Does anyone know what the busiest piece of track is in the US?
It depends on what you are looking for. The piece of track with the most axels traveling over it could be a hump in a major yard, or a transit system.
I think the busiest mainline would be the North East Corridor, but the Map of the Month last July shows 529 trains running north from Grand Central Terminal in NYC.
As for freight junctions outside of yards, perhaps somewhere in Kansas City.
There is a very busy crossing on the east side of Toledo (Vickers) where the CSX Detroit-Columbus line crosses the NS ex NYC Chicago line.
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=11&Z=17&X=730&Y=11523&W=1&qs=|toledo||
I would guess that the busiest stretch of track in the US, would be in the East River tunnel(s) between Penn Station and Queens N.Y. – what with all of the LIRR trains as well as Amtrak and NJT trains deadheading to and from Sunnyside yard.
Sorry I was not specific. I was reffering to Class 1 freight action.
I don’t know about back east but out here it would be Colton crossing. Stockton tower (tower gone) and Vancouver jct. are up there too.
Gibbon to N. Platte Nebraska along us 30
where I live in Mt.Vernon ,Illinos we have a UP main Line that goes through here the Chicago to Houston-Brownsville Texas line that runs on an average about 30 trains in a 24 hour day.
Without a doubt Daggett CA or Barstow CA, Coming in a close second would be Colton CA . Once at Daggett I saw 17 trains in a hour! [:)]
[:O][:O][:O][:O][:O][:O] My record was five in one hour.
If you have not check out my web site in my signature go to the Southern California gallaries to see the action out there. Almost all BNSF trains going to either LAX or SF go thru Daggett + it is the merge point for the UPRR for its LAX traffic. [:)]
Checked out the site, amazing pictures. I live near the NS mainline and I have never seen that many NS locos.[(-D]
For Class 1 freight lines, many areas are there to be seen. The friendly and safe areas for serious high-speed action are Barstow area, including Daggett (bring water and sunscreen), North Platte NE, Amarillo TX (5 lines converge here), and Fostoria OH. I have railfanned all 4 and they all have lots of action and very friendly railroad and law enforcement officials.
Many of the cities that have traffic, are not very secure for a one-man show. I try and avoid them whenever possible. The cameras and electronics are a big attraction for those that inhabit the inner city areas. This is very unfortunate, as there are some extraordinary photo sites in some cities.
Marysville, Kansas…Union Pacific’s Marysville Sub from Gibbon, Ne to Kansas City…currently averages 80 trains in a 24hr day! I’m talking BIG power and Big trains, 120 car coal drags with AC6000CWs and SD90MACs (in DPU service)…Z-trains blowing down the main behind brand new GE EVOs…it is awesome!
UP 9018 – Everything traveling the Marysville sub is also going from Gibbon NE to North Platte, but that part of the line also is used by the 50-60 trains that go east from Gibbon to Fremont.
Yes, I am aware of that as the westbound train crews leaving out of Marysville terminate in North Platte. The triple track into North Platte is also very fun to watch, they’re really flying down that line.
I was in Marysville a couple of years ago. Is the trackage work still ongoing, or have they finished the bypass yet? It is a very pretty town, and friendly folks there too. Reminds me so much of my home groing up near Hinkle OR, another hot spot for the UP.
Yep, they bypass has been finished for almost a year. Most of the tracks through town are gone, except a few left in the old yard that are occasionally used . They have to still build the new depot and do some of the support infastructure. It is really cool to sit on top of the dike and watch the trains move in and out of the new yard, which isn’t really a yard, more like ‘Prototye Staging’