UP OCS Special on South Shore - 8/25

Attn all: A small special train is planned today fro Proviso to Michigan City In, cars a power unknown. I know it isn't CSS power. Routing is supposed to be UP Proviso to Kedzie, NS (Ex PRR/NYC thru Englewood, Gary, CP 487 to Ogden Dunes, CSS to Michigan City. Return trip is planned to follow NICTD Train 18 (which departs MC at 1242pm)

Edit: Train arrived at Midwest Steel Switch at 11am. To shops at 1:10pm back at Midwest Switch by 245pm

Consist:
UPY 710
UP 391
Power Car 208
Columbia River
Walter Dean
City of Denver
Idaho

Ryan

Domes under wire. by nictd1000, on Flickr

I have a funny sidebar story about that special. I was at the Illinois Railway Museum Saturday in Union, IL so my boys could go for a ride on “The Real Thomas” and I could pay “Little Joe” a visit. Well while we were waiting at the station to take a train ride, this consist comes by on the adjacent tracks, really confusing everyone wondering why the next train was on the wrong tracks. Needless to say, I would have much rather taken a ride in those domes then on the un-air-conditioned CNW Bi-levels that were running…I am sure the kids on that train got quite a surprise when they met Thomas on the way back, wish I could have gotten a picture!

that reminds me, the UP has an experimental stretch of overhead wire somewhere, not on a mainline but a testing area.

Great pics! Rare find and pretty cool to see bright orange geeps next to bright yellow geeps.

edit: wtf with the guitar guy at Beverly?

Nice! I was in the area later in the day (went "swimming" at Beverly Shores - more like wading into the surf) and missed the special, but it is good to see something like that on the South Shore line. It shows respect for the line when people want to take their trains on it.

So, does anybody know why the UP exec train took this excursion on the South Shore?

UP and CSS sponsored an industry tour of CREATE and a few other projects, and that included touring the CSS to shops.

I think I figured out "CSS" (Chicago South Shore?), but what railroad is OCS?

Office Car Special

Thanks for the translation. That's a little tricky to figure out, especially since "OCS Special" would mean "Office Car Special Special." It must be a very special train!

Tadman wrote:UP and CSS sponsored an industry tour of CREATE and a few other projects, and that included touring the CSS to shops.

For the uninitiated the section the special ran on was from just east of the Portage/Ogden Dunes station (just west of where the ex-NYC current NS passes under the South Shore Line by what was Bethlehem Steel) to Michigan City. This section is mostly single tracked with passing segments (the connection from NS is in a double track segment). All CTC with approach lit LED signals. CTC currently ends in Michigan City but is being extended to South Bend. The tour would have started under about a mile and a half of catenary replaced earlier this summer then under the old wire to Michigan City. Two miles of street running in Michigan City under the "trolley wire" there would have been a highlight of the trip (this section presents a major challenge to NICTD as they prepare for Positive Train Control).

U.S. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD, STAFF, AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE TOUR THE SOUTH SHORE RAILROAD

The Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad hosted the three Board Members of the United States Surface Transportation Board (STB), their staff, and members of the Railroad-Shipper Transportation Advisory Council (RSTAC) for a tour of the railroad’s property on August 25, 2010. The train trip was held in conjunction with Union Pacific Railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway, and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.

The group started their day at Proviso, Illinois by boarding a special passenger train of five cars from the Union Pacific business car fleet. The train proceeded over the Union Pacific tracks to 21st Street Yard south of the Loop, where the train moved onto Norfolk Southern rails. The train then switched over to the South Shore at Portage, Indiana for the final leg of the trip to Michigan City. Upon arrival at the Michigan City operations hub, the guests were given a tour of the South Shore shop complex and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Operations Center.

More Details
http://www.southshorefreight.com/press.htm