Elkhart, Main St. Crossing....Not the same :(

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j_c1987
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Elkhart, Main St. Crossing....Not the same :(

Unread post by j_c1987 »

Yesterday I took my two year old boy to Elkhart after church to do some quick train watching. Chased Grand Elk to Goshen Ave crossing. My boy caught his first close up encounter. I think it was WAMX 4225 and a WSOR SD-40-2. Super long story short, I took him by Elkhart Station. There were less tracks. So was it redone because of new signals or less volume.
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SD80MAC
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Re: Elkhart, Main St. Crossing....Not the same :(

Unread post by SD80MAC »

The main lines were relocated when they redid the curve and interlocking plant a couple of years ago. Definitely not any less busy than it was before hand.
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j_c1987
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Re: Elkhart, Main St. Crossing....Not the same :(

Unread post by j_c1987 »

good. no more easy close up photos though :(
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justalurker66
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Re: Elkhart, Main St. Crossing....Not the same :(

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Are you sure you were in Elkhart Indiana?

The old main street crossing was five tracks ... the two mains coming around the curve with the second main splitting to become the north yard lead and the south yard lead being the third track in the curve and the furthest south rails at the crossing. The northmost track (of five) was the Kalamazoo branch.

The new crossing is four tracks - three mains that are now 30 MPH tracks and the Kalamazoo branch to the north. Everything has shifted south ... so if you're expecting to sit on the old platform you may feel distant. But you can walk out to the new platforms and be way too close to the trains. And you can still shoot pictures from the Main St crossing. I felt the old platform was claustrophobic. Going past the bridge felt like trespassing and if a stack train came by one was way too close (in my opinion). The additional distance allows us to use the full length of both the old and the new platform and still feel like I'm not trapped against the side of a train. And with only Amtrak trains stopping at the platforms there is less of a problem with trespassing. (Crews thinking that someone walking beside a stopped train was looking to ride or tamper with the train.)

As noted, the traffic levels are the same but the trains are running faster. If you go at night the platform is well lit. Overall I believe Elkhart has improved.

Dajudge
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Re: Elkhart, Main St. Crossing....Not the same :(

Unread post by Dajudge »

The new interlocking /control point now has chain link fencing to spoil your long photo options. Also changed is since you are technically inside the CP there are no signals to look at on the main tracks. With the turn you are blind. All you have is your scanner listing for the defect detector to go off or main street gates to start down. And now that the mandatory speed for the super-elevated curve is set to 30mph you better be on your game...….

You may get an extra heads up if you hear a horn blow at the Lusher street crossing. I agree, it is not the same. But hey, they aren't in the business of satisfying photographers.....

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