Casual observation: When one comes across a grade crossing where there were rails only in the crossing and not beyond them on either end, one used to think that something had been taken up there and would soon be gone completely.
Isn’t it nice to be around now, when this could just as easily mean that a new track is being built? I’m near a project right now where Metra and UP are adding a third track to the West Line, between Vale (River Forest) and 25th Avenue (Melrose Park), and a couple of the grade crossings have already been installed, even if the tracks surrounding them haven’t been. I started working on and around this line 47 years ago, and it has always been two tracks–in fact, it was directional double track when I started, but has been CTC for some time now–until now.
And this isn’t the only place where mainline trackage is being added around here. Same project, a little further west, will put in a third track between Kress (West Chicago) and Peck (west of Geneva). Not many grade crossings on this line, but it should involve some major bridge construction over the Fox River, and a few reconstructed grade separations as necessary to accommodate the added track.
On the other side of town, progress through planning stages is slowly being made for a second track on the single-track portions of the South Shore Line between Gary and Michigan City. That will involve a number of grade crossings, and at least two overpasses over other railroads. It should also include a route around the street-running in Michigan City. (I don’t know which, if any, of the options for this rerouting has been decided on.)
Carl, as one who worked on the PRR’s Buckeye Region in the second half of the 1950’s. most of the trackage I was on (heavy 152# double track cab signalled) is GONE. Some very hard to even find traces of. Part (Cincinnati to NewCastle is now N&W) is still in operation. Cincinnati to Xenia is a trail. The CREATE project is a real positive in todays climate as is NICTD’s expansion/double tracking. And the UP’s (or is it METRA) adding a third track to the Metra UP West line is something that was needed. WHen one looks at the maps of where rails once were and see what is left, it is too easy to get discuraged about the industry. But then one looks at California and sees their transit growth, it gives me hope.
In other words, neither of us will live long enough to see it happen.
It might be easier and cheaper to connect the CP line to the UP Milwaukee sub. The Milwaukee sub is underutilized, and with some (relatively) minor repairs, the line could be brought back to its original double-track status; after all, most, if not all, of the bridges that were in use back in the double-track days are still in place.
On the south side of Milwaukee, the UP could be made to connect to the CP near Chase, although one of the big bridges (over hwy 38) was recently removed in favor of a trail. There is another loction (Washington) where the CP could easily access the UP; however, that connection is to the Kenosha sub, which does eventually connect back to the Milwaukee sub at KO.
Hooking up the two lines in the Chicago area would be a bit more difficult.
Back to the crossing. I would not be surprised if the new track rides a little funny for a while after it goes into service with either little humps or dips at each crossing location until some point in the future when they have surfaced-through a few times and settlement cycles balance out. Understand why the crossings went in out-of-face, but those rascals are really hard to get right.
Grand! 1972, only seven “trolley lines” in North America: Toronto, Boston, Newark, Nj, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Shaker Heights, New Orlens, San Francisco.
(All PCC except New Orleans)
All seven survived, and all grew. Now we also have Los Angels, San Jose, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Twin Cities, Milwaukee about to open, El Paso, Buffalo, JerseyCity-Hoboken, Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Cincinnati, Takoma, Salt Lake City, Denver, Tampa, Memphis, Charlotte, Detroit, Kansas City, and Kenosha. May have left one or two out? More in construction or planning.
But the old ways don’t go away - the yellow peril is quietly putting the KP, WP and part of the DRGW on the block because of the Wall Street Trash inspired PSR and the pronouncement of certain beancounter types out of touch with reality. (could we lay them off first?)
Pogo was right. (For those with enough whiskers to remember. The short-term, blinders-on and unaccountable Wall Street Trash won’t see it.)
Dave: In Cincy, some of the original never-used streetcar infrastructure that was abandoned in 1928 may finally be in-use 100 years later……but then, mismanagement by bus people and clueless political hacks could kill it all.
All well and good, but a number of those lines are downtown-only loops that barely fit in with the rest of the transit system, to wit: Tampa, Memphis, Detroit, Kenosha, Milwaukee and perhaps some others.
I am reluctant to go against you mudchicken, but why does the UP need the KP, WP and DRGW lines? They’re duplicate routes. If their traffic can be handled on other routes why keep them? It just adds expense.
(1) Because you are sacrificing the future (long term) for the present (short term). Traffic patterns and commodities change.
(2) The lines are revenue adequate, just not enough for what they want to see.
(3) The lines have been their “ace in the hole” more than once when things go wrong on those more spreadsheet “sexy” lines. The KP was the relief valve on the UP transcon that was out of room to expand only a few short years ago between Cheyenne and Marysville/KC … then the recession hit and traffic dropped.
Paul, you may be closer to the actual situation then I am. Could you list which modern light rail and streetcar systems are a genuine contribution to commuter transit for the cities served and which are just huge toys?
I know Dallas and Houston and Baltimore and Seattle and Portland and San Diego and San Jose and Los Angeles definitely serve important transit functions.
Atlanta thus far seems a giant toy.
Charlotte seems to have morphed from the latter to the former.
What about Detroit, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Kenosha?
Mybe your answer should start a new thread on the Transit Forum or possibly just reply here.
No, it shrank a little bit - I believe some of the trolley lines were mothballed or takne out of service, but I’m not familiar enough to say exactly which ones or where.
I don’t know how you’d classify the NJ Transit Diesel Multiple-Unit from Camden (other side of the Delaware River from PHL) to Trenton- it’s kind of like a light rail but without the overhead wires.
One system, briefly mentioned arlier in this Thread was that of Memphis, Tn. IMHO surely classes as a ‘toy’ system.[sigh]
It had its roots in the late 1980’s (?). memphis had converted its Main Street to a pedestrian mall, and had operated a motor bus service down the major shopping areas of the street. Some one in the political hierarchy decidied a trolley service would better suit the area. So in the late 1980’s the city’ss bus operation bought a group of elederly turn of the century trolley cars. They were primarily from Auastralia, and Portugal, and even from Brazil, IIRC. Had them re-worked and updated, somewhat(?).
The first line in service was the Main St. from the Repair facility to the Central RR station ( at the time primarily, ICRR). The second line was the Riverside (completion of a loop back to the Trolley Barn.) Made for an enjoyable ride, and was parallel to the Mississippi River Drive; more or less, from the RR station area North, it was a pretty severe down grade for the elderly cars. They then recreated the line from Downtown to the Medical Center( a line that had existed pre-1950’s(?).
There had been some local hope they would incorporate a connection out to the Airport,from the downtown link. Apparently, has yet to be done(?).
Then there were proposals to open a line from downtown to the Casino areas of Mississippi in Tunica County. A line that would have utilized, in part, IC RR rows, the old Y&MV ROW and some trackage to get the line built. Diden’t Happen, either.
IMHO they missed another really great opportunity to lay a line out from downtown to a suburban residential area (Cordova, Tn) to approximately Eads, Tn. Originally, NC&StL /L&N and finally CSX ownership. In the 1990’s CSX had gone out, and relaid it with a very heavy rail, new ties, and the WHY was unknown to most at the time. It would have made for a pretty heavil
