New Rochelle Project Completed

As of 4:30 PM yesterday afternoon (10/24) track 4 on the NH line and track 1 on the Hell Gate Line at CP 216 were put back into service. Officially both tracks were put back into service by Bulletin Order as of 10:00 AM Wednesday October 22, but a bit more work had to be done.

This marks the end of the 5 year $95 million "Shell at Grade Project" which expanded CP 217, installed "higher" speed switches on and off the Hell Gate Branch at CP 216, added CP 215 and Amtrak interlocking "Manor", realigned tracks 2 and 4 at New Rochelle Station and legnthened the platform.

Amtrak trains can now go 45 MPH on and off the Hell Gate Branch instead of 15 MPH and the new CP 216 is much shorter (only about 500 feet long) allowing for Amtrak trains to clear much faster.

I wouldn't call 45 MPH thru crossovers high speed, when you have 80MPH crossovers east of New Haven. Let's call them "higher speed"!

Hooray! So what speed will MNR through trains be able to travel through SHELL (CP 216)?

CP 216 or the curve west of the station? It used to be 60 mph through CP 216 & 30 mph through the curve. I believe tks. 1 & 3 are now 50 mph through the curve. Dutch will give the correct answer eventually.

The curve west of station is no longer CP216 on tracks 3 and 1 and is now 50 mph on both tracks
On tracks 2 and 4 The MNCR speed is either 50 or 45 for MNCR routing, the Amtrak routing is 45 mph max.

Does anyone know of a diagram of what the new track arrangement looks like?

Jon

Give me a few hours and I'll post a video.

Good news is that this rebuild kept one of the movable point diamonds off the Hell Gate and resulted in 8 new position light signals being installed for the Manor interlocking project. It's great now that Amtrak trains can now more quickly get to MNRR territory to bend over for the Metro North dispatchers. Sort of like racing your car to a stop light

Jersey_Mike wrote:Give me a few hours and I'll post a video.

Good news is that this rebuild kept one of the movable point diamonds off the Hell Gate and resulted in 8 new position light signals being installed for the Manor interlocking project. It's great now that Amtrak trains can now more quickly get to MNRR territory to bend over for the Metro North dispatchers. Sort of like racing your car to a stop light

Hurry Jersey . I qualified up to CP 216 back in May or early June so I would like to see what it looks like now considering I will probably never run up that way

Here you go. Remember to watch in high quality.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZTN9b9GSpM

Great video! Did Amtrak retain their crossover from their track no. 2 to their track no. 1 at the junction?

petercyganjr wrote:Great video! Did Amtrak retain their crossover from their track no. 2 to their track no. 1 at the junction?

Amtrak's an go from MNRR track #2 to Amtrak #1 as well as from MNRR track #4 to Amtrak #2 @ CP216. Amtraks can also change from #1 to #2 or vice versa @ Manor interlocking on the Hell-Gate Line.

Jersey_Mike wrote:Give me a few hours and I'll post a video.

Good news is that this rebuild kept one of the movable point diamonds off the Hell Gate and resulted in 8 new position light signals being installed for the Manor interlocking project. It's great now that Amtrak trains can now more quickly get to MNRR territory to bend over for the Metro North dispatchers. Sort of like racing your car to a stop light

Maybe if Amtrak ran their trains on time, I would'nt bury them behind the local...

During my qualifying trips I never had any problems. Have been stuck behind locals sometimes, but considering how much traffic they have going on I think that the RTC's do a pretty good job at keeping things running smoothly.

So is New Rochelle somewhat similar to Stamford now vis-a-vis track layout, i.e. three inside tracks, and one outside track (whereas Stamford has two outside)? I was never quite sure on this; is the old eastbound track 6 now track 4, and track 2 platforms at the outbound center-island platform?

now New Rochelle is only 4 tracks
track 3 is New York bound platform
track 1 express track
Track 2 and 4 are New Haven bound platform(island) and only platform accesible for Amtrak.
(Track 4 is old gantlet track)