Penn Station Emergency Repairs: Trackwork, etc.

Getting this topic back on track, here's an image of Track 15 on 2/7/18. Awaiting third rail and misc. component installation:

Detouring the LSL "around the horn" via DV, MO, JO and New Rochelle presents some serious challenges. DV to New Rochelle is MNRR territory so you'd need a pilot. The wye at MO, while used all the time for passenger service, is not high speed. And you'd have to change ends at New Rochelle, likely fouling one of the mains in the process. Which given the schedule of the eastbound you'd be doing at the absolute height of the evening rush hour, sometime around 6pm or so. Not something that's going to delight MN: and remember, in Westchester and Connecticut it's their railroad, not Amtrak's.

I honestly think it would be easier to operate the LSL via Springfield and New Haven. You could either move the split w the Boston section to Springfield temporarily, or you could even leave the split at Albany w one section following the other as far as Springfield. For anyone in a hurry to reach NY you could offer across-the-platform transfer at ALB to an Empire Service train. Heck you could even eliminate the Albany engine change for the time being and swap the diesel for an electric motor at New Haven.

Some work has begun in the eastern end of the space formerly occupied by yard track 5A. There is a lot of activity -- people in hard hats in the area which is "fenced in" with some kind of tarp. As of right now, I am unable to figure out what they are doing. This definitely is not directly connected to the rehabilitation of the station tracks that is going at this time.

This might be connected to the Moynihan Train Hall project. They are going to be adding staircases down to the Amtrak platforms from the terminal building, which is under heavy construction right now.

If anyone's interested, Amtrak continues to release progress reports on the station rehabilitation. Some interesting notes about Track 18, which is direct fixation and will undergo a "rehab" rather than a full rebuild beginning in March:

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/proj ... 020218.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Platform Barriers between Tracks 15 & 16 were partially removed as noticed this morning. There is still MOW equipment on the new track but a quick inspection showed that rails and 3rd rail look complete. Protection boards were awaiting installation. Don't know what is needed to "commission" the new track but at this pace, Track 15 looks to be opened by next week. AK

Project is coming along, Track 15 has access to the east river tunnels which is being blocked till the track is back in service as Track 18 doesn’t utilize east river tunnels so another track accessible to east river tunnels will be in place.

I presume another project will be needed after this current project is completed to fix other areas of Penn Station.

Amtrak seems to be running a lot better at Penn Station as the project gets further along to completion and the worst of the outages seem to be over at last.

Not sure how the condition of other non updated tracks and interlocking/turnouts are.

FL9's to be rehabbed for Empire service. Discussion here: http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.ph ... start=2310" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

adamj023 wrote:Project is coming along, Track 15 has access to the east river tunnels which is being blocked till the track is back in service as Track 18 doesn’t utilize east river tunnels so another track accessible to east river tunnels will be in place.

I presume another project will be needed after this current project is completed to fix other areas of Penn Station.

Amtrak seems to be running a lot better at Penn Station as the project gets further along to completion and the worst of the outages seem to be over at last.

Not sure how the condition of other non updated tracks and interlocking/turnouts are.

Track 18 is next for repair, but it's an upgrade, not a complete rebuild. It's a direct-fixation track. New tie plates will be installed in the concrete, and the old ones grouted.
3 turnouts in Interlocking "C" will be replaced.

This really is a Damn shame... I wanted to take the train from NY/NJ to Chicago this summer and now the only options I have is the extremely long Cardinal(only 3 days a week) or taking a shuttle to Albany to get the LSL.. Par the course tho. Mine as well just drive since we have a 3rd world country intercity rail system in this country anyway.

blockline4180 wrote:This really is a Damn shame... I wanted to take the train from NY/NJ to Chicago this summer and now the only options I have is the extremely long Cardinal(only 3 days a week) or taking a shuttle to Albany to get the LSL.. Par the course tho. Mine as well just drive since we have a 3rd world country intercity rail system in this country anyway.

Flights from any of the region's many airports to any of Chicago's are plentiful, and roughly 1/10 the time of the best ever scheduled passenger train on the route. I'm not sure why this isn't your top choice then.

adamj023 wrote:Project is coming along, Track 15 has access to the east river tunnels which is being blocked till the track is back in service as Track 18 doesn’t utilize east river tunnels so another track accessible to east river tunnels will be in place.

I presume another project will be needed after this current project is completed to fix other areas of Penn Station.

Amtrak seems to be running a lot better at Penn Station as the project gets further along to completion and the worst of the outages seem to be over at last.

Not sure how the condition of other non updated tracks and interlocking/turnouts are.

huh?? I think you mean north river tunnels (Hudson) . Track 18 is mostly if not always LIRR and would need access to the east river tunnels to be of any use to the LIRR.

actually i remember reading somewhere on rr.net
that once in several blue moons NJT has used 18 so
it seems 18 does have access to the Hudson side tunnels.
probably the highest track that does.

According to the link shown in JamesRR's post above (Feb. 9, 11:40 pm), tracks 5 up to and including 17 have access to the East River tunnels (although trains for the ER tunnels don't have the full length of the platform), and tracks up to and including 19 have access to the North River tunnels.

Lets get the facts straight:

Tracks 5-17 have access to East River Tunnel Line 1-4 and access to the North River Tunnels
Tracks 18-21 have access to East River Tunnels Line 3-4 only.
Tracks 1-19 have access to the North River Tunnels.

The East River Tunnels are to the EAST of Penn Station; the North River Tunnels are to the west of Penn Station.

Track 18 is predominantly only for LIRR trains. Track 15 will get all three railroads.

andrewjw wrote:

blockline4180 wrote:This really is a Damn shame... I wanted to take the train from NY/NJ to Chicago this summer and now the only options I have is the extremely long Cardinal(only 3 days a week) or taking a shuttle to Albany to get the LSL.. Par the course tho. Mine as well just drive since we have a 3rd world country intercity rail system in this country anyway.

Flights from any of the region's many airports to any of Chicago's are plentiful, and roughly 1/10 the time of the best ever scheduled passenger train on the route. I'm not sure why this isn't your top choice then.

Because not everyone flies like you do. I know they are the safest way to travel but had bad experience with turbulence and I don't need to throw up my food or bang arms with the person Next to me.