Train Diamonds

[Anonymous]

It is indeed a shame that so many lines have been abandoned, but you can take some comfort in the thought that instead of diamonds, you have wyes and other ways for the two lines to pass traffic back and forth. After all, consider that the "Con" in CONrail meant "Consolidated."

[CSXrules4eva]

Some people in here might find this so sad but I'm going to say it anyway. I've never ever seen a dimond in my life. I live in the greater Philadelphia reagion and over here there aren't any dimonds, not any I know of anyway. I guess back in the day when PRR and Reading were at it's penical (spelling) there must of been more dimonds over here. Today there are more abandond lines over here than active ones. Tisk Tisk Tisk..............................

[Anonymous]

I think the Diamonds at Effingham Illinois are maintained by CSX (former Conrail). Illinois Central (Now CN) was the first to put tracks through Effingham. Pennsylvania, I think, came through later on. So, I would have to agree with "CSSHEGEWISCH", I think the railroad that came through later is in charge of maintaining the diamonds. CSX has been working on their diamonds at Effingham and have posted Yellow Caution flags beside the CSX tracks.
Now, I'm not for sure who owns the diamonds at Princeton IN where CSX and NS cross. CSX has signals at the diamond for NS trains and NS has a CSXT CROSSING sign posted. The CSX is former C&EI tracks and NS is former Southern. I would guess maybe CSX. I need to do a little research on that.

[waltersrails]

I know there is a few diamonds near where i live. There is csx that crosses up and ns crossing the up. there is rail traffic almost all the time. I wish in my town they would have left the csx track in because it had a diamond with NS.[:(] here at fairfield, il

[railfan619]

Speaking of diamonds are there any in wisconsin I was wondering this because it might be a cool thing to go and watch the diffrent RR's run over the diamonds [:)][:)]

[Anonymous]

I do so agree. There are people fiddling with the pins at the Rochelle Diamond all the time.

I also get rather a cheap thrill by watching the TOFC's rock after pounding over the Diamond when traveling east on BNSF!

[tree68]

Diamonds are a maintenance headache. That's why you see crews at Rochelle all the time. The wear on the actual crossings is brutal, so they are constantly adding material and grinding it to profile.

[Anonymous]

Re: At any crossing or interlocking, the junior road is responsible for maintenance of the track and machinery.

Does that mean that the men I saw clearing shrubbery at the Rochelle Diamond a couple of weeks ago were probably BNSF employees?

[DPD1]

There's a lot less diamonds, but they are still out there. Each plant has a different agreement, so it's never the same. Back when they had a lot more towers, they would often times give the control of the tower to the lessor RR. I guess they figure that's more fair, because then the big road wouldn't dominate the plant and keep the little guy's trains waiting all the time.

Dave
-DPD Productions - Featuring the NEW TrainTenna LP Gain RR Scanner Antenna-
http://eje.railfan.net/dpdp/

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

At any crossing or interlocking, the junior road at the location (whoever got there last) is responsible for maintenance of the track and machinery.

[Anonymous]

When trains crossed over each other using the Diamonds, what line or who maintains the Diamonds? Is this a fair assumption that the railroads today that cross over each other are now building overpasses or bridges now?

Larry