When will CSX Railroad start track work and tunnel work? I heard it will take 1 year to complete? I heard that Amtrak miss the work widow on CSX, amtrak will have to bus people from Pittsburgh to D.C. or D.C. to Pittsburgh, Pa. I am planning a big trip next July 2012, I don't know which train to take The Capitol Limited or the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago, IL.
No Curfew schedule has yet been developed for 2012.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Has a schedule been developed for 2011 yet?
.....What does CSX plan to do on Sand Patch grade....? Is it rerailing the ROW....and what about tunnels....?
Quentin
In addition to rasing several bridges and doing some undercutting through several tunnels, the Pinkerton tunnel will be daylighted.
CSX people on this board know, when the start of the work?
Tactical plan has yet to be dissemenated.
conrailman CSX people on this board know, when the start of the work?
I think the best bet maybe is to take the Lake Shore Limited Bothways.
No matter the tactical plan that is implemented, it will allow for the near On Time operation of Amtrak. Remember, Spring, Summer & Fall are prime track work time for ALL carriers and all carriers will be undertaking major track maintenance projects at various locations on their properties...this includes NS and Amtrak on the route of the Lake Shore.
conrailman I think the best bet maybe is to take the Lake Shore Limited Bothways.
If CSX needs to shut down Sand Patch for 2 or 3 weeks or longer for a maintenance blitz (the least expensive and quickest IMHO) then reroute the Capital: WASH - Perryville - Harrisburg - Pittsburg - and on present routing. CSX would probably be better off accepting less payments for the route to cover any additional AMTRAK costs. This route certainly has history from the PRR era.
This routing could give AMTRAK an indication of the demand for Chicago service on the diverted route??
blue streak 1 If CSX needs to shut down Sand Patch for 2 or 3 weeks or longer for a maintenance blitz (the least expensive and quickest IMHO) then reroute the Capital: WASH - Perryville - Harrisburg - Pittsburg - and on present routing. CSX would probably be better off accepting less payments for the route to cover any additional AMTRAK costs. This route certainly has history from the PRR era. This routing could give AMTRAK an indication of the demand for Chicago service on the diverted route??
Yes, that would great idea to reroute the Capitol Limited on Pittsburgh Line few months, but people a say 1 year to complete the work on Sand Patch. I don't know how true it is 1 year?
I can virtually guarantee the CSX will not Shut Down the Keystone Sub (on which Sand Patch locates) for any more than 24 hour at a time and personally, I doubt the it will be shut down for that length of time.
On Railroads time is money and there is too much money involved to schedule any shut down of over 12 hours on any CSX main route. (12 hour shut downs are within the realm of normal maintenance curfews)
BaltACD I can virtually guarantee the CSX will not Shut Down the Keystone Sub (on which Sand Patch locates) for any more than 24 hour at a time and personally, I doubt the it will be shut down for that length of time. On Railroads time is money and there is too much money involved to schedule any shut down of over 12 hours on any CSX main route. (12 hour shut downs are within the realm of normal maintenance curfews)
However CSX for the last severl years has shut down the Cinchfield division for 2 -3 weeks every summer. Granted that this shutdown is during the annual coal miner's vacation time. But there are still many diversions during this time including some coal trains. There could be some windows that would need much more than a 12 hour window on Sand Patch??. Will be up to the gurus at CSX to determine?
You are referring to the CSX Maintenance 'Jamboree' that is normally applied to Coal routes during the Miners Vacation period in July each year....these Jamboree's are planned well in advance and concentrate virtually every Rail, Tie & Surfacing and Curve Patch gang on the CSX system to a specific territory. The logistics of readying that territory for the Jamboree is nearly a year long project itself in amassing and distributing the necessary track materials along the territory to be worked upon during the Jamboree.
The Clearance Projects that CSX intends to pursue in the National Gateway project will be handled 'under traffic'. Simply put, there is too much traffic moving over the Keystone Sub to permit rerouting it to any other CSX Route without severly decreasing the effectiveness of the 'detour' route from both a traffic movement and manpower basis. Just because a railroad has tracks running between Q & Z doesn't mean that those tracks can handle the traffic of another route in addition to it's own and it doesn't mean that the carrier has sufficient trained manpower to operate additional traffic on the Q to Z route.
blue streak 1 BaltACD: I can virtually guarantee the CSX will not Shut Down the Keystone Sub (on which Sand Patch locates) for any more than 24 hour at a time and personally, I doubt the it will be shut down for that length of time. On Railroads time is money and there is too much money involved to schedule any shut down of over 12 hours on any CSX main route. (12 hour shut downs are within the realm of normal maintenance curfews) However CSX for the last severl years has shut down the Cinchfield division for 2 -3 weeks every summer. Granted that this shutdown is during the annual coal miner's vacation time. But there are still many diversions during this time including some coal trains. There could be some windows that would need much more than a 12 hour window on Sand Patch??. Will be up to the gurus at CSX to determine?
BaltACD: I can virtually guarantee the CSX will not Shut Down the Keystone Sub (on which Sand Patch locates) for any more than 24 hour at a time and personally, I doubt the it will be shut down for that length of time. On Railroads time is money and there is too much money involved to schedule any shut down of over 12 hours on any CSX main route. (12 hour shut downs are within the realm of normal maintenance curfews)
BaltACD [snipped] The Clearance Projects that CSX intends to pursue in the National Gateway project will be handled 'under traffic'.
BaltACD [snipped] I can virtually guarantee the CSX will not Shut Down the Keystone Sub (on which Sand Patch locates) for any more than 24 hour at a time and personally, I doubt the it will be shut down for that length of time. On Railroads time is money and there is too much money involved to schedule any shut down of over 12 hours on any CSX main route. (12 hour shut downs are within the realm of normal maintenance curfews)
- Paul North.
When CP 're-bored' the Tunnel City tunnel, the maintenance window started/stopped in tune with Amtrak 7/8 going through the tunnel. Large Cats pulled out section of panel track and the 'machine' was run in to open up the bore and apply new lining. Then all the machinery was backed out and the panel track put back in place. for the next Amtrak train. IIRC, there was on a day or so of re-routing Amtrak via BNSF.
It's amazing what good planning and a large budget can get done!
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
blue streak 1 If CSX needs to shut down Sand Patch for 2 or 3 weeks or longer for a maintenance blitz (the least expensive and quickest IMHO) then reroute the Capital: WASH - Perryville - Harrisburg - Pittsburg - and on present routing. CSX would probably be better off accepting less payments for the route to cover any additional AMTRAK costs. This route certainly has history from the PRR era.
I don't think it will work. I don't think you can get Superliners through Baltimore...
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
oltmannd I don't think it will work. I don't think you can get Superliners through Baltimore...
Don: While finally mowing the lower 40 had time to agitate and tend to agree.
1. Does anyone know the MARC bi-levels ( which travel WASH - Bal - Perryville?) clearance guage vs a Superliner.
2. If clearances are ok maybe the freight gauntlet track thru B&P tunnel would need to be used?
3. The CAT clearance at Harrisburg may also be a constraint.
4. Finally the high level platforms on the route may be a problem except BAL track 1 or 2 ?
5. If SL could not be used then an equipment swap with the Cardinal might provide some single level cars with Cardinal terminating WASH. Horizon cars might then make up the extra coaches and maybe Beech Grove could delay Viewliner sleeper overhauls to provide the necessary extra sleeper cars?
6. Schedule seems doable based on present schedules westbound.
a. Lv Wash 3:00 .. Arr Aberdeen 3:58
b. Lv Aberdeen 4:00 .. Arr Harrisburg 6:00 (approx 70 miles ?) Anyone PRR timing?
c. Lv Harrisburg 6:15 .. Arr Pitt 11:45PM
d. Lv PITT 11:59 Continue on original schedule.
7. Lv PHL on train # 647 M - Fr (3:45) and #665 SA - Su (3:00) (maybe add a lounge car PHL - HAR ?).
8. Would allow BOS - NYP - PHL connecting passengers to leave 2 Hr later.
9. Would allow Wilmington passengers to leave 1:15 later.
Of course would this even be needed to ever happen? Don't believe so. However it is an interesting schedule addition for permanent Capitol connections at PITT that were in the Capitol improvement plan that AMTRAK published.
I know a Superliner train can run from Harrisburg to Philly, because Amtrak operate a special train for the Travel Agents back in 1998 or 1999. I think they can fit on Port Road Main Line to D.C.?
I made up my mind, I am taking The Lake Shore Limited to Chicago both ways on 49&48. I can't take a chance on the Capitol Limited next July 2012.
Any Amtrak is a chance for OT operation...especially over a year in advance.
conrailman I made up my mind, I am taking The Lake Shore Limited to Chicago both ways on 49&48. I can't take a chance on the Capitol Limited next July 2012.
BaltACD Any Amtrak is a chance for OT operation...especially over a year in advance. conrailman: I made up my mind, I am taking The Lake Shore Limited to Chicago both ways on 49&48. I can't take a chance on the Capitol Limited next July 2012.
conrailman: I made up my mind, I am taking The Lake Shore Limited to Chicago both ways on 49&48. I can't take a chance on the Capitol Limited next July 2012.
Yes, but i need to start making plans for my trip in Oct 2011, so i can get all sleeping car rooms on Amtrak 49&48 and 7&8.
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