NICTD 2010 Temporary Weekend Construction Outages

justalurker66 wrote:Further from the same minutes:

NICTD’s project is to install a bi-pass track through the Kensington interlocking allowing NICTD trains to have parallel movement with the Metra trains into tracks 3 and 4 on the northern end. The goal is to eliminate delays entering Metra’s tracks. This project should be complete in the spring of 2011.

I thought the new connection was just to track 4? Am I reading this right that the new connection will have access to both or are they saying parallel as in a Metra train on track 3 and a NICTD train on track 4 at the same time?

I would say the latter. I suppose it's possible that a connection to track 3 could be included, but once it comes online, it would seem to me that the dispatcher would have to keep the connection signaled for track 4 only in order to keep everything moving, especially during the AM rush for the inbound NICTD trains that highball Kensington, which is when this connection will be used the most. For the other trains using the "ladder track" into Kensington, you can always route them into track 3 or 4 northbound out of the depot as needed...

The railroad has begun the process of dismantling the old steel catenary bridges at the west end of Wilson (former Wagner), thus ending another era in the South Shore's history.

The remnants of the catenary bridges can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcMmzcI4FYM

JLJ061 wrote:The railroad has begun the process of dismantling the old steel catenary bridges at the west end of Wilson (former Wagner), thus ending another era in the South Shore's history.

The remnants of the catenary bridges can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcMmzcI4FYM

Drat ... I was over that way on Thursday (taking a couple of pictures of the new Hobart Rd Bridge in Miller) but didn't go east along the line to Ogden Dunes. I see from the video the cross bars are missing.

Nice to see the occasional speed check on your GPS in the video.


The week before Christmas I noticed that the "Form B" line numbers for the signal work near Olive are getting smaller. Generally they are numbered west to east. I was hearing line 6,7 or 8 for most of October and up to line 11 for November for the work at Olive. In December the highest line I heard was 5 with the three days before Christmas being one or two. So the "Ideal Section" dismantling work was probably done in November or early December.

(BTW: At Olive the new signals were up but not in service on the west end back on December 2nd. The new eastbound signals were put up but not in service on the east end of Olive last week.)

The signal crew has reached South Bend ... they've been working between Grandview and Pine Rd the past couple of days.
This photo was taken between Mayflower and the US 20 Bypass. Nobody seemed worried so I suppose the fire was good?

Fires like that are intentionally set in cold weather to get the rail to expand, so it can be cut and welded/joint-ed at a certain temperature. By joining the rail at an "equilibrium point," they can minimize sun kinks and cold weather rail breakages.

Just to note ... at the location of the fire above, NICTD installed one of the new CTC signals that will go in to use later this year.

As far as the 2010 Construction Projects, a good wrap-up was in the December board meeting minutes, released earlier this week.

Catenary
Mr. Hanas said NICTD has completed Year 2 of Phase 2, of the catenary replacement project. There were 19.3 track miles completed in 2010; In Year 3 [2011] NICTD plans to complete 10.4 track miles. A number of outages east of Dune Park are necessary for 2011. The ridership loss will not be as great because the start of the outage will move from Gary to Dune Park. This is a very successful project in terms of identifying the outages and construction work. Future weekend outages are tentatively scheduled for April 2-4; April 23-25; May 14-16; June 4-6; June 18-20; July 16-18; July 30-August 1; August 6-8; August 13-15; and August 27-29. When completed NICTD will have new catenary from the Roeske Avenue bridge in Michigan City to MP 75.4 immediately east of Kensington, totaling 68.9 miles.

Centralized Traffic Control [CTC]
Mr. Hanas talked about the stimulus funds associated with the Centralized Traffic Control [CTC] Phase 3 [Carroll Avenue to Grandview]. NICTD expects this $60 million project to be complete in the fall of 2011. This project will provide remote, power operated and heated switches at Birchim and Olive sidings; and replace aerial signal conductor (major cause of red signals) with buried fiber optics. Entrances to Michigan City will also be automated.

Kensington Interlocking Project
Mr. Hanas said that the Kensington project has finalized signal design and switch heater re-design; most of the signal and track materials are purchased and delivered; the aerial cable on the east side has been relocated; the wiring and shop testing of signal houses is complete; the crossovers and turnouts have been installed; CN tracks 3 and 4 have been shifted; 40% of the rail relay and tie renewal is completed; and 26 concrete foundations for catenary and signal structures have been installed. Mr. Hanas continued that NICTD has procured local control and Maintainer Test Panel and balance of the track material; the signal house cutovers and testing; the installation of crossovers and diamonds; has set structures and hung new catenary wire; installed switch heater transformers; and plans to place this new route into service by June, 2011.

Tracks in Michigan City Street – TIGER Grant
Mr. Hanas said this study is estimated to take 18 months is needed to evaluate various alignment options for moving the NICTD tracks off Michigan City streets and building a new passenger station there. An $800,000.00 TIGER II federal stimulus grant will pay for most of the study with NICTD and Michigan City funding the local match. A consultant could be hired by March. Mr. Hanas said federal officials are exerting some pressure to show progress. The TIGER II Grant has been awarded to only 33 projects in the country. Three routes and sub-alternatives will be discussed in great detail. The work scope will be drafted. It has been delivered to the Michigan City Mayor’s office. Mr. Yagelski and Ms. Huston have reviewed and worked on the draft.

On the catenary ... all the way to Roeske Ave. This includes the street running section. NICTD approved their local match and Michigan City should soon. NICTD is currently taking bids for the study project and expects to award a contract in March.

I've been watching the CTC upgrade, as time permits - I didn't realize that the project was ending at Grandview, although beyond that is the run to the airport with limited conflicts needing CTC. (Will TWC be needed to get from Grandview to the Airport?) Also the Airport's plan to move the South Shore to the other end of the terminal and run a new track down to the current line will bypass the Bendix route ... why upgrade what will be discarded? I expect Grandview to be the last CTC signal.

Can anyone say what "entrances to Michigan City will be automated" means? Is that simply the use of the last westbound signal (installed east of the CSX bridge approaching Karwick Rd) as the "do not pass Karwick Rd" signal Instead of using a TWC special instruction or mandatory directive (similar to CP 33.0 Eastbound)?

justalurker66 wrote:Can anyone say what "entrances to Michigan City will be automated" means? Is that simply the use of the last westbound signal (installed east of the CSX bridge approaching Karwick Rd) as the "do not pass Karwick Rd" signal Instead of using a TWC special instruction or mandatory directive (similar to CP 33.0 Eastbound)?

That would be my assumption as well.

The 2011 catenary project is only scheduled to Roeske Ave??? Considering they will be starting just west of Kemil Road (around MP 41) that only covers about 10 miles, including the street running section through Michigan City. Since they covered over 19 miles of new catenary in 2010 I would think they should be able to go much farther east in 2011, say around Tee Lake or Birchim.

JLJ061 wrote:The 2011 catenary project is only scheduled to Roeske Ave??? Considering they will be starting just west of Kemil Road (around MP 41) that only covers about 10 miles, including the street running section through Michigan City. Since they covered over 19 miles of new catenary in 2010 I would think they should be able to go much farther east in 2011, say around Tee Lake or Birchim.

They have been running at about a mile per weekend on the single track. 10.4 miles to Roeske, 10 weekends to complete it.

Don't forget that the 19 "track miles" completed in 2010 included the Wilson-Wagner double track. 5.5 miles that could be done on weekdays while trains ran on the other track (although the "Ideal Mile" portion was done on both tracks on the same weekend). Six closure weekends and about six weeks of midday/weekend delays (one closure weekend canceled).

I was surprised how quickly the single track was done once the crew got past Wilson (CP 47.5). Then again, I was thinking the end point was Dune Park and not Furnessville. (My bad ... they needed to get past Furnessville to keep the power on at Dune Park for trains to terminate there.)

The final 10.4 miles seems to be a straight shot and I suspect the first weekends will look like lightning. But the Sheridan/Power curve and the street running section will take time. (With the reroute coming I wonder why they will bother - but I suppose it will help.) Tee Lake would be the next logical stopping point ... but that is another 9 miles (nearly twice the distance) and isn't covered under the "Phase 2" plans. Hopefully "Phase 3" will be approved for 2012 (and beyond).

Come to think of it, I'm real curious to see how they plan to rewire Michigan City, since that's going to be a special circumstance: Are they going to stick with simple span wire, or full catenary like the rest of the system?

JLJ061 wrote:Come to think of it, I'm real curious to see how they plan to rewire Michigan City, since that's going to be a special circumstance: Are they going to stick with simple span wire, or full catenary like the rest of the system?

I'm expecting something similar to the trolley wire they are using now. I suppose catenary would be possible ... but the center of the street is a long way from the poles and installing long cross beams to hang catenary seems expensive.

Math correction: Wilson-Wagner is 6.5 miles ... which puts last year's work at about 6.5 miles of double track and 6.3 miles of single track. Six weekend closures (one was canceled) with mostly straight track. 2009 was 5.5 track miles (ending just east of CP 54.0) in five weekend closures. 2011 is 10.4 miles with 10 weekends scheduled - although the street running will take more time than the rural straight segments.

The heaviest part of the schedule is in July and August - every other weekend with three weekends in a row if the Boat Show weekend outage isn't canceled.

A correction to the 2011 schedule ... a new one was posted Wednesday at the NICTD News Page -
One of the April closures and the boat show weekend closure is gone ... two closures have been added in September (avoiding Notre Dame home game weekends). There are now three weekends in a row in July. 11 closures scheduled instead of 10 (but I suspect a weekend can be canceled if work goes well).

Dates below are 2:30 a.m. Saturday thru 3:00 a.m. Monday ---

April 2-4
May 14-16
June 4-6
June 18-20
July 16-18
July 23-25
July 30-August 1
August 13-15
August 27-29
September 10-12
September 24-26

Maybe this should open a new thread for 2011?

A good idea.

New Thread for 2011