All things Harrisburg (Keystone) Line

Sean@Temple wrote:The plans and rendering in the presentation show one center island platform with only two tracks (one on each side of the island). There are also fences up along the old low side platforms, implying that only the center platform will be use for all trains. Seems like a mistake to me but they don't ask me, and probably for good reason.

Link to the Presentation

Oops never mind. If I would only read all of the documents. These are just "temporary" accessability improvements and the rest of the "transportation center" will be finished at a later date which will include a third track on the north side of the station.

Didn't see anything on there about a third track.

Since all trains stop at Paoli, the only reason to have more than two tracks there (so the reasoning goes) is to have cross-platform transfers. I don't know that Amtrak and SEPTA are that co-ordinated, or that they have any plans to be.

Lackawanna565 wrote:

Sean@Temple wrote:The plans and rendering in the presentation show one center island platform with only two tracks (one on each side of the island). There are also fences up along the old low side platforms, implying that only the center platform will be use for all trains. Seems like a mistake to me but they don't ask me, and probably for good reason.

Link to the Presentation

Oops never mind. If I would only read all of the documents. These are just "temporary" accessability improvements and the rest of the "transportation center" will be finished at a later date which will include a third track on the north side of the station.

Didn't see anything on there about a third track.

The "Future Track 4" has its CL ticked out on phase 1 and phase 2 drawings. A future stub track sitting on the existing outbound platform east of the steps to th little parking lot.

Oh the agony, the historic cement shells will be removed. Forget about the cat poles, it's all about the huts

CComMack wrote:Since all trains stop at Paoli, the only reason to have more than two tracks there (so the reasoning goes) is to have cross-platform transfers. I don't know that Amtrak and SEPTA are that co-ordinated, or that they have any plans to be.

wouldn't it make it easier to schedule overtakes if they could be done at the station?

It certainly would. And while the signaling would probably slow down a SEPTA train from Thorndale or Malvern while waiting to be overtaken (if the overtake is not to delay Amtrak), even without that I can foresee both Amtrak and SEPTA trains being held out awaiting a platform during rush hours -- especially if one of the trains is a few minutes late. Admittedly the PRR managed for many years with only two platforms, but then all the locals came out of the yard via the duckunder and simply waited at the signal for a train from the west to move out. Today the locals come from Thorndale and Malvern and have passengers on board; a third track would at least let them enter the station.

With an island platform you could send trains to either track, of course that would require a double set of crossovers on either side of the station. The signaling would also have to be made bidirectional between the 2 interlockings also.

Jon

Only possible if there's nothing due in the opposite direction. A third track lets you handle 2 trains in one direction and 1 in the other at the same time. It's not going to happen every hour, but with the frequencies on that line it could happen 3 or 4 times a day, at the same times every day, and at any other time if something's late.

43 has the AEM to Harrisburg today.

They got some concrete ties with welded rail installed at the Harrisburg station.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4044831" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lackawanna565 wrote:They got some concrete ties with welded rail installed at the Harrisburg station.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4044831" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very sleek looking!

Arlington wrote:

Lackawanna565 wrote:They got some concrete ties with welded rail installed at the Harrisburg station.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4044831" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very sleek looking!

That should last for the next 100 years or so......nice to see such good work being done.

Didn't see any new signals yet. I noticed some concrete ties installed east of the station on the number two track.

I did notice (sorry no pictures) that I'm guessing its Amtrak doing tie replacement on the middle track under the Rt. 202 overpass the other week. Still looks like it is all still replaced with wood in that area. Not sure how far or how much they are doing.

Thanksgiving Sunday Keystone Service trains had extra cars. Train 664 had six cars, and had ACS-64 600 doing the honors.
Train 43 Pennsylvanian had seven cars insgtead of the usual six.
Train 666 had six cars and train 665 had seven.

Any more photos of the work being done at Harrisburg? I got some. Not much. I interested if they got any new signals installed.