NICTD 2011 Temporary Weekend Construction Outages

[JLJ061]

Does this mean train crews now only need track warrant authority from CP 3.0 to the Airport? Seems kinda redundant, don't you think?

[justalurker66]

Does this mean train crews now only need track warrant authority from CP 3.0 to the Airport? Seems kinda redundant, don't you think?

I've been trying to figure that out ... plus figure out the day last week that CTC became active. I've heard trains at South Bend request permission to take the main (similar to the way trains at Michigan City requested permission). I have not heard a complete Track Warrant in the past few days (the last warrant exchange I heard occured on Wednesday).

They put a yard limit sign eastbound at CP 3.0, so I believe they are treating the final three miles under yard rules, without warrants. If they were still doing track warrants we should hear them issued for eastbound trains approaching CP 3.0 the way we heard them for eastbound trains approaching CP 32.2 (westbound trains departing the airport normally received their warrant via fax not over the radio).

I am also hearing freight crews working Olive calling the dispatcher to have the CP switches moved and for permission to pass the signals. It seems that trains are being allowed to pass red signals (with direct dispatcher permission) instead of the dispatcher clearing the route all the way to the next CP or using Track and Time (instead of Track Warrants) to give the freight crew freedom to work between limits.

And one final note, Track 2 is the northernmost track ... even at Birchim and Olive where the straight route past is the northern track and the siding is on the south. A single track is Track 1, so if you hear a train cleared to pass a signal "Track 2 to Track 1" it is on the main leaving Olive or Birchim.

[JLJ061]

And one final note, Track 2 is the northernmost track ... even at Birchim and Olive where the straight route past is the northern track and the siding is on the south. A single track is Track 1, so if you hear a train cleared to pass a signal "Track 2 to Track 1" it is on the main leaving Olive or Birchim.

I'm sure that's just to maintain continuity with the double-track division from Gary west to Kensington, so as to coincide with Metra Electric's track configuration. The north (westbound) track is Track 2 while the south (eastbound) is Track 1.

Metra Electric's train numbering system is also the reason why eastbound trains are odd-numbered and westbounds even, not vice-versa like every other railroad.

[justalurker66]

I'm sure that's just to maintain continuity with the double-track division from Gary west to Kensington, so as to coincide with Metra Electric's track configuration. The north (westbound) track is Track 2 while the south (eastbound) is Track 1.

I agree. Having the southernmost track "Track 2" in some places could be confusing.

Metra Electric's train numbering system is also the reason why eastbound trains are odd-numbered and westbounds even, not vice-versa like every other railroad.

I assume the "inbound even" numbering that Metra uses on all of their lines predates Metra itself. I also note that an even numbered NICTD westbound passes even numbered intermediate signals and an odd numbered NICTD eastbound passes odd numbered intermediate signals.

[lstone19]

I assume the "inbound even" numbering that Metra uses on all of their lines predates Metra itself. I also note that an even numbered NICTD westbound passes even numbered intermediate signals and an odd numbered NICTD eastbound passes odd numbered intermediate signals.

While there are exceptions, typically on US railroads, westbound and southbound trains are odd and eastbound and northbound trains are even. UP (at least the ex-C&NW) is an exception with the timetable north-south Metra/UP-North and Northwest lines being even southbound.

I would assume CSS&SB went opposite with odd/even to match north/south IC (similarly, D&H went opposite with their north/south Albany to Montreal trains to match NYC (a NYC to Montreal train was westbound on NYC and northbound on D&H)).

While this is moving away from Chicago, Amtrak's Coast Starlight is 11/14 because 12/13 are used internally as the train changes from westbound to eastbound at Oakland in both directions (SP was eastbound in all directions from Oakland - the last I knew, 12/13 were the employee TT numbers for Oakland to/from L.A.).

Some, but not all railroads, extended the odd/even to track numbers with the innermost westbound track being track 1, the innermost eastbound track 2, then the next westbound 3, etc. With such a system, a 6-track railroad from north to south would be 5-3-1-2-4-6. Others just number consecutively from a designated side (and then there was PRR which at spots had track 0, track A, and track B, as well, I'm sure other unusual designations).

[justalurker66]

A METRA Service Update:

Beginning Friday, January 13, 2012 at 9:15 p.m. and continuing thru Sunday, January 15, 2012

Scheduled signal work will take place at the Kensington Interlocking. Inbound and outbound trains will be operating thru the area at reduced speeds. Inbound and outbound trains may operate up to 15 minutes behind schedule. Please listen to platform announcements for delay times during this work.

Metra apologizes for any inconvenience this essential work may cause.

It looks like the new Kensington signals will be put into use.

I'm not sure how this will work out with this weekend's expected return of winter weather, but I suppose that's why they make Carhartts. (And yes, I know it is 2012 but we've discussed the Kensington project in this thread and it was originally to have been completed in December so it sort of fits.)

[justalurker66]

Sanity has returned. The Kensington work has been canceled this weekend.

[justalurker66]

The crew tries again ...

Beginning Friday, January 20, 2012 at 9:15 p.m. and continuing thru Sunday, January 22, 2012

Scheduled signal work will take place at the Kensington interlocking. Inbound and outbound trains will be operating thru the area at reduced Speeds. Inbound and outbound trains may operate up to 15 minutes behind schedule. Please listen to platform announcements for the delay times during this work.

(Posted:01/20/2012 04:53 AM)

All eastbound and westbound South Shore trains may experience delays of up to 15-20 minutes operating through Kensington beginning late evening Friday, January 20 through Sunday evening, January 22. During this time Metra plans to transition to new signals as part of the Kensington By-Pass project.

Updated at: 01/20/2012 07:05 PM

Tonight: Snow showers, mainly before midnight. Low around 18. East northeast wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers before 9am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 24. East wind between 5 and 15 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 15. Southeast wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Sunday: A 20 percent chance of rain after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. South wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

[PRRGuy]

To answer your question about TWC in South Bend..all movements are to be made at Restricted Speed from MP 3 (Formerly, "Grandview") to South Bend Airport. Signals are still under ABS. Some of these are the only older signals left on the railroad as everything West of MP 3 has been replaced with the newer signals when CTC was extended. Track Warrants are no longer needed.

Also, the new connection at 115th St is to be referred to as "NICTD 2" when talking to the M.E. South and/or NICTD Dispatchers.

[justalurker66]

To answer your question about TWC in South Bend..all movements are to be made at Restricted Speed from MP 3 (Formerly, "Grandview") to South Bend Airport. Signals are still under ABS. Some of these are the only older signals left on the railroad as everything West of MP 3 has been replaced with the newer signals when CTC was extended. Track Warrants are no longer needed.

Thank you for the details.

Also, the new connection at 115th St is to be referred to as "NICTD 2" when talking to the M.E. South and/or NICTD Dispatchers.

That makes sense as it is NICTD's Track 2. I was surprised to see no crossovers at CP 75-3.

Are they still running Track 1 CTC and Track 2 ABS between 73-8 and 75-3 or have both tracks gone CTC or ABS?

[PRRGuy]

Both tracks are now CTC, the only section of ABS left on the railroad is from MP 3 to South Bend Airport. The switch at CP 75.3 was removed during the beginning of construction of the 115th st project. Anything crossing from Track 1 or 2 needs to make that move at CP 73.8

[justalurker66]

Both tracks are now CTC, the only section of ABS left on the railroad is from MP 3 to South Bend Airport. The switch at CP 75.3 was removed during the beginning of construction of the 115th st project. Anything crossing from Track 1 or 2 needs to make that move at CP 73.8

Thanks for the details. I wasn't sure if it went CTC or not since I couldn't see the usual "start CTC" signs at the signals. The westbound CP 75-3 sign was the only one remaining at the former CP 75-3 signal site.

[justalurker66]

Google Earth has updated it's maps in the Chicago area. The most current maps are pictures taken March 12th, 2012. The new alignment is easy to see in the aerial photos, along with a new diamond waiting to be installed. (The diamond is a panel track built to carry one track over two and is sitting to the west of the NICTD line south of Kensington Ave along the private road that leads to Keywell.)