South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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The diamond replacement was completed earlier this week. These photos show where the old diamond was removed and the new signals controlling South Shore traffic across the diamond (all new signals are lit and the old signals are gone).
20221105-10thSt-Diamond1.jpg
20221105-10thSt-Diamond2.jpg
20221105-10thSt-Diamond3.jpg
The new eastbound signals will be able to display "approach diverging" for trains bypassing the platforms downtown.

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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The curve at Tennessee is complete.
20221105-11thSt-Tennessee.jpg
Paving is complete at Wabash and the street should be able to open. (Monday?)
20221105-11thSt-Wabash.jpg
Paving is also complete for 11th St from Franklin St to Michigan Ave. (The thin top coat needs to be placed but the road could be driven on if it were open. Some curbing and intersections including the Clay St crossing have not been completed.) With the opening of Wabash Ave, Franklin St will close for the replacement of track 1 at the crossing.
20221105-11thSt-Station.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66 wrote:
Mon Oct 31, 2022 8:08 pm
A new cantilever signal has been placed just east of Clay St to control eastbound traffic at the end of the double track.
Photo taken from Clay St.
20221105-11thSt-ClaySt.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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20221113-11thSt-Franklin.jpg
Franklin St closed ... track removed and crews well on the way to being able to pave and reopen the intersection (something they need to do to be able to do the same at Washington St before the weather turns bad). I am surprised to see ties being laid for the gauntlet turnout instead of panels.
20221113-MP36-Curve.jpg
West of town the main line has been realigned to connect to the new track 2. Trains are now running (when they run) on track 2 from near Michigan Ave all the way west past Waverly Rd west of Dune Park. Track 1 is effectively out of service (and physically disconnected except at Tamarack). When the work in this curve is complete Track 1 will have two gaps ... one at the 11th St station and one at Dune Park.
20221113-Miller.jpg
Further west on the east side of Gary the old Miller train station has now been removed.

Other Notes:
11th St is now paved from Michigan Ave to Franklin St with the final layer complete from Spring St east.
The westbound signal has been placed at what will be CP 33.4 at the east end of 11th St. Catenary has been placed to a point just west of CP 33.4 on track 1.
Amtrak finished their work at 10th St.
Sheridan is almost ready for asphalt (although Franklin is more ready).
No noticeable changes at Beverly Shores.
Track 2 has been built straight past Tremont without turnouts.

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Snapshots from Sunday - Franklin open, Washington closed. Photos are at Franklin
20221121-11thSt-Station1.jpg
20221121-11thSt-Station2.jpg
20221121-11thSt-Station3.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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11th St Station - Platform ramps are in place and work on the warming shelters has begun. Paving of 11th St is nearing Ohio St.
20221124-11thSt-Station1.jpg
Signal bases are in place for the eastbound gauntlet signals (both will be left of the track each controls).
20221124-11thSt-Station2.jpg
Sheridan Ave close to reopening (another coat of asphalt is needed).
20221124-10thSt-Sheridan.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Starting this weekend in Michigan City on 11th St ... First two photos from Chicago Ave, the third from Franklin St.
20221204-11thSt-ChicagoAve.jpg
20221204-11thSt-Kentucky.jpg
20221204-11thSt-Franklin.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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South Shore Freight passing through during my visit to 11th St Station
20221204-11thSt-Station1.jpg
20221204-11thSt-Station2.jpg
20221204-11thSt-Station3.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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The east end of the station and the view from the finally opened Ohio St.
Note there will be a sidewalk with a row of lights next to the track at this end of the station - not a low platform. The high platform on track 1 is four cars long. (The high platform on track 2 is eight cars long.)
20221204-11thSt-Station4.jpg
20221204-11thSt-OhioSt.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Heading west ...
Beverly Shores now has a new porch - at a higher level than the platform. Mind the step!
20221204-BeverlyShores.jpg
Dune Park's second platform lights have been placed. Ties are being placed next to the high platform for the new gauntlet tracks.
20221204-DunePark.jpg
Workers were seen in several places along the line on Sunday.
All crossings except Washington and Chicago in Michigan City have reopened.

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Racing toward snow next weekend ballast work and tie placement is underway at various places along the line.
This week's highlights - Beverly Shores with most lights in place and the platform electronic signs ready to be erected.
20221210-BeverlyShores.jpg
Heading west to Dune Park work continues on the new platform (track 2) and gauntlet track (track 1).
20221210-DunePark1.jpg
20221210-DunePark2.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Construction at the Miller station ... looking west from Lake St the new building is on the left. New track will be laid near the building.
20221210-Miller1.jpg
The location of the new gauntlets and high level platforms has been laid out. The west parking lot is under construction.
20221210-Miller2.jpg
Looking east the main tracks will connect to the current alignment on the curve with a two track car storage yard that will be used to store cars during the day (the Chicago to Gary trains can be run to Miller before returning to Chicago).
20221210-Miller3.jpg

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Saturnalia
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Crazy how different Miller is going to be. Hopefully we see a good deal of transit-oriented development around the new station eventually.

Gary Metro will be discontinued as a terminus once Double Track is completed. Miller will become the turning point for 200-series trains, with a much expanded and improved maintenance/layover area.

Meanwhile, in City, it looks like Track 1 is rapidly progressing as well. Will they get it all in before being froze out? Place your bets now!
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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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More progress this week ... a yellow line has been painted next to the wall along 11th St. It appears that 11th St EB will be open for traffic. Temporary utility poles have been removed from the south side of 11th St (with the wires moved to the catenary supports) making way for sidewalks to be built along the edge of the street.

The track 1 gauntlet is complete (except switch machines and signalling) on 11th St and track 1 appears to be connected all the way from 11th St to Dune Park. Ballast work has not been completed but a ballast train was present.

Crossing signals are being installed in Michigan City. The ones at Willard and Sheridan are not bagged and are facing traffic. At the other intersections installed signals are not facing traffic. No gates installed but the counterweights are in place.

Streetlights were on along the south side of 11th St. I briefly saw the north side lights come on but they went out before I could get a picture.
20221217-11thSt-Station1.jpg
20221217-11thSt-Station2.jpg
20221217-11thSt-Station3.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Washington St is scheduled to be open by Friday (before Christmas). Crews were present Saturday afternoon. I do not like the placement of the crossing gate behind the lower traffic signal. Perhaps it will look better when activated. The outside crossing signal posts will have pedestrian gates blocking the sidewalk on both sides of the track. The inner crossing signal post will have the longer road crossing gates.

In the first photo (southbound) the lights on the road crossing are turned to face away from traffic (toward each other) on the right post (SB) and turned to face toward the sky on the left post (NB). The second photo is northbound.
20221217-11thSt-WashingtonSB.jpg
20221217-11thSt-WashingtonNB.jpg
The view from Wabash St. No crossing gates here yet (or at Franklin).
20221217-11thSt-Wabash.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Snow is a four letter word. But after a white-out Christmas (snowed in) I made a stop in Michigan City to see what got done before the blizzard. One noticeable change was street signs along 11th St. This "no left turn" sign at the exit from MC Interiors near Franklin St is one of many placed along the line. Permanent stop signs have been placed at Lafayette St. Ballast work seems to be nearing completion on track 1.

Note the segment of railing behind the "no left turn" sign. this is on the long ramp up from grade level to the future station building (separate from the ramps at the ends of the platforms).
20221226-11thSt-Station1.jpg
20221226-11thSt-Lafayette.jpg
20221226-11thSt-Station2.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Work at Beverly Shores is nearing completion with all of the concrete in place. Pedestrian crossing gates are needed along with wiring up the lights and signs. It was nice to have the station mostly accessible again (the station porch is covered in snow - station closed so not unexpected).
20221226-BeverlyShores1.jpg
20221226-BeverlyShores2.jpg
I hope everyone had a good Christmas. We have seen a lot of changes this year. I am looking forward to the work continuing.

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66 wrote:
Mon Dec 26, 2022 9:27 pm
Work at Beverly Shores is nearing completion with all of the concrete in place. Pedestrian crossing gates are needed along with wiring up the lights and signs. It was nice to have the station mostly accessible again (the station porch is covered in snow - station closed so not unexpected).
20221226-BeverlyShores1.jpg
20221226-BeverlyShores2.jpg
I hope everyone had a good Christmas. We have seen a lot of changes this year. I am looking forward to the work continuing.
Hi Justalurker, thanks for sharing this great photo documentation with us throughout the year. Looking forward to more in 2023, and to catching some trains at the newly expanded platforms at Beverly Shores! The whole setup looks like a great spot for photos. :)

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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GP30M4216 wrote:
Thu Dec 29, 2022 1:01 pm
The whole setup looks like a great spot for photos. :)
I have seen a couple photos taken from the new platform - and caught someone out there taping an empty UP powered coal train from Michigan City west.

This week's update starts in Michigan City:

Railings have been placed along where the sidewalk will ramp up to the level of the new station. The planned retail and apartment complex will be built to the left of the ramp (north) with the attached parking structure and station to the east (where the sidewalk will ramp down to Spring St and the new surface parking for the South Shore station).
20230101-11thSt-Station1.jpg
The track 1 gauntlet is in place with balast and tamping work continuing.
20230101-11thSt-Station2.jpg
Some day we will be able to drive this path. Washington St opened this week. Work continues on crossing signals and the crash barriers at intersections.
20230101-11thSt-Eastbound.jpg

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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Off to the west - The zoom lens shows the reconstruction at Tremont. Track 1 remains cut waiting for new crossovers between track 1 and track 2. (Yes, there the coal empties are approaching in the background.)
20230101-Tremont.jpg
At dune park both gaunlet switches are being worked on. The east switch is the most complete. (The track between the switches has not been laid.)
20230101-DunePark.jpg
At Dune Acres the new freight track has reached Mineral Springs Rd. The second track is the current main / future freight track. The third track a current freight siding that will be replaced by a new main line (along with a second new main to the right of that).
20230101-DuneAcres.jpg

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