Updates on Multi-Tracking the Two BNSF Transcons

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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Diningcar/Deggesty, thanks for the replies. I suppose the next question would be which arrangement would have the greater capacity and/or flexibility:

  1. An adjacent double track line, CTC, signaled in both directions or

  2. A split line like Ellinor to Wellington, with sidings. Certainly, the addition of bi-directional CTC on each line would make a significant difference in the comparison as would the number and lenght of sidings. Of course, I have no idea what the situation is on that stretch of railroad.

I realize that the 2 routes serve different towns/cities, are different in length and that a perfect comparison is not really possible. I guess the question that I have is whether the BNSF considers the current arrangement an advantage or disadvantage (tolerable or not) versus adjacent 2-track CTC bi-directional mains?

Just an idle musing.

Pete

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Pete, your question is easily answered - your item 1 is the best.

However the options for BNSF in Kansas dictated use of the line you call 2. Both of these lines have been in existance for many decades so no new ROW acquistion was necessary. Adjustments could be made relatively inexpensively.

The business to and from Oklahoma and Texas was what dictated this very old arrangement and the more recent developement of the “Transcon Business” only necessitated modifications - to high speed switches when desireable, upgraded signal systems and modifications in Wichita and Newton where additional trains now travel.

I am sure some finer points can be made by those with more recent knowledge as I have been retired from predecessor Santa Fe since 1990.

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I remember looking at Google Earth, and noticing that the north end of the shorter line thru El Dorado had started out as double track for quite a while. I wonder if the eventual plan is to double track the entire segment.

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Because BNSF now uses two parallel unidirectional tracks for east-west traffic here, and because train counts along this segment, reflecting a lot of Chicago and Kansas City traffic diverting off the Transcon to Texas, are lower than through, say, Abo Canyon or across the Sibley (MO) bridge, thereby significantly lowering the urgency for second-tracking this segment, and because there remain significant stretches urgently needing more second track elsewhere in the system (particularly the Northern Transcon), then I’d wager, speaking as a bumpkin (formerly) from Virginia, that that track work is a long, long way off.

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[#offtopic] alittle information on the BNSF Ellinor sub and a little about the origin of “TRANSCON”

diningcar and Pete: I have been reading back in this Thread, and find the information posted by diningcar to be really interesting. I happen to live at about the 217.5 MP on the Ellinor sub ( BNSF lists this part as Main 3). The West Switch is on the Northend of Mulvane,Ks. from there it’s mostly double track, bi-directional to Wellington. Wellington to Amarillo (?). It seems that most of the track segments around here are’ pieces’ that have been cobbled together, and engineered to get the capacity they currently have; this has been done through various abandonments, and re-alignments of the remnants of those towns where service had been discontinued, and segments pulled up(?)

Last summer, BNSF and its Contractors re-worked the signals with LED lighting, and laid fiber-optic cabling along the ROW between Wichita and Wellington.

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samfp, you chose a very interesting location, Mulvbane, KS. Rather than attempt to explain the several options BNSF has in Mulvane I suggest to those interested that they get Google Maps up and then look at Google Earth for details. Especially look for the double track and grade separation features.

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Here you go…Go Mulvane Wildcats!

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mulvane,+KS+67110/@37.4771691,-97.2454662,2801m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x87baf240008b7987:0x1e0a9c4a541bbfb8!8m2!3d37.474464!4d-97.2439325

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Question Related to Mulvane, KS

In studying the Mulvane, KS movable aerial (and others) off and on for some days now, it has been noted that BNSF has one track going over the other (apparently a non-Transcon BNSF track). It is presumed that arrangement came about close to a century ago, or at least three quarters on a century ago. Obviously, the one track going over the other mentality has changed, such as with the present 1959-60 line relocation related biases shift at Window, AZ – right running to the west now becomes left running to the east (generally) – where switches semi-accomplish the same thing as a flyover. Did AT&SF, predecessor to BNSF, many decades ago convert to switches in lieu of flyovers / fly-unders because of the great reduction of time sensitive passenger trains, or was it purely for cost reasons?

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Diningcar and kgbw49:

First, I really appreciate the information and the Google Map. Thanks !

NOT TOO SURE ON THE DATE OF THE MAP(?) I may be misreading iot, but trying to follow from Mulvane across the Arkansaw R towards Wellington, it seems to show all single track (?). Currently, that is all double track that is signaled for bi-directional running on both tracks. Not sure when that additional track was added [I suspect it was prior to 2000, but uncertain as to when it was improved. ] Just recently, the BNSF added a bridge enhancement to the bridge just to the NE of the N.Oliver crossing.

The line North from Mulvane towards Wichita is signaled for bi-directional running, and has some double track, but also some segments of single track {Through the Derby,Ks. area] For urban running, the trackspeed seems to get about 50 mph, give or take, for traffic through there. Even the Watco, and B.N trackage right trains move through there as well.

K.P. You asked about an elevated line on the south end of Mulvane [The Ark City sub leaves the main route just south of the former Mulvane Station (nee: Santa Fe type brick structure], as it[Ark City sub] heads Southeast towards Udall and Winfield} It is elevated to the point that a road crossing under it has approx. a 20’ clearance from the lower road surface, to the bottom of the bridge]. it is single track and signaled for running in both directions.

The line from the East switch towards the Mulvane-Wellington line

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KP and all: The grade separation at the south side of Mulvane is the Transcon crossing over the Newton-Wichita-Winfield and on to Oklahoma line and has been there for many years. The Transcon switches on the Wellington end are CTC and were 40MPH in 1995 TT’s and the Transcon switches east of Mulvane are also 40 MPH.

In the 1995 TT the Transcon line that goes to the north of Mulvane and intersects the Newton- Okla. line is called the NORTH track and its intersection with the Newton-Okla line has a 10 MPH turnouts onto and exiting the Newton- Okla line as it continues west as the Transcon. So in 1995 the double track Transcon via El Dorado split east of Mulvane as described above and rejoined west of Mulvane. Rather than elaborate further about Mulvane at this time I will await responses to wehat I have just furnished.

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diningcar (11-24):

Your reply was quite informative. It raised questions, though, which you probably can answer.

For clarification, on the two Transcon routes north and east out of Mulvane, KS, are all the dual-control siding switches 40 M.P.H.? If so, the two routes are well suited for the ‘not so many trains’ like you mentioned in your November 18, 2016 post. The partial route of Amtrak Nos. 3 & 4 you said was the ‘North Track’ back in 1995. Is it still the ‘North Track’ or is it now identified as ‘Main 1’? Since you didn’t mention it in your post, is the less mileage route the ‘South Track,’ possibly now Main 2? And, what is the point of having TWO ‘South’ track routes for a few miles east out of Mulvane?

Those 10 M.P.H. switches you mentioned are presumed to be the ‘wye’ connection to the Oklahoma route as seen on aerials, and those aerials suggest those switches are unpowered and not dual-control, which implies they are not used much. In the Barstow-Lenwood area on the southern Transcon in Southern California, a similar situation existed since the Barstow Classification Yard was put in circa 1976. In the last few decades that track was made a lengthy ‘wye’ track and signaled.

That ‘wye’ type track doesn’t see much traffic. K.P. has never seen a train on it over the years. It is basically for trains going north-south in California and up to or from Oregon.

A source told me the highly trafficked single-track line out of Barstow (to Tehachapi and up north) uses 40 M.P.H. switches, and trains with LINED signals can enter and exit those sidings at 40 M.P.H. The two routes in Kansas that you, diningcar, menti

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Good morning KP,

First a reminder, the Mulvane info posted yesterday was from a 1995 timetable. On that topic the two 10 MPM switches connecting the NORTH track of the Emporia Sub to the Arkansas City Sub (Newton to Arkansas City) were there for two reasons. 1. To permit the then CTC dual directional Emporia Sub’s North track to be used both eastward and westward, at the Dispatcher discreation, as a “siding” so that expedited Transcon trains could use the South track through Mulvane. 2. The northward "Texas-Oklahoma trains destined for Kansas City could exit the Ark City Sub with the 10 MPH switch onto the North Track of the Emporia Sub and continue toward KC without going to Newton.

I believe that there was no bias employed by dispatchers and they used whatever was at their disposal in CTC territory to expedite the movement of trains.

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Now further about current operations in the vicinity of Mulvane as compared with what was obtained from the 1995 TT.

I do not have a current TT but shall make this analysis by examining the Google Earth photos blown up so detail can be seen; and recognizing that the Emporia Sub is now (under normal conditions) a westward operation component of the Transcon.

The north track, Main 1, still intersects the Ark City Sub but without a switch. It is a continous track toward south Mulvane where it then blends to the right, with I assume high speed switches, continuing westward on the Transcon as Main 1. Main 2 continues to the south of Mulvane and the two rejoin SW of the Arkansas River.

Eastward Transcon trains are on Main 1 as they approach Mulvane and blend into the Ark City Sub; then continue (under normal conditions) through Wichita toward Newton and then east to Ellinor.

Trains from OK and TX continue through Mulvane on the Ark City Sub to Newton.

Westward trains for OK and TX depart the Emporia Sub at Augusta and join the Ark City Sub at Winfield.

Now I solicit any info that will further elaborate or correct the assumptions made from examining the current Google Earth photos.

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KP of 11-25: The route of Amtrak 3 & 4 between Ellinor and Newton is single track except within Newton yard limits and is named the Newton Sub. The Emporia Sub (Emporia via El Dorado to Wellington ) is three main tracks to Ellinor, where the most northerly track continues on to Newton.

The Emporia Sub is a mixture of single and two main tracks with long sidings where there is single track. All switches are high speed except through cities like El Dorado, Augusta and Mulvane. I do not have TT’s to provide specifics but Google Earth analysis should provide those interested with good info. The two 10 MPH switches in Mulvane shown in the 1995 TT are gone and what was then called the North track is now Main 1 as it continues parallel to the Ark City Sub and the crosses over it to continue SW to rejoin Main 2 after crossing the Arkansas River.

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Great stuff, guys, on the whole configuration at Mulvane, KS and detailing how the operations work in the area where the two main tracks diverge between there and Ellinor. Thanks so much for sharing that great information with us. When one looks at it from Google Maps, it almost looks like something one would find on a model railroad, but it is real life in 1:1 scale. Great stuff and thanks!

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A Severely Angled Tracks-New Overpass

Part “A” (of A-E)

This involves the far western “southern” Transcon, which was two-tracked about 25 years ago, and a very recent grade separation that is a little different from the run of the mill types. Magnolia Ave. severely angle-crossed the BNSF, so the new overpass had to have cross supports.

Its location is the border between Corona and Riverside (CA), and while only two-tracks are present presently, the right-of-way looks to be five-tracks wide. Looking westbound from the southwest side of the Buchanan Street grade crossing:

Continued in Part B

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A Severely Angled Tracks-New Overpass

Part “B” (of A-E)

From the north side of the grade crossing:

From the south side of Magnolia Ave, looking westbound:

The sidewalk:

Continued in Part C

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A Severely Angled Tracks-New Overpass

Part “C” (of A-E)

Over the tracks, the bridge’s rod-iron has meshing.

Believe it or not, trains are hard to see from up on the overpass.

Even on one’s knees, trains are hard to see on the opening under the fence.

Continued in Part D

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A Severely Angled Tracks-New Overpass

Part “D” (of A-E)

The meshing ends once the tracks are clear of unscrupulous people dropping things onto trains. The view also gives one a sense of the angle of the tracks in relation to Magnolia Ave.

Looking eastbound, an overview of the angle:

Magnolia Ave. looking northeast:

Continued in Part E

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A Severely Angled Tracks-New Overpass

Part “E” (of A-E)

A wider northeast view:

Above, Magnolia Ave. is separated with a path between traffic lanes. Decades ago the Pacific Electric trolley cars passed on the center area. They crossed the Santa Fe, not on a diamond, but switches because of the severe angle that needed to be crossed.

The Buchanan Street grade crossing:

Just above, when K.P. was a kid there was no flood control channel, nor houses here. And no crossing gates, just a wigwag.

In the heyday of San Fe passenger trains, most of them traversed the Second District, north of here. A few came this way, on the Third District. The Grand Canyon (Nos. 23 and 24) passed here.

When K.P. was a kid, he saw two warbonnet passenger trains zoom through here in rapid succession. The first one had PA’s on the point, with green flags. The second was right on its block, and had F’s. When one is a kid and young, things are eternal. K.P. found out the hard way that wasn’t true. The passenger trains are but a memory now.

While to the west, even farther than Corona, three tracks become two. There is an old signal bridge there instead of a new cantilever structure. Such often insinuates triple-track here may be in the future. But, the Metrolink commuter platforms are only for two-tracks, which could mean a number of things.

Anyway, K.P. was desirous of conveying to the forum about the new Magnolia Ave. overpass. The most significant, as mentioned at the outset, is the wide bridging, for five tracks.&n