Main Line Trackwork

Trackwork appears to be moving along quite nicely on the Main Line. As far as I could tell, track 3 was welded all the way from 30th St. to Strafford; track 4 felt welded until just before Villanova. Wedesnday I saw the concrete tie machine out at Paoli, there were maybe a couple hundred feet of concrete ties laid on track 2. Anyone know any more about scope of work and time frame?

acording to Amtrak...

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSe ... 2&ssid=180

Shame that PRR 155# rail is getting removed. Quality stuff that is.

Jersey_Mike wrote:Shame that PRR 155# rail is getting removed. Quality stuff that is.

Would you prefer they left it there? Rather than missing the quality PRR rail, let's celebrate the huge service improvements that are possible by ripping it up! I hope to see it all in a junk heap soon!

I hope to see it all in a junk heap soon!

It will end up in a blast furnace in China and back here as an iron or part of an imported car getting 40 mph.

Would you prefer they left it there?

Yes, i find the syncopation relaxing and it makes it feel like you're going faster than you are.

let's celebrate the huge service improvements that are possible by ripping it up!

You mean the same service improvements that never materialized when they replaced the 1906 New Haven catenary?

I'd pick slow and fun over slow and boring any day.

I noticed the same thing: the work is moving along. Seems to be a strange pattern. As I understand eastbound work is finished up to Parkesburg. Why did they start at Paoli (or there about) to continue? Is the rail between Pburg and Paoli in such fine shape that it doesn't need replacing? I'm a little perplexed on that one.

Also, I noticed the line still uses standard PRR fixed position signals. Why didn't Amtrak upgrade this line when the NEC was done? Will they be changed with this project? (I hope they stay, actually. I always had trouble reading the "pretty colors" signals. Position signals always made more congnitive sense to me.)

The rail between Parke and Paoli is welded, although it doesn't have the concrete ties. The track speed for that portion of track is 90mph, with the exception of the curves west of Malvern (75mph) and the first curves about 1 and 1/2 west of Whitford. Also, there are only two main tracks for passenger service between Parke and Paoli. Number 2 track is used mainly for Freight from Glen interlocking to Thorn (and the track speed is 15 passenger-10 freight by Amtrak TSRB), and 3 track is temporarily out of service due to a undergrade bridge just East of Thorn interlocking. Trains would have to run with a Form D to operate against the current of traffic if they were to take 1 or 4 track out of service for track work. Once your East of Paoli, Amtrak has four tracks to use from there to Overbrook, which makes removing tracks from service during the daytime more schedule friendly. #3 track is signalled both ways from Paoli to Overbrook, which makes things a little easier if there were a problem.

Don H wrote:I noticed the same thing: the work is moving along. Seems to be a strange pattern. As I understand eastbound work is finished up to Parkesburg. Why did they start at Paoli (or there about) to continue? Is the rail between Pburg and Paoli in such fine shape that it doesn't need replacing? I'm a little perplexed on that one.

Also, I noticed the line still uses standard PRR fixed position signals. Why didn't Amtrak upgrade this line when the NEC was done? Will they be changed with this project? (I hope they stay, actually. I always had trouble reading the "pretty colors" signals. Position signals always made more congnitive sense to me.)

I actually like the NEC signal system. I actually helped me learn PRR posistion signals (which I've always found hard to read as I have always been used to B&O cpls).

I took about 30 frames last week between Berwyn and Devon as the TLM worked 2 inbound. One crewman who tried to make me feel at home offered that they were to work 3 to Bryn Mawr, then wrong rail back out 1 to Paoli.

By now I estimate they may be approaching Strafford.

Garry

(How are the tracks numbered?)

Springfield Tripper wrote:I took about 30 frames last week between Berwyn and Devon as the TLM worked 2 inbound. One crewman who tried to make me feel at home offered that they were to work 3 to Bryn Mawr, then wrong rail back out 1 to Paoli.

By now I estimate they may be approaching Strafford.

Garry

(How are the tracks numbered?)

I'm pretty sure I saw concrete at Strafford this evening as I was getting off. I'll check again tomorrow morning.

I believe the numbering is 1-2-3-4 South to North, so inbound local is 1, inbound express 2, etc, but I could have it backwards.

reldnahkram wrote:I believe the numbering is 1-2-3-4 South to North, so inbound local is 1, inbound express 2, etc, but I could have it backwards.

Correct. When the tunnel opened, the PRR numbering was continued onto the ex-Reading side as far as Wayne Junction, where the railroad goes from 4 tracks to 2. The Reading was numbered from west to east, so what was 1 track on the Reading is now 4 track on SEPTA, but remains #1 north of Wayne Junction.

The Reading was numbered from west to east....

Let's not spread false rumors here. The Reading Company, in its final configuration, was an east-west railroad. No. 1 Track was the first (inside) westward track, No. 3 the second; Nos. 2 and 4 were the corresponding eastward tracks.