Amtrak Empire Service (New York State)

I was too far away to tell, passing by on L.I.R.R. on my way into PSNY.

Monday the 6th the TLM will be hard at work putting in the first sections of the "new" second track between ALB and SDY. Hopefully if all goes well they will crest West Albany hill by Thursday. The work will be done at night, the TLM will work Monday through Thursday with ballast on Friday. I think the on duty time is 6pm, so there should be enough light to get some pics/video.

Railjunkie wrote:Monday the 6th the TLM [track laying machine?] will be hard at work putting in the first sections of the "new" second track between ALB and SDY.

Whoa! Not only is this great good news, but IINM isn't this more or less the forecast time for this work to be done? A deadline kept with no further delays? A rare and beautiful thing indeed!

Just spoke with the TM in charge of the TLM/work trains, the TLM will be out doing its thing in the daylight hours. I had posted previous that work would be done at night. More cement ties coming by train stone cars are already in Albany and the crew is called for 4AM Monday morning. If all goes as planned it should take about 8 weeks start to finish.

I took a day trip out of ALB to "the big city" last week. It is nice to see all the work going on, and not just the amount, but the actual progression of work. I get down the Albany/Rensselaer way once a month or so, and every time I get a chance to swing by the station there is noticeable progress. This last time the two middle tracks (1 and 2 I believe?) were pulled up from the platform bridge north, with the roadbed torn up for what looked like utility work for the platform extensions, which was also ongoing. I'm happy to hear that the TLM is getting to work, the more reliable the trains from the north are, the better for me!

Made a trip to SYR today and thought I would pass along a progress report, TLM is moving along at about a mile to mile and a half a day. Its currently around MP150ish. They are onto the easy part of the grade up to SDY the only tough part is cutting in the crossings. There are three, one down two to go. The new CP 149 is laid out on the north side, the concrete signal mounts are in and wired. Some stone has been dropped in a few a places on the new track but they still need to cut and swing the mains for the curves up West Albany hill, as there are new sections on both the north and south side. Sounds like that will happen sometime next month. Never thought I would see the day of double track again through this section but its close Like late August close.

Railjunkie wrote: TLM is moving along at about a mile to mile and a half a day.

I was having a hard time visualizing how a Track Laying Machine works when there is no existing track structure on which it can move forward. Then I found these 2 videos on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6VYuw52z-0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmQilDC4VqY

Will the existing industrial/running tracks in three locations on the north side of the existing single main track be integrated into the new second main track, or will they remain as separate freight tracks on the north side of the two main tracks? I'm guessing the latter, but thought I would consult those of you who know more about this project.

The only freight track per say will be the leads into West Albany yard and Railroad Ave. The industrial track over LAB will become one of the new main tracks. They had to do the curves on the hill because of clearance and radius issues

Videos are interesting. Is it an illusion or are the US cross ties larger ? As well the European crossties ( sleepers ) appear to be closer together ? If so could this be a function of the greater axel loadings in the US ?

European ones i think are smaller and closer together where as american ones are larger and slighty farther apart. We also have taller rail webbing and much heavier loading gauge than euro spec track.

My 2005 vintage track diagram for that line shows three industrial tracks on the north side of the single main, between West Albany and Carman:

West Albany Running Track, approx MP 145 thru 149

New Kamer Industrial Tracks, approx MP 150.5 thru 151.5

Carman Industrial Track, approx MP 155 thru CP 156 at MP 156.5

Each of them looks like they could be a remnant of a former second main track that was/is on the north side of the existing single main track.

My question is will the new second main track connect these 3 separate segments of industrial tracks, or will the new configuration be two main tracks plus these existing industrial/running tracks on the north side of the two main tracks? I would think the latter, to avoid local freight interference with passenger trains.

West Albany will be separate along with the lead to Railroad Ave. The switch for the New Karner industrial was pulled 5 or 6 years ago and the little section of the Carmen industrial track south of CP156 will become part of the new second track. The only reason that still there was for a coal dealer. Martinez I believe was the name place has been gone for 40ish years. Had to cross Chrysler Ave to get to it.

The TLM will be done as of 6/24/16. Ahead of schedule.

Railjunkie wrote:West Albany will be separate ... blah blah blah and more blah blah blah ... been gone for 40ish years ... blah blah blah.

The TLM will be done as of 6/24/16. Ahead of schedule.

The TLM will be done as of 6/24/16. Ahead of schedule.

Wow! In journalism, that's known as burying the lead. Your HOT GOOD NEWS just tacked on to the bottom of your blah blah blah reply to jhdeasy.

For what seems like 40ish years, and surely for some years and months and weeks, I've been sort of holding my breath for this 17-mile project to materialize. And here you say, 'Oh, btw, a big part of it will be finished this month.' Railjunkie, you leave me gasping out "Thanks!" for this great news.

Still plenty of stone to be dropped and tamping to be done along with the signals ect ect. Its getting there, still a work in progress in and around Albany station and looks like the tie gang is starting work south from Stuyvesant south, expect some delays Albany to Hudson.

Railjunkie wrote:

Woody wrote:

Railjunkie wrote:... been gone for 40ish years ...

The TLM will be done as of 6/24/16. Ahead of schedule.

Wow! ... that's HOT GOOD NEWS just tacked on to the bottom of your just-the-facts reply to jhdeasy.

... '"Thanks!" for this great news.

Still plenty of stone to be dropped and tamping to be done, along with the signals etc etc. It's ... still a work in progress ...

I wasn't prematurely celebrating new published Timetables, LOL. But a big piece of this project is going to be, not only on time but, "ahead of schedule".

Usually it's bad news posted on this blog -- the many dribbled out delays on the CAF order, the crash of Nippon Sharyo's crash test, the many un-begun grade crossing projects on the Lincoln route StL-CHI, and where is the Environmental Impact statement and Record of Decision for the Wolverines' South-of-the-Lake bottleneck project anyway -- once promised for "the end of summer 2015"? So your news is exceptional, and worth celebrating.