Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Anything pertaining to railfanning in Indiana.
User avatar
justalurker66
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1964
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by justalurker66 »

I stopped by Milford on Friday ... Thanks for noting that the trailers are gone. It appears that the work on the diamond has not yet been started.

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

Cut over should be rather soon.

User avatar
justalurker66
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1964
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by justalurker66 »

LakeATCS wrote:Cut over should be rather soon.
The signal north of Milford (9S/9N) is cut over. I did not look in New Paris. The NB signal at Milford is still PRR. I only saw one red SB but the other could have been blocked by trees. (I passed through after dark around 8:30pm.) Leesburg and the intermediates are untouched.

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

Because of the age of the stuff they are replacing. (OLD and I mean OLD). Cut over will be messy. It won't be as clean as the others.

Hell they can't even get into the bungalow at 21 easy. When the car hit it they welded a plate over the door.

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

Cut over bulletin put out today, trains annulled tomorrow after 8am

User avatar
justalurker66
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1964
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by justalurker66 »

LakeATCS wrote:Cut over bulletin put out today, trains annulled tomorrow after 8am
How far south? Just Milford? One or both Leesburgs? Warsaw?

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

They cut over everything north of Warsaw but NOT Warsaw.

User avatar
justalurker66
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1964
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by justalurker66 »

LakeATCS wrote:They cut over everything north of Warsaw but NOT Warsaw.
I drove past late Sunday (I was out of town this weekend). The intermediates are now normal CTC not reflecting the direction of traffic. (16S approach, 16N clear, 14S clear, 14N approach, 9S approach, 9N clear, 6S clear, 6N approach when no trains present and nothing cleared to enter the line.) In the past I have never seen both sides of these signal give a less than restricting signal at the same time. One side was normally "Restricting" (intermediate) while the other was clear, approach or restricting. (I assume when a train is actually cleared opposing signals will drop to Restricting as seen in modern installations.)

Warsaw was displaying "Approach" on the SB signal when I went past (11pm ET?). I did not see a train south of Leesburg approaching Warsaw (I could have missed it).

New signals in place as you note and heavy concrete blocks around the signal cabinets at CP 21 so the next errant car shouldn't hit the cabinet (unless it is a very bad accident).

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

Warsaw part of next cutover. Maybe next week.

User avatar
justalurker66
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1964
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by justalurker66 »

LakeATCS wrote:Warsaw part of next cutover. Maybe next week.
Cool.

The addition of Milford Jct adds good resolution. I chased a train NB this evening and it appears that the four blocks line up nicely with the signals (advance, approach, diamond, approach, advance). I believe there is an error with train direction on the CSX tracks, The new display was showing an Eastbound on Track 2 while a Westbound on Track 1 was clearing the diamond. I didn't have a lot of time to wait for additional trains.

NS 1111 led one of the northbound trains. It was nice to catch new signals and a special unit!

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

Thanks. I wondered about that. I will get things rotated.

User avatar
justalurker66
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1964
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Even sitting there watching the train roll by it can be confusing. :)

BTW: I believe K33 and K34 at Milford are 1NXK and 1SXK for NS respectively. Those bits were following the bits at CP 3 and CP 19 yesterday.
K15 seems to be the same as K14 at CP 3. I had some interesting active text scripts that I had to remove from my personal layout now the "3BK" bits are unused. I'd like to confirm how far south 1NAK goes. (It no longer goes active for a northbound crossing the diamond.)
But the work continues - maybe I should wait until NS is done before looking further.

User avatar
justalurker66
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1964
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Photos taken Monday ...
CP Milford Jct
CP Milford Jct
9S as NS 1111 leads a train northbound
9S as NS 1111 leads a train northbound

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

I posted an update that has that stuff.

Dajudge
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 74
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2014 8:01 pm

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by Dajudge »

Drove down to Connersville Saturday and noticed signals between Wabash and Marion along Ind-15 still old school. Whitewater Valley still dark (joke).

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

Dajudge wrote:Drove down to Connersville Saturday and noticed signals between Wabash and Marion along Ind-15 still old school. Whitewater Valley still dark (joke).

Wabash to Marion was done by Conrail just before the de-merger in the very late 90s. Should be G heads except for CP 78 and CP 79

User avatar
justalurker66
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1964
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by justalurker66 »

LakeATCS wrote:
Dajudge wrote:Drove down to Connersville Saturday and noticed signals between Wabash and Marion along Ind-15 still old school. Whitewater Valley still dark (joke).
Wabash to Marion was done by Conrail just before the de-merger in the very late 90s. Should be G heads except for CP 78 and CP 79
True. I remember the PC position signals between Wabash and Marion back in the 90s. With the level of traffic south of Wabash the G heads should survive.

Perhaps some day CP 78 and CP 79 will get new signals. Until then, we can enjoy seeing this CP signal (eastbound at CP 79).
cp79-eb.jpg

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

There are plans for that section too.

Sadly CR used the same PTC incompatible tech with this section too. So the G heads have to be replaced. CP 78 is moving to 75 as a holdout. 79 replaced in place.
This section however has suffered some kick the can down the road stuff, it's been put off so many times it's not funny. Its at least a couple three years down the road.
The maintainers got tired of maintaining the 78 CR era data link, so it was put on ATCS.

If everything goes to plan, oldest signals on the line will be the late 90s signals at CP 58 and the intermediate put in at the same date between CP 58 and CP 54. These were put in by NS crews.

User avatar
justalurker66
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1964
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:51 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Any word on CP 24?

LakeATCS
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 625
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2015 5:37 am

Re: Norfolk Southern Marion Branch

Unread post by LakeATCS »

justalurker66 wrote:Any word on CP 24?

Warsaw? It's in the works when time and personnel allow.

Post Reply