http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/01/23-csx-to-retain-former-bo-main-over-sand-patch
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
24 trains per day. Hmm. Sounds like a candidate for a lot of single tracking with long sidings with some double track islands in key areas.
In flat territory, with few speed restrictions, it might work. But, this is heavy-grade mountainous territory, where trains are very slow on a good day. Throughput would take a nose-dive if large sections were single-tracked.
Over Sandpatch, agree with that assessment. That would be a long stretch to keep in double track. Through Akron to Pittsburgh, and then on the other side of Sandpatch along the Potomac, there might be large stretches that could be single-tracked with, say, 10 mile double track islands every 20 miles or so between them.
Of course, ultimately CSX will figure that one out - Illinois Central-ize some of the double track or not.
kgbw49Over Sandpatch, agree with that assessment. That would be a long stretch to keep in double track. Through Akron to Pittsburgh, and then on the other side of Sandpatch along the Potomac, there might be large stretches that could be single-tracked with, say, 10 mile double track islands every 20 miles or so between them. Of course, ultimately CSX will figure that one out - Illinois Central-ize some of the double track or not.
McKeesport to New Castle is already single track, restricted to 40 MPH and has been since CSX bought the remains of the P&LE. There is also a single track segment between Warwick and Lambert that is West of Akron. Both have proven to be bottleneck. Sterling to Nova, Westbound is the ruling grade, except for the Akron Jct pit. which is a little over 1% for about a mile in either direction from Akron Jct. Long heavy trains rarely have trouble, the rear of the train tends to push the head end over the grade; short heavy trains have more than their share of stalls.
The approximately 30 miles from Connellsville to McKeesport is double track signalled in both directions - however there are no control points the permit crossing trains over between the two locations.
With the size trains that are being operated between Willard and Cumberland, even minor grades become serious challenges.
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