Visiting Dallas/Ft. Worth area, so I figured I'd check out Tower 55 area in FWorth. Most amazing spot I've ever seen! Always, there were trains waiting to cross; at one time there were 5 South-to-North trains waiting. When one clears (15 MP MPH max), another is cleared to cross. The Texas-Pacific train station is now used for the FW/Dallas local service, after having been closed in 1967; it looks like upper stories were used as a hotel, and have been abandoned many years, yet curtains remain in the windows. Next to the T-P station is a Post Office, again built in the '30's, looking more like a palace than a public building. Further down is an abaondoned warehouse, which I suspect is of T-P origin, but not sure, but worth a visit. The real interest, though, lies in the constant, non-stop flow of traffic over the crossing. I had heard that Tower 55 is no longer operational; but it seemed like someone was indeed upstairs, whether on-duty, or caretaking, I couldn't surmise. It appears 50/50, UP/BNSF trains from what I could see. Can anyone tell me if the Tower is still operational? Thanks, SS.
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I heard there is a major Federally-backed project to separate N-S traffic from E-W traffic. Either the E-W will burrow beneath the N-S (favoured by freight companies), or the opposite (favoured by locals and passenger companies). Which will it be...E-W underneath, or N-S underneath? Sam
Semaphore Sam wrote:I heard there is a major Federally-backed project to separate N-S traffic from E-W traffic. Either the E-W will burrow beneath the N-S (favoured by freight companies), or the opposite (favoured by locals and passenger companies). Which will it be...E-W underneath, or N-S underneath? SamSee this link for information on the construction plans:
http://www.tradecorridors.com/tower55/p ... gineering/
To save reading through the details of the project, any grade separations at Tower 55 will be far into the future. The UP favors lowering their east-west tracks, the BNSF and Fort Worth favors lowering the north-south tracks, and with conflicting agendas, grade separation isn't likely soon. Raising tracks on either directions isn't possible short of rebuilding the I-35W and I-30 intersection, and TXDOT had just recently rebuilt it - so that's not on the table.
What is under construction now is adding another track with appropriate turnouts and signaling on the north-south tracks, with UP using two and BNSF using one (the western most track). This will allow three trains heading straight to run through the diamonds simultaneously in the north-south direction, which should reduce the number of trains staging in those directions. If a train is turning directions, only one train can use the diamonds. The main goal of the present construction is to reduce the number of trains waiting to access the crossings.
What is under construction now is adding another track with appropriate turnouts and signaling on the north-south tracks, with UP using two and BNSF using one (the western most track). This will allow three trains heading straight to run through the diamonds simultaneously in the north-south direction, which should reduce the number of trains staging in those directions. If a train is turning directions, only one train can use the diamonds. The main goal of the present construction is to reduce the number of trains waiting to access the crossings.
http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/07/07 ... .html?rh=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Amtrak has shut down its Texas Eagle train service between Fort Worth and San Antonio for two months and is using buses to ferry passengers through Central Texas because of massive construction at the Tower 55 railroad intersection near downtown Fort Worth.