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Stations where lines divide?

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Stations where lines divide?
Posted by Boyd on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 1:34 AM

I know I've seen multiple pictures of a RR passenger station where one track curves away to one side and the other track curves away to the other side. I would guess that there has been more than one station between two tracks in North America. Where else has this occurred? 

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Posted by DS4-4-1000 on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 6:31 AM

The Reading Company's Reading Outer Station sat in the middle of a wye.  Passenger trains used all three legs.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 6:47 AM

Gilman IL on the Illinois Central used to have a similar arrangement prior to 1971 with separate platforms on the north-south line and the line to Springfield and St. Louis.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by NorthWest on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 10:29 AM

Point of Rocks, MD, on the B&O is probably the most famous example.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 7:55 PM

Antinito, CO on the D&RGW narrow guage, between the lines to Cumbres Pass/Durango and the remainder of the line to Santa Fe.

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Posted by RME on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 9:11 PM

Firelock, didn't the C&O station in Richmond have tracks in a V at one end?

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 9:16 PM

NorthWest

Point of Rocks, MD, on the B&O is probably the most famous example.

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Posted by Miningman on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 9:38 PM

What a great picture. Stunning.

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Posted by pajrr on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 2:11 AM

The DL&W Station at Netcong (still in use) used to be between 2 lines--the main line to Scranton /  Buffalo and the Sussex Branch. It is also a two level station. The mainline was several feet higher than the branch. The mainline is still used by commuter trains. The branch is long gone. The station looks strange now, because the bay window from the agents office now faces a parking lot (where the branch was). The station looks built backwards.   http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/uploaded/wks/netcong.jpg

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Posted by cbq9911a on Friday, April 28, 2017 3:47 PM

Boyd

I know I've seen multiple pictures of a RR passenger station where one track curves away to one side and the other track curves away to the other side. I would guess that there has been more than one station between two tracks in North America. Where else has this occurred? 

 

Clybourn on the UP (ex C&NW) North and Northwest lines.  As you head outbound, the North line goes to the right and the Northwest line goes to the left.  The station is between the two lines.

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Posted by Boyd on Friday, April 28, 2017 4:39 PM

cbq9911a

 

 
Boyd

I know I've seen multiple pictures of a RR passenger station where one track curves away to one side and the other track curves away to the other side. I would guess that there has been more than one station between two tracks in North America. Where else has this occurred? 

 

 

 

Clybourn on the UP (ex C&NW) North and Northwest lines.  As you head outbound, the North line goes to the right and the Northwest line goes to the left.  The station is between the two lines.

 

What state is that in?

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Monday, May 1, 2017 7:26 AM

Clybourn Ave. is the first outbound stop on the C&NW North and Northwest lines in Chicago.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by rcdrye on Monday, May 1, 2017 10:17 AM

White River Junction, Vermont has tracks on two sides. One side is on the  New England Central (originally Central Vermont), used by Amtrak's Vermonter, and the other on the state-owned former Boston and Maine line towards St. Johnbury, now operated by Green Mountain Rail System's Washington County.  The latter is used for occasional excursion service using GMRS equipment.  Year ago there was a B&M track on the third side heading towards Boston, with a diamond protected by a ball signal.

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Posted by Deggesty on Monday, May 1, 2017 11:51 AM

The Southern station in Charlottesville served both the C&O and the Southern, though when Amtrak began operating it had been many years since C&O trains stopped there. Now, you leave the station on one side to take the Cardinal, and you leave the other side to take the trains on the former Southern line. Signs inside the station direct the unfamiliar passengers to the correct door. The two roads cross south/west of the station.

The current station building is not big enough to seat all the passengers taking the train to Boston (personal experience last month).

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Posted by ACY Tom on Monday, May 1, 2017 3:36 PM

One of my favorites has always been Lester, Ohio, on the B&O. Passenger service ended over 60 years ago, but the station still exists.

Other interesting B&O stations at junction points were at Deshler, Ohio, Midland City, Ohio, and Newark, Ohio.

Tom

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Posted by BaltACD on Monday, May 1, 2017 4:49 PM

ACY
One of my favorites has always been Lester, Ohio, on the B&O. Passenger service ended over 60 years ago, but the station still exists.

Other interesting B&O stations at junction points were at Deshler, Ohio, Midland City, Ohio, and Newark, Ohio.

Tom

When I transferred to the Akron-Chicago Division as a Train Order Operator, I made my first day at Lester.  Of course then you had the line to Cleveland, the line to Lorain, the line to Sterling and the line to Lake Jct. via Medina.

The Willard-Cleveland manifest train had a HIGH transformer that the Clearance wire very clumbsly stated was to operate via Medina (where the B&O crossed the ACY at grade).  Instead the Dispatcher and Train crew thought the shipment was to operate the 'normal' route (where the ACY crossed over the B&O on a overhead bridge).  The high load hit the bridge and moved it a couple of feet off the bridge piers - a number of careers were seriously interupted (mine wasn't one of them) and the transformer had to be returned to the manufacturer.  I believe the ACY got the bridge repaired in less than a week.

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Posted by ACY Tom on Monday, May 1, 2017 6:12 PM

BaltACD

 

 
ACY
One of my favorites has always been Lester, Ohio, on the B&O. Passenger service ended over 60 years ago, but the station still exists.

Other interesting B&O stations at junction points were at Deshler, Ohio, Midland City, Ohio, and Newark, Ohio.

Tom

 

The Willard-Cleveland manifest train had a HIGH transformer that the Clearance wire very clumbsly stated was to operate via Medina (where the B&O crossed the ACY at grade). 

 

 
Actually, the B&O's crossing of the AC&Y at Medina wasn't at grade. The B&O crossed over the AC&Y on a bridge. Conversely, this bridge had such tight clearances for the AC&Y that it presented its own problems. At least one high-wide load had to be removed from the AC&Y on one side of the bridge, trucked by lowboy to the other side, and reloaded!
 
Both of those bridges still existed last time I was in the neighborhood, but I don't know whether the clearances are the same.
 
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Posted by ORNHOO on Monday, May 1, 2017 6:54 PM
Davis, California. The first time I rode the Coast Starlight, it used the west leg of the (now) Cal Northern wye, and the Zephyr used the south platform on the overland route.
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Posted by K4sPRR on Tuesday, May 2, 2017 7:16 AM

Hudson Ohio where the PRR Cleveland & Pittsburgh line junctioned with the Cleveland, Akron (Columbus) Cincinnati line.  The station was positioned between the two lines.  Despite attempts to save the station it was demolished a few years ago.

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Posted by ORNHOO on Thursday, May 4, 2017 10:43 AM
And also Vancouver, Washington.
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Posted by Firelock76 on Sunday, May 7, 2017 9:33 AM

RME

Firelock, didn't the C&O station in Richmond have tracks in a V at one end?

 

Sorry RME, I haven't looked in on this topic until this morning.

Yes, the old C&O station has diverging tracks on it's south side. One set swings off to the east, it's the line to Newport News used by freights and Amtrak and passes though the old C&O Fulton Yard where amazingly a coaling tower still stood until about ten years ago. The other swings west, it's the old C&O (now CSX) James River line to Clifton Forge, freight only now.

That old C&O Main Street Station is an amazing restoration, visiting it is like being a time-traveler.  Just gorgeous on the inside, and the outside's not bad-looking either!

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Posted by Firelock76 on Sunday, May 7, 2017 9:40 AM

BaltACD
 
NorthWest

Point of Rocks, MD, on the B&O is probably the most famous example.

 

 

 

We saw this station last September on the way to a Basset Hound rescue organization fundraising event and let me tell you, as good as that photograph is it barely gives you the full impact of seeing it "in the flesh", it's just magnificent!  What a structure and masterpiece of the 19th Century builder's art!

Unfortunately it's not open to the public, so you can only admire it from the outside.  Point of Rocks Tunnel is just a stone's throw away.

 

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Posted by 54light15 on Sunday, May 7, 2017 9:51 AM

Isn't there still passenger service to Point of Rocks from D.C? 

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Posted by Firelock76 on Sunday, May 7, 2017 10:01 AM

54light15

Isn't there still passenger service to Point of Rocks from D.C? 

 

As far as I know, yes. MARC transit trains stop there, I did see MARC signs on the premises, as well as commuter parking.

I just remembered another station with diverging lines.  At Nanuet NY on the old Erie "New York and New Jersey" railroad there was a diverging line to the east that ran to Piermont on the Hudson River, the original terminal of the Erie Railroad.  The other line swung to the west to Spring Valley NY. Both lines were connected north of the station forming a wye.

The line's still in service as New Jersey Transit's Pascack Valley Line, but the tracks to Piermont are long gone. The 1870's train station in Nanuet was still there in the early 90's, albeit in a ramshackle condition.  I don't know if it's there now, I'd be surprised if it was.

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Posted by RME on Sunday, May 7, 2017 11:20 AM

Firelock76
At Nanuet NY on the old Erie "New York and New Jersey" railroad there was a diverging line to the east that ran to Piermont on the Hudson River, the original terminal of the Erie Railroad. The other line swung to the west to Spring Valley NY. Both lines were connected north of the station forming a wye.

Close.  The diverging lines went to Spring Valley and New City; the Piermont line ran across the top.

What I'd heard was that the old station (on the opposite side of the existing track from the present structure) burned in the '80s.  Mike might be able to find the story in local papers; I'm sure it was covered when it happened.

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Posted by BaltACD on Sunday, May 7, 2017 2:26 PM

54light15
Isn't there still passenger service to Point of Rocks from D.C?

MARC commuter service from Brunswick and Martinsburg stop at the station.  The track that can be seen in the background of the station picture is the East Leg of the Wye between the Old Main Line (left side of the station) and the Metropolitan Sub (right side of the station) - the wye handles the MARC commuter operations that run from Frederick, MD to the District, they don't stop.  There is no MARC ticket agent and no indoor waiting area.  The station itself is the headquarters for the CSX Roadmaster, his men and the Signal Dept.

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Posted by Firelock76 on Sunday, May 7, 2017 2:39 PM

RME
 
Firelock76
At Nanuet NY on the old Erie "New York and New Jersey" railroad there was a diverging line to the east that ran to Piermont on the Hudson River, the original terminal of the Erie Railroad. The other line swung to the west to Spring Valley NY. Both lines were connected north of the station forming a wye.

 

Close.  The diverging lines went to Spring Valley and New City; the Piermont line ran across the top.

What I'd heard was that the old station (on the opposite side of the existing track from the present structure) burned in the '80s.  Mike might be able to find the story in local papers; I'm sure it was covered when it happened.

 

Right you are, I did some further checking.  I also found out the old station burned down in 1991.  It's seen briefly in a cab ride video I've got filmed in 1990 (which I'll probably watch again tonight) and as I said, it was in bad, bad shape. Probably only still standing at the time by force of habit.

In that cab ride video I mentioned you can kind of see the "ghost" of the New City branch, a parking lot wall follows the curve of where the branch line was, the tracks being long gone.

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Posted by wanswheel on Sunday, May 7, 2017 7:20 PM
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Posted by Firelock76 on Sunday, May 7, 2017 8:40 PM

Wanswheel, I followed that seedyroad.com link under the Nanuet station postcard and those are the now gone New City tracks in the foreground, the line to Spring Valley's on the other side of the station but not visable.

And that's a great shot of Point of Rocks in it's steam glory days!

Thanks, Wanswheel!

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, May 7, 2017 8:49 PM

That is, indeed, a nice picture of the Point of the Rocks station. I presume that the station agent lived upstairs.

The building is quite familiar to me, I usually pass it twice on my trips to the South.

Also, since I now know what it is, K Tower in Washington is also a familiar sight.

Johnny

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