South Shore Double Track

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TSS
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Trying to advise a couple inexperienced travelers on how to get to Chicago via South Shore. They would be driving in from Michigan. In the past I would have suggested Dune Park to Millennium Station. Still good advice during the construction?

I haven’t ridden South Shore in a few years as the Pere Marquette has become my regular train.

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Saturnalia
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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TSS wrote:
Tue Aug 23, 2022 8:49 pm
Trying to advise a couple inexperienced travelers on how to get to Chicago via South Shore. They would be driving in from Michigan. In the past I would have suggested Dune Park to Millennium Station. Still good advice during the construction?
Dune Park is still a good option, they should just be aware of the bussing leg. They'd board a coach bus around the scheduled train time, and go directly to Gary for the transfer at the station there. There is extremely limited parking at Gary, not that you'd really want to use it anyway.

Another alternative, if they're okay with driving further into the city but still want free and easy parking, is to head for the East Chicago station. It certainly is not as convenient as Dune Park, but it skips the bussing.

Both are good options at present. I hope that if they choose to go now, that they're accepting of the "construction dust" and know that come 2024, everything will be put back together with more trains, making ditching your car at Dune Park (or Carroll or Ogden Dunes) a magnificent option to get downtown and leave your car behind.
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midwestcws
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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TSS wrote:
Tue Aug 23, 2022 8:49 pm
Trying to advise a couple inexperienced travelers on how to get to Chicago via South Shore. They would be driving in from Michigan. In the past I would have suggested Dune Park to Millennium Station. Still good advice during the construction?

I haven’t ridden South Shore in a few years as the Pere Marquette has become my regular train.
As someone who has tried the Dune Park to Gary busing - I wouldn't. In my experience it's an absolute disaster. The buses are from Dune Park don't always arrive to the Gary Station in time to catch the "same" train. We pulled up just as the train left and had to wait for the next one. Getting back to Dune Park via bus is 30 minutes slower than the train would normally operate at.

East Chicago is a good bet, but the trains are consistently running 5-10 minutes behind schedule due to all the ongoing work. Anytime I've had to take the South Shore since the busing began I've been using EC instead of Dune Park. Also beware that, depending on time, the station access from Indianapolis Blvd is often blocked by trains so plan for some extra time to navigate around the stopped train. Also plan for construction traffic on West Bound 94 towards that exit, that's also a disaster.

Maybe others have had different experiences with busing, as I tried it once and said never again.

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Saturnalia
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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The new Main #2 has been laid all the way to Tennessee Street, and it looks like surface and lining is largely complete on it. Looks like we may be seeing a cut-over soon at Tennessee/Kentucky, with trains using the new main between the Boulevard and Amtrak. That'll allow Walsh/Herzog to remove the existing track (Main #1) and rebuild it on the new, slightly shifted alignment. It'll also allow them to finish paving at Franklin and Washington, something a lot of people have been looking forward to! They've also completed the first segment of dividing wall between the track and new eastbound lane of 11th Street near the Boulevard, and a lot of curbing for the new roadway extends pretty much all the way to Franklin.

It also looks like the new Main #2 is almost completely laid from WE Powers to EE Tremont, save for a few gaps around the major culverts. Speaking of which, driving by today there was a lot of de-mobe going on at several of those sites. I also spotted a Railworks in-track welding truck in the yard too - must be prepping to start welding out the new track, as well as the cuts in the existing track for culvert work?

Moving right along!
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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Saturnalia wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 11:26 pm
It also looks like the new Main #2 is almost completely laid from WE Powers to EE Tremont, save for a few gaps around the major culverts.
There is a track shift planned near the Powers end of that segment. The old main track at Powers becoming the new Main 2 running west to meet up with the old siding at Tamarack. I cannot tell where the old track is going to be cut and pulled over to the new alignment. At last check the new Main 1 west of powers ended just west of US 12.

I am looking forward to seeing the connection between new Main 2 and the old main at Tennessee St and I hope I can eventually catch a train running past the new platform. I have been fortunate on most weekends to see something special.

So far the turnout at the boulevard is the only one I have seen installed. Turnout installation at Tamarack and Tremont would be major steps forward. There is a lot to do on 10th St as well but the crews seem to be getting the job done.

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66 wrote:
Sun Aug 28, 2022 3:40 pm
Saturnalia wrote:
Sat Aug 27, 2022 11:26 pm
It also looks like the new Main #2 is almost completely laid from WE Powers to EE Tremont, save for a few gaps around the major culverts.
There is a track shift planned near the Powers end of that segment. The old main track at Powers becoming the new Main 2 running west to meet up with the old siding at Tamarack. I cannot tell where the old track is going to be cut and pulled over to the new alignment. At last check the new Main 1 west of powers ended just west of US 12.

I am looking forward to seeing the connection between new Main 2 and the old main at Tennessee St and I hope I can eventually catch a train running past the new platform. I have been fortunate on most weekends to see something special.

So far the turnout at the boulevard is the only one I have seen installed. Turnout installation at Tamarack and Tremont would be major steps forward. There is a lot to do on 10th St as well but the crews seem to be getting the job done.
I was surprised that they didn’t install the gauntlet turnouts for new Main 2 at 11th Street. Right now it’s straight railed for the freight route away from the platform.

The cut for the curve just west of US 12 is kinda in the middle of the curve I would think, based on looking down from Central. It would make sense to do it roughly half way.

I haven’t seen any evidence of the new turnouts at 37.9/EE Tamarack yet. The old WE Powers and WE Tamarack are still there, too.
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Something is missing (at WE Tamarack too) ... anyone other than Saturnalia want to guess? :)
10thSt-20220828-Sheridan.jpg
DP-20220828-Station.jpg
Over at Dune Park the trail is open.
DP-20220828-Trail.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Illustrating Saturnalia's Saturday post ... track looking nice on 11th St.
11thSt-20220828-WB.jpg
11thSt-20220828-EB.jpg
Curbing and storm sewer installers still having a disagreement. (Will they fix this one by installing a flat grate in the asphalt?)
11thSt-20220828-Cedar.jpg
Saturnalia wrote:
Sun Aug 28, 2022 11:55 pm
The cut for the curve just west of US 12 is kinda in the middle of the curve I would think, based on looking down from Central. It would make sense to do it roughly half way.

I haven’t seen any evidence of the new turnouts at 37.9/EE Tamarack yet. The old WE Powers and WE Tamarack are still there, too.
Halfway around the curve makes sense. Logistically I'd expect the cut and shift to be done after the new crossover is installed at 37.9 so SS Freight does not lose access to Powers.

The replacement track panel for the Powers turnout has been sitting on the new Main 1 since the US 12 crossing reopened.

I noticed that new crossing gate bases have been installed at the two crossings west of Dune Park (Waverly and Mineral Springs). Some changes are more obvious than others.

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DaveO
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Scrappers got the overhead wire already :P

The grate is interesting. I'm guessing it's a temporary measure as the curb profile doesn't match the grate profile.

edit: Looking at the background one, it's the same profile, they profiled the curb to match.

But typically the storm drain would be in the curb line so kind of strange.

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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DaveO wrote:
Mon Aug 29, 2022 6:11 am
Scrappers got the overhead wire already :P
Not that ... the same something is missing in the first two photos (and the Dune Park photo has the overhead wire).

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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I'll guess track signals seem to not be there.

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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DaveO wrote:
Mon Aug 29, 2022 7:30 pm
I'll guess track signals seem to not be there.
We have a winner. The signals have been completely removed at CP 35.2 (Sheridan Ave), West Tamarack (CP 38.6) and West Tremont (CP 43.7 - Dune Park). I noticed when I saw the CP sign and wanted to frame a picture with the sign and the signal and couldn't find the signal! I missed seeing the removal of the signal at Sheridan Ave earlier in the day but started paying attention when I saw the cantilever signal over the Dune Park tracks was missing.

BTW: The westbound signal at CP 36.0 (US 12/County Line Rd) was removed when the siding was extended through it. It appears that there is a signal base in place for the new version of CP 36.0.

One more note - posted today on the Double Track construction site - Miller station is moving to 6021 Melton Rd to clear space for construction of the new Miller station complex. The station will move September 12th.

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Labor Day check in ...
Track 2 in service on 11th St with old track 1 removed in several places.
11thSt-20220905-Station.jpg
11thSt-20220905-Lafayette.jpg
11thSt-20220905-Tennessee.jpg
The connection at Tennessee St is not what I expected. I expected track 2 would run straight into the curve, not shift over to the track 1 alignment before the old curve. (Note: The camera makes the curves look sharper than reality.) Looking closer at the plans the final alignment of track 2 will cross the current main line alignment on the west edge of Kentucky St. Kentucky St remains open until Ohio St or Chicago St can be reopened. Running track 2 straight into the current curve would cross the future alignment of track 1.

Wabash St has remained closed and is one of the places where the old track 1 has been removed. When it reopens it should not need a second closure. It looks like Ohio St will also get both final tracks installed before reopening.

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Out with the old ... crews have removed the track 1 ballast in downtown Michigan City (working their way toward Franklin St). This photo taken in the evening. In the afternoon a string of dump trucks was westbound on 11th St. No major changes on the platforms noted.
11thSt-20220910-Station.jpg
The wall between tracks and street is being worked on east of Lafayette St. The forms used to give the fake brick appearance are leaning up against a completed section of wall (the track side of the wall is flat with fake brick near the intersections). This week's pubic email construction update noted that the concrete will be stained to a color yet to be determined by NICTD and the City.
11thSt-20220910-Lafayette.jpg
And a ballast train is at Beverly Shores. On track 2. That didn't click until I got home and was looking at the pictures (otherwise I would have found my way to West Tamarack to see if the new track was connected to the siding). Fully loaded ballast cars made it over to track 2 at Beverly Shores. Changes at Tamarack?
11thSt-20220910-BeverlyShores.jpg
BTW: The curb installers won. The grate that ended up north of the curb and a foot lower has been moved to be inline with the curb. Not sure what they did underground to make that work.
Last edited by justalurker66 on Sun Sep 11, 2022 2:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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The switch is still in at EE Tamarack, so the new Track 2 from there going west is accessible to on track equipment. The segment from there going east is still an island, however.

The switch at WE Tamarack was bypassed in the same fashion as the one at WE Power, they’re still in but the diverging route ends just past the frog.
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Thanks for the confirmation. It looks like another busy week ahead for the construction crews.

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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BTW: I do not see any trace of new switches anywhere on property (unless they are hiding at Bailey). The switch panels installed near Michigan Ave were in the parking lot long before they were installed. I see empty rail cars configured for carrying switch panels at Bailey but do not see switch panels waiting for delivery nor on the ground near where they will be installed. Did I miss them?

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Saturnalia
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66 wrote:
Sun Sep 11, 2022 2:53 pm
BTW: I do not see any trace of new switches anywhere on property (unless they are hiding at Bailey). The switch panels installed near Michigan Ave were in the parking lot long before they were installed. I see empty rail cars configured for carrying switch panels at Bailey but do not see switch panels waiting for delivery nor on the ground near where they will be installed. Did I miss them?
The turnouts were delivered to the Pines Yard about a year ago. They're hidden behind all of the office trailers and other equipment.

Are those turnout cars that you are seeing, or just the gons setup for wide steel plates?
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Saturnalia wrote:
Sun Sep 11, 2022 3:53 pm
Are those turnout cars that you are seeing, or just the gons setup for wide steel plates?
Gons with white angled pieces. Steel plates makes sense. Good to know the turnouts are on property.

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Weekend Update ...
Tamarack siding straighlined past Beverly Shores as Main 2 (zoom lens from Lake Shore Co Rd - note the ballast train in the distance is about 1 1/2 miles away).
20220917-CP38-6.jpg
Beverly Shores looking back toward Tamarack (waiting for the station side platform).
20220917-BeverlyShores.jpg
Tennessee St open (temporarily - will eventually close forever) - Kentucky St now closed. That should help the traffic flow in the area. The multiple stop signs and barriers at Kentucky St were a mess to drive through. Note the curve shown a couple weeks ago is just east of Tennessee and is not as sharp as the previous picture made it appear.
20220917-11thSt-Tennesee.jpg

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