Weekend Construction Outages 2009

Thanks for the reference ...
http://nwitimes.com/news/local/article_ ... 4bf47.html

The Eclipse bus service is being offered independently of NICTD, according to both Webb and NICTD Planning and Marketing Director John Parsons.

Eclipse Charters and Tours Limousine Service will operate buses between these stations and Gary's Metro Center this weekend, with one-way fares in either direction as follows:

Miller station: $2
Portage/Ogden Dunes station: $2
Dune Park station: $5
Michigan City (Carroll and 11th) stations: $5
Hudson Lake station: $8
South Bend station: $8

A couple of shots from Saturday ...




These pictures were taken along US12/20 West of Miller. South Shore 2000 and NICTD 1000 were on the siding east of Miller Station.

I saw the work going on a again, and 1000 and 2000 were both parked at Miller on the interchange. What were they doing during this construction? Backup power for MU trains on the west end? Shuffling work equipment?

Tadman wrote:I saw the work going on a again, and 1000 and 2000 were both parked at Miller on the interchange. What were they doing during this construction? Backup power for MU trains on the west end? Shuffling work equipment?

As noted earlier in the thread ...

PRRGuy wrote:The 1000 and 2006 were parked in Miller as protect power just in case something happened between Gary-Kensington.

It would be interesting if they had to put them to use. The tracks between Gary and Miller were blocked (both weekends) by the catenary work. It would have taken a while to get the workers out of the way for the diesels to come through (especially MTW-100 and RT-100 which were spooling off the new catenary as they moved from arm to arm tying off the support wire and using long c shaped hangers to temporarily support the contact wire below it.

They might make it to Miller station this weekend ... certainly two weeks from now during the next planned outage.

A quick visit back and I found that where I took my pictures on Saturday was the end of the new catanery for the weekend. The next segment will have to wait a couple of weeks. I noticed a section of new catenary between the "Ideal" section west of Miller and CP 51.5 Pauls on track 1 of the double track.

I also saw the crew retrieve 2000 and 1000 from the siding at Miller and head east.

This weekend 1000 and 2008 stood guard at Miller. Wire replaced up to just east of the Miller station (right next to the siding where 1000 was parked).

I saw the Catenary vehicle and reel truck making it's way home. It was held on track 2 at CP 47.5 until a passenger train passed eastbound.

LaPorte County bridge replacements are planned for later this month. CR 200E and CR300E road bridges, the old Pere Marquette bridge next to IN39 and a ditch bridge just east of IN39. The replacement road bridges (rails over road) have been built on supports just south of the line and are ready to be lifted into place once the line is shut down and the old bridges and embankments are removed. Photos of the work in progress are below.

Pere Marquette bridge ... to be removed with the rails lowered. The old rail line has been filed in as part of the preparation.

CR200 ... a 12ft 2in bridge

CR300E ... a 10ft 4in bridge

(The ditch bridge is too far off the beaten path for me to get a picture of. BTW: If you were on the Roeske Ave bridge on Sunday, Hi!)

Still no notification on NICTD's website...

Amtrak7 wrote:Still no notification on NICTD's website...

Effective: October 19 thru 30 & November 2, 2009
TEMPORARY BUSING BETWEEN
SOUTH BEND AND MICHIGAN CITY

The South Shore plans to temporarily bus ALL passengers between South Bend and Michigan City (including Hudson Lake) beginning with eastbound Train 7 on October 19 running continuously through October 30, and for one additional day on Monday, November 2 because of multiple bridge projects in LaPorte County.

During this time period Cardinal Bus will meet every scheduled train operating between South Bend and Michigan City (including Hudson Lake). There is no additional fare for the substitute bus service.

All passengers riding westbound trains that originate out of South Bend may experience delays of 10-15 minutes reaching their final destination.

The South Shore is replacing bridges over County Roads 200E and 300E, filling and removing a bridge over the former Pere Marquette railroad near State Road 39, and replacing a culvert over Galena River. These projects require the temporary closure of the railroad between South Bend and Michigan City.

NICTD regrets any inconvenience caused by busing.

Posted: 10-14-09

Thanks to the six projects taking place between Michigan City and South Bend these two weeks the football special train for Boston College vs Notre Dame ran from Dune Park to Chicago. At the end of the day nine Cardinal buses brought the fans from the game to Dune Park where they boarded a five car special led by car 19. (Note the white class lights are lit.)


No catenary work this weekend. The final planned weekend for catenary work is next weekend and should finish the work up to CP 54.0.

The guys were working into the night when I went past Miller late yesterday evening. I didn't see any diesels at Miller ... were they parked elsewhere?

The Olive siding work appears to be done (with Simlax Rd still closed, but we did have a bad rain storm Friday). The crew was welding the rails at Birchim. I saw 1000 pulling a ballast train earlier this week at the Pere Marquette bridge (or at least the former bridge location).

Busing extended to Nov 6 due to Galena River flooding.