Since it's virtually unused, this could be bought by the government and become part of a passenger-only higher speed or full high speed line from Chicago east.
I live in Valparaiso and the line is indeed single tracked with I believe 40 mph non signaled operations. There are a few old PRR signals left - Hanna, Indiana has a couple which protect the crossing of the CKIN (old C&O line) which is a short line operation.
Not sure if the NS runs much on the CFE these days...in the past they would run a couple of trains daily. The CFE usually runs one train daily into or out of Chicago plus a local as far west as Valpo.
There is a new customer in Wanatah which receives inbound loads which are transloaded to truck for delivery to refineries (some sort of product shipped out of Houston area). Word is there are regular frac sand trains runnign also tho I havent seen or heard one.
The line seems to be slowing growing (from what I have heard).
Ed
I know that NS at one time purchased the old PRR west of Fort Wayne, but I thought they were required to trade it (ownership of the line) to CSX as part of the shuffling when the two split up Conrail. I believe it is CSX who leases the line to C,F,&E. With NS having a right to move a limited amount of trains over it.
NS was making good use of that right a few years ago, regularly running relief off of the congested water level route....utilizing the former NKP from Chicago to Fort Wayne, and then the PRR route east to Crestline. NS was crewing the later move with crews out of (correction) Mansfield. I believe all most all of this traffic at the time was eastbound, so the crews must have been coming by taxi to pick up the trains. I don't see much of that traffic anymore, and they have since removed the temporary fueling depot they had set up near "Mike" junction. So it's likely history.
Elsewhere in this forum you'll see a thread about Canadian Pacific routing container traffic on this line east out of Chicago to Lima Ohio, and then into southern Ohio via a different line.
NS uses a short segment of this line between "Junction" junction and the former NKP main in western Fort Wayne as part of their busy Atlanta-Chicago artery.
CSSHEGEWISCH At least west of Fort Wayne, the line is single-tracked. I believe that this was done under Conrail management. The line is currently owned by NS and leased to Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern.
At least west of Fort Wayne, the line is single-tracked. I believe that this was done under Conrail management. The line is currently owned by NS and leased to Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern.
Johnny
Was this the former Amtk route of 29&30 prior to rerouting? Remember being out there in '86 and not much of an impression then
This former T1 and K4 raceway was double-tracked with heavy iron in PRR days, and some PRR passerger trains went up to 120mph over it.
Is it still double-tracked? If not, which prior owner removed the second main?What is the current speed limit? Is it CTC or train-order? Any classic PRR signals still working?
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