Southern Railway ABS Signals

[wabash1]

There is no differance than us going thru town and blocking all crossings and the UP blocking all crossings. and as far as swapping goes it will run with our power and when we take our train back we are ready to go, And the train goes to gibson not east Mt.Carmel. East mount carmel is about gone.

And as far as the local goes there is no problem that i know of the signal at 105 would be red if train is on tracks ahead. i havent heard any thing form the guys working that day everything is just like normal. 

[nscsxcrrailfan]

At first, I thought it might be better and faster if they took the coal train from the Sugar Camp Energy Mine (which is where I think it will be coming from) over to Howell Yard and then north to Princeton and over to the Gibson Generating Plant, however that route is longer and slower than the EVWR-NS interchange. The main reason is that the EVWR line goes farther South than I thought, and the speed limits on it (dark territory to Mt. Vernon, IN) are likely around 20 or 25 MPH all the way to Howell Yard. The speed limits on CSX on the Bi-Pass and north to Princeton are likely to be 50-60 MPH, but Princeton would slow things down once again as the train would have to switch over to NS from CSX. With the NS-EVWR interchange, once the train gets out of Mt. Vernon and heads east on the NS main it can speed up to 50 MPH for most of the way to the Gibson Plant. I used Google Earth and it revealed that the NS-EVWR route is about 101 miles, whereas the EVWR-CSX-NS route would have been 116 miles, with a very long section of un-signaled EVWR track. In addition, the EVWR track has more curves than the NS main. Therefore, the best solution is to route the train through Mt. Vernon, IL. *Also... Wabash1, you said the train will run with NS power. Will it run with NS power even on the EVWR, or just from Mt. Vernon, IL-Gibson Plant?

[nscsxcrrailfan]

This link shows the new Savatran rail spur that connects in with CN and the Sugar Camp Energy mine, which is where I think the coal will likely be coming from, considering the fact that this new line is just being installed at the time when NS and EVWR are going to begin interchanging a coal train; wikipedia stated: "Construction on this new line commenced during March 2009 and was originally scheduled to conclude by the following December." Here's the link: http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/permits/pn/P-2681.pdf (You'll need a PDF reader to open it.)

[MJChittick]

nscsxcrrailfan

This link shows the new Savatran rail spur that connects in with CN and the Sugar Camp Energy mine, which is where I think the coal will likely be coming from, considering the fact that this new line is just being installed at the time when NS and EVWR are going to begin interchanging a coal train; wikipedia stated: "Construction on this new line commenced during March 2009 and was originally scheduled to conclude by the following December." Here's the link:

http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/permits/pn/P-2681.pdf

[wabash1]

The train will run with NS power at all times the main line for the dump stays charged at all times this helps keep trouble from happening. The CSX also thought they would run on our trackage at one time they was going to load a train then bring it over and come on are tracks and go to the power plant we said no you aint, they was building the wye and was going to force us to give them trackage rights we again said no, Now there is a loading facility built and we load the coal and haul it ourselves.

Mileage and speed is not a issue with these trains the hoppers are full and 2 million tons on the ground. and 5-7 100 car trains a day in the plant, the other trains will end up going to southern indiana. The carrier has spent a few million on track to increase speed on the old spur tracks. and with more coal buisness the other part of the line that sees steel trains will be fixed for sidings and the bridges replaced and crossing fixed for coal trains

[MP173]

Ok, I have re-read this thread.  So, what you are saying is that the Gibson Power Plant is no longer receiving coal from Keensburg due to the mine closing.  Where is the coal now coming from?  If I recall, that is a pretty large power plant.

Are you saying the coal will come from the new mine at Macedonia, which is actually adjacent to the CN tracks and that a new rail spur will be built from McLeansboro to reach that mine?  Wouldnt it be easier to build a connector track at Bluford?  Do the NS tracks run above the CN at that point? 

How frequently will the coal trains move on this line (daily?)?

Will CN be handling coal out the mine also?  Interesting discussion. 

Ed

[nscsxcrrailfan]

MP173, it would make more sense to build a connection at Bluford, however NS goes over the IC on a bridge, about 30 feet above the IC, and the IC is undercut below ground level. Therefore, a connection there would be very difficult to build. Wabash1, so there'll be NS locomotives traveling up and down the EVWR main. That will be a really interesting sight to see. Do you think they will reinstall the signals from Mt. Vernon to to the mine or just operate on track warrants? Also, I don't think you mentioned this, but will the train have NS crew at all times or will EVWR crew operate the NS locomotives? The CSX story is interesting, however I'm a little confused on where they were trying to build a wye at, was it at Mt. Vernon or Princeton?

[wabash1]

the keensburg mine only did 1 train a day of 75 cars, the main trains came from black beauty mine fransisco,IN  and 1 from the charger mine , then on weekends we sent a train to the A&S to give the UP and run south to load coal and come back, ( no i am not sure where over there it went) then we had a train load at princeton and go to the plant.

Yes we go over top of the CN tracks at blueford, It dont matter who tracks or what direction is best that evansville outfit has the contract to bring us the coal and we will deliver it from there. Sorry to be short about it, and dont mean to be but i dont know where the other railroad goes or the mine it will come from, as i find out more i will report more Oh and this was handled by the power plant and the mine we didnt get alot to say about it.

[MP173]

thanks for info.  Fascinating story of short haul coal.  From what I gather, the coal mine built the spur also.

ed