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$2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse City

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2018 10:29 pm
by TC Man
The state is providing $2 million this summer to repair an 8 mile stretch of GLC to allow special event passenger trains to come back to TC as well as support increased freight traffic, per tonight's news. Appears to be the last 8 miles of the former PRR from where they last left off to the TC depot. Money has been released to start work asap. Very good news for TC!

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:29 am
by TC Man
TC Man wrote:The state is providing $2 million this summer to repair an 8 mile stretch of GLC to allow special event passenger trains to come back to TC as well as support increased freight traffic, per tonight's news. Appears to be the last 8 miles of the former PRR from where they last left off to the TC depot. Money has been released to start work asap. Very good news for TC!
And here I was sure that there would be some excitement here, LOL. So, with $2M, what kind of rebuild would that get 8 miles of track? Knowing a good chunk goes to labor/equipment moves, ballast train costs, etc...

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:09 am
by SD80MAC
Figure that "new" track costs roughly $1 million a mile, and the track in question already exists. So with $2 million, I would guess they will get whatever stretch of track between the depot and Walton Jct. that is currently FRA "excepted" track back up to FRA "Class 1" standards, allowing for the movement of passenger trains.

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:59 am
by AARR
I think current speed restriction is 10 mph so with improvements possibly they’ll raise it to 25.

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 10:20 am
by TC Man
AARR wrote:I think current speed restriction is 10 mph so with improvements possibly they’ll raise it to 25.
The last 6-8 miles into town are 10MPH and "exempt" from passenger trains. From Walton to MP17 was totally rebuilt back in the early 2000's to 40MPH, however I understand they limit to 25MPH to reduce wear/tear. That leaves 8 miles to the depot, but about 1/2 mile was totally rebuild where they put in the 2 tunnels in 2009/2010. So this stretch along Keystone/Woodmere/River Road has always been that bad stretch that never seems to get attention. Apparently now it will!

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:23 am
by Super Chief
As I haven't been up there in quite a while where are the 2 tunnels you reference? Do they have shore power or infastructure for private cars or layovers? That is what Petosky had till they took out the rail to their depot. Would be a market for that since the Amtrak ban on such. State or congressman must have figured it out as a Pure Michigan marketing move. So now the Ann Arbor to Traverse City passenger train will be a Hot Ticket again.

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 1:44 pm
by TC Man
Super Chief wrote:As I haven't been up there in quite a while where are the 2 tunnels you reference? Do they have shore power or infastructure for private cars or layovers? That is what Petosky had till they took out the rail to their depot. Would be a market for that since the Amtrak ban on such. State or congressman must have figured it out as a Pure Michigan marketing move. So now the Ann Arbor to Traverse City passenger train will be a Hot Ticket again.

The 2 tunnels are along Keystone Road a few miles south of the TC depot. While privately owned, there is shore power and also grey water hose connections at the depot between the main and passing track from the days of the Grand Traverse Dinner Train. All still in place.

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:00 pm
by Toppysager
Excuse me for asking, but is this rebuilding track that was removed, or simply upgrading track that already exists?

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2018 12:24 pm
by AARR
It’s for upgrading track already in place and in use
Toppysager wrote:Excuse me for asking, but is this rebuilding track that was removed, or simply upgrading track that already exists?

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2018 10:19 am
by TSB
The greatest efficacy would be gained by buying a mountain of ties, bolts, spikes... and release some relay from inventory
and let GLC provide the labor.

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:57 pm
by TC Man
TSB wrote:The greatest efficacy would be gained by buying a mountain of ties, bolts, spikes... and release some relay from inventory
and let GLC provide the labor.
Okay, for those who “know”, here’s the scoop. For those who don’t “know”, then consider this pure speculation on my part. The $2 million appropriation is for the Fiscal Year 2019 budget cycle, which runs from Oct. 2018 to Sept. 2019. At the earliest, construction activities will not take place until the 2019 construction season. As for location of work, the appropriation is for 25 miles of track between Walton Jct. and Traverse City. MDOT has not yet fully determined the scope of the project and limits of work, as there are also bridges along this corridor that might need to be also included in this work.

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:01 am
by Standard Railfan
TC Man wrote:
AARR wrote:I think current speed restriction is 10 mph so with improvements possibly they’ll raise it to 25.
The last 6-8 miles into town are 10MPH and "exempt" from passenger trains. From Walton to MP17 was totally rebuilt back in the early 2000's to 40MPH, however I understand they limit to 25MPH to reduce wear/tear. That leaves 8 miles to the depot, but about 1/2 mile was totally rebuild where they put in the 2 tunnels in 2009/2010. So this stretch along Keystone/Woodmere/River Road has always been that bad stretch that never seems to get attention. Apparently now it will!
It would seem the last 10 miles of the Traverse City line had not been built to a high standard. According to the 1954 PRR timetable, the speed was restricted to 20mph from MP 15 to the yard limit at MP 24.

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 7:38 pm
by MQT1223
Standard Railfan wrote:
TC Man wrote:
AARR wrote:I think current speed restriction is 10 mph so with improvements possibly they’ll raise it to 25.
The last 6-8 miles into town are 10MPH and "exempt" from passenger trains. From Walton to MP17 was totally rebuilt back in the early 2000's to 40MPH, however I understand they limit to 25MPH to reduce wear/tear. That leaves 8 miles to the depot, but about 1/2 mile was totally rebuild where they put in the 2 tunnels in 2009/2010. So this stretch along Keystone/Woodmere/River Road has always been that bad stretch that never seems to get attention. Apparently now it will!
It would seem the last 10 miles of the Traverse City line had not been built to a high standard. According to the 1954 PRR timetable, the speed was restricted to 20mph from MP 15 to the yard limit at MP 24.
Wasn't Walton Jct to Traverse City just a branch for the PRR? How much did they honestly send the PM/C&O via this line? I feel like the majority of it would've been exchanged in Muskegon or a larger hub and then sent north.

Re: $2 million okayed to rebuild 8 miles of GLC in Traverse

Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 5:29 am
by AARR
Freight was probably limited but once upon a time PRR operated a lot of passenger trains into Traverse City
O Scale Railfanner wrote:Wasn't Walton Jct to Traverse City just a branch for the PRR? How much did they honestly send the PM/C&O via this line? I feel like the majority of it would've been exchanged in Muskegon or a larger hub and then sent north.