CWR Replacement

I am surprised that no one has mentioned this yet, but it seems that Amtrak is replacing the wooden ties and rail between Mantua and North Philly with concrete ties and CWR.

I have seen the work train moving along at an alarmingly fast pace for the past week or so. Looks like there will be some fast running through that stretch soon! (For both Amtrak, NJT and SEPTA.)

I presume, Mr. Queen, you mean encouragingly, as distinct from alarmingly, fast pace.

Anycase, good to know from a first hand observation that the current Administration means business in keeping up the raod.

Well, I am encouraged by the speedy work they are doing. It's good to see Amtrak move on such important matters as track replacement.

... As opposed to PennDOT that seems to be befuddled when it comes to one of those little reflector bumps on the highway coming unattached. Four managers and three lanes of closed traffic can't figure out that one.

Litle update on the CRW replacement in Philly. Ballast trains were waiting this afternoon when I rode by on a SEPTA local. Track is totally replaced from the Skoo-Kill viaduct to past North Philly Interlocking.

The new CWR track is the first one to be concrete tied track to cross the bridge just after Mantua. :D

I've been seeing track work machinery (possibly picking up and dispersing) at 6:30 AM on track 2 where 295 crosses over the NEC just east of Hamilton station.

Isn't this track work the reason why NJT was ending/starting atlantic city line trains at cherry hill and not 30th street?

I believe that they are still running out of 30th Street. I had to wait at ZOO for the Local to Atlantic City to pass us this evening.

On David Gunn's NPR interview last week he said they were replacing 101 track miles of CWR on the NEC this year and that CWR will be shuffled over to the Harrisburg line to replace the PRR stick rail. Talk about maxium use of resources!!

Mr. Jersey Mike et al--

"Stick Rail", huh?

"Back in my day" when I was in the industry, the term for what I believe you are referring to was "jointed rail".

I was on an Amtrak regional train from Philadelphia to Stamford last month. I was struck by two things:

1. The ride between North Philadelphia and Trenton, on the northbound express track, was the smoothest ride (on Amfleet equipment) between PHL and NYP I've ever had.

2. I noticed a significant amount of new rail waiting to be installed on a large portions of the southbound express track between North Philly and Newark. It is very evident that I lot of new cwr is going to be installed on the NEC this summer.

I was also very pleased to hear David Gunn (on NPR - see other posting) talk about plans to install more cwr between Philadelphia and Harrisburg. The local tracks east of Paoli would be my first choice.

No offense to NEC riders, but Keystone Corridor is in desperate need of CWR. Phila to Paoli is tragic at best, especially on the two eastbound tracks. Westbound express track is the best. I'll be on the NEC this weekend so hopefully I'll see the new track waiting to be installed.

<i>Mr. Jersey Mike et al-- "Stick Rail", huh? "Back in my day" when I was in the industry, the term for what I believe you are referring to was "jointed rail".</i>

Jointed rail is a British Rail term. I've never heard it called "stick rail", I've always called it "jointed rail", but that's because I am British.

<i>I was on an Amtrak regional train from Philadelphia to Stamford last Month. I was struck by two things:</i>

Owww. Did it hurt? How fast was the train going when you were hit?