiB) Viewed 5635 times

Grand Elk using CP 423 at this moment (train shown leaving Early Bird).

Based on what I have seen - there is one more TK segment in CP 426 (from 6NW to the Early Bird).
All approaches now have occupancy bits. I don't see anything special for the fuel pad at CP 426 or CP 423.

It has been interesting watching CP 423. NS ran a few trains Early Bird to coach then back to Track 2 west of CP 423 last night. I assume for testing.

[LakeATCS]

I will post this here because it is getting close to Indiana.

CP 342 was cut over on 3/19

#1 power crossover has been installed at MP CD 342.7 WB movements from the Main 2 Track to the Main 1 Track
#3 power switch has been installed at MP CD 342.7 EB movements from the Main 2 Track to the Controlled Siding Track.

2E located to the left of the Main 1 Track on a high signal mast at MP CD 342.8
4E located to the right of the Main 2 Track on a high signal mast at MP CD 342.8
2W located over and to the right of the Main 1 Track on a cantilever mast at MP CD 342.5
4WD located over and to the right of the Controlled Siding Track on a cantilever mast at MP CD 342.5
4WA located over and to the right of the Main 2 Track on a cantilever mast at MP CD 342.5

New automatics at 345

CP 340 was cut over on 3/18
#3 power crossover has been installed at MP CD 340.2, for WB movements from the Main 1 Track to the Main 2 Track
#1 power switch has been installed at MP CD 340.4, for WB movements from the Main 2 Track to the Controlled Siding Track
2W located over and to the right of the Main 1 Track on a cantilever mast at MP CD 340.2.
4W located over and to the right of the Main 2 Track on a cantilever mast at MP CD 340.2
2E located over and to the right of the Main 1 Track on a cantilever mast at MP CD 340.4
4ED located over and to the right of the Controlled Siding Track ona cantilever mast at MP CD 340.4
4EA located over and to the right of the Main 2 Track on a cantilever mast at MP CD 340.4

New automatics at 334
New automatics at 337

[LakeATCS]

CP 352 cut over.

#3 power crossover has been installed at MP CD 352.7, for WB movements from the M1 Track to the M2 Track.
#1 power crossover has been installed at MP CD 352.8, for WB movements from the M2 Track to the M1 Track

2W located to the right of the Main 1 Track on a high mast at MP CD 352.6
4W located to the left of the Main 2 Track on a high mast at MP CD 352.6

2E located to the left of the Main 1 Track on a high signal mast at MP CD 352.8
4E located to the right of the Main 2 Track on a high signal mast at MP CD 352.8

New automatics at 347, 350, and 355(The famous state line signals)

[justalurker66]

Is everything east of the Ohio state line cut over on the Chicago Line?

[tttodisp]

For reference, what date did they cut over CP 352?

Do we know if all of the signals are mounted between CP 452 and CP 412?

Thanks.

[justalurker66]

Do we know if all of the signals are mounted between CP 452 and CP 412?

I assume you mean CP 352 (Butler) and CP 412 (Goshen).

At last check every new signal is on a mast or cantilever except the eastbound at Kendallville. (I have not checked Kendallville recently.)

[tttodisp]

Yes, 352. Thanks for the update.

[LakeATCS]

April 9th was 352 cut over.

[tttodisp]

Thanks. We will have to see if three weeks between locations becomes the standard.

[justalurker66]

A quick trip to the Ohio state line. No new signals activated since the reports above but I noticed that all of the signals from the state line west to CP 395 are aimed down the track and bagged. New signals at CP 397 and west are still "turned to field". The new eastbound Kendallville signals are in place and pictured below.

MP 355 State Line

Kendallville

New Eastbound Signals

[justalurker66]

Ligonier

CP395 New Signals Bagged

CP397 New Signals Turned to Field

[LakeATCS]

hmm. they drug all the cantilever out there for the EAS and then put up a couple masts...... weird.

[Saturnalia]

hmm. they drug all the cantilever out there for the EAS and then put up a couple masts...... weird.

I woulda figured they'd want a cantilever there to give the EAS on #2 some elevation above trains on #1 coming around the curve. Perhaps they were concerned about the ground at that spot or something else.

Masts are boring. They should just put cantilevers everywhere!

[justalurker66]

I expected to see a cantilever in the curve - far enough back that the track 1 signal would have been visible from tangent track. A cantilever would have placed the signal above and to the right of track 1 instead of off to the left. It would have improved the sight distance to the signal. The locations are not any worse than the current eastbound signals - but not an improvement. (The unused cantilever signal is still in Kendallville on the north side of the tracks unassembled.)

That being said, most of the signal replacements have been like for like with a couple of bridges replaced by cantilevers or a cantilever or bridge replaced by mast signals. Perhaps I should be more surprised that CP 426 yard exit dwarfs were replaced by a cantilever? The other signal improvements I can remember were part of other track improvements.

[Saturnalia]

Perhaps I should be more surprised that CP 426 yard exit dwarfs were replaced by a cantilever? The other signal improvements I can remember were part of other track improvements.

CP 426 I can see where the cantilevers help in the case of other traffic in the way, due to the curves there. A big part of it is of course at night, being able to tell which signal is yours when you know another signal is nearby. I think that definitely had something to do with it there.

Now while it is nice to see your signal for some distance, as I was explaining to non-railroad enthusiasts the other night, the crux of railroad signals is advanced warning. It isn't like you'll be surprised to find a stop signal there, since you'll get at best an approach beforehand. Same for a medium clear, you're probably expecting it thanks to an approach medium.

So it really isn't *that* big of an issue, unless of course you end up in a situation with a dropped signal. More visibility is more better, so I'm thinking that in this case there was some engineering reason to make the about-face. I'm really wondering if somebody found issues for the proposed foundation location, perhaps for soil or fiber-optic reasons! One can stick a mast in plenty of places where the massive (by comparison) cantilever foundations simply cannot go.

[justalurker66]

CP 426 I can see where the cantilevers help in the case of other traffic in the way, due to the curves there. A big part of it is of course at night, being able to tell which signal is yours when you know another signal is nearby. I think that definitely had something to do with it there.

I'd support having cantilever or mast signals on those yard exits simply for the additional aspects. "Slow Clear", "Slow Approach", "Stop" is not a lot of aspects for entering a main line where the next signal is a couple of miles away. (The former coach track dwarf at CP 421 was likewise limited but the second signal in the interlocking at Main St gave additional aspects for trains headed east.)

Here are two of my favorite modern cantilevers (no longer in use).

MP 412 Temporary cantilever as seen November 27th, 2014

CP 415 Temporary cantilever removed April 26th, 2015

The historic cantilever removed from CP435 would also make the list. The two three track cantilevers that are the current intermediates at 412 are also "special". Each only has signals for one direction of travel, they are separated by a road bridge (CR17) and they are both on the "far" side of the tracks where the cantilever has to be the longest to put the signals above and to the right of the track each signal controls. There are other unique designs, such as CP423 where the third track is spaced further away than track 1 and 2 (similar to CP340 in Bryan Oh).

[LakeATCS]

New intermediate signals at 362 are being cut in today.

2W 4W signal at CP 360 are getting aspect changes that won't result in any changes to the physical signals.

Yesterday some adjustments to CP 358
Aspect changes to to 2E and 4E that won't result in any changes to the physical signals.

Signal renaming for the Wabash side.
6N renamed to 6E
8N renamed to 8E
6S renamed to 6W

[justalurker66]

Any expected codeline changes at CP 358/CP 360?

[LakeATCS]

There might be minor bit changes. But nothing earth shattering.

Both those machines were brand spanking new in 2007 and are good to go for PTC.

[tttodisp]

I see a new 75501600070202 address, and from the few BCP data points, it appears that CP 360 is the same except now 0202 instead of 0201. CP 358 looks a bit strange, so I need to watch it overnight. If anyone can get me logs, that would be a huge help.