Tolleston Discussion

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Jim_c
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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Trails to Rails. Put the track back.

9xs
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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A CN train just got routed on the Porter Branch at 7:20 PM presumably headed to Kirk Yard. I won't be able to see if they send it directly there from Tolleston

Had a lot of Potash cars on the end so it may be going to the IHB

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justalurker66
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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That website image is from about 2017. A more current image can be seen through the Google Earth Pro program (dated Oct 2018).
Gary-181015.jpg
Note that after the work completed last September/October the tracks on both sides of the CSX line line up (no offset) and the switch at the northwest end now has the NE quadrant connection on the diverging side of the switch (the non-diverging side directs trains to the uninstalled diamond).

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justalurker66
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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9xs wrote:A CN train just got routed on the Porter Branch at 7:20 PM presumably headed to Kirk Yard. I won't be able to see if they send it directly there from Tolleston

Had a lot of Potash cars on the end so it may be going to the IHB
CN's CP Dune (71034080050102) would be a good ATCS MCP to watch. If WG is raised while the switch is normal a train is coming off the NS connection. EG/NW would be raised for a train headed East toward Tolleston. If the switch is reversed the train would be going to or from the City Track.

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GaryIndianaRailFan
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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Are their locos with no freight running at night on the Wabash?

I live about a mile NW of Tolleston. Sound travels further at night, and it's a little louder than it would be during the day - so it could be easy for me to mistake it for being closer than where it really is. Usually at Tolleston, with trains heading east, west or southeast - you have the Doppler effect. The air horns are one pitch, then at their closest point they are the true pitch, and as they get further away the pitch changes again.

About three minutes after a EB South Shore Freight train passed my house and cleared the neighborhood another air horn blast cut through but it wasn't on the South Shore main. I dismissed it as being from Tolleston. The horns were not coming from the South Shore main; I live right next to those tracks I would have seen the activity from my window if there was any. However 10 minutes after I heard the first volley of air horn blasts, I heard them a second time - a little more intensity, closer distance. I started thinking that's not getting further away, it's getting closer - clear as a bell - trumpeting through this part of the neighborhood.

Then the horns stopped. It's been about 20 minutes since I heard the second set of horn blasts.

Horns blow all day from the CN/CSX/NS mains north of me and from Kirk Yard - especially at night. You can hear hump activity all night long, with cars banging into each other and the engineers playing melodies with the horns. It's interesting if you can catch them doing it. I hear trains at Tolleston even if I don't know what direction they are traveling. Tolleston is busiest late at night, so I hear horns from that line nearly every single day. No big deal.

However, air horns coming from the Wabash is worthy reporting to me, being that we all know that area is low priority right now.
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justalurker66
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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Could CN be running cars on the City Line to interchange with CSS&SB?

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GaryIndianaRailFan
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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I saw MoW equipment on the Ft. Wayne northwest of CP Tolleston yesterday afternoon. Caught the quickest of glimpses so I couldn't tell you what kind of MoW apparatus was there. However someone else told me that they saw MoW equipment on the Ft. Wayne TODAY. I'm assuming it's the same stuff I saw yesterday. The weed clearing crews never stick around for multiple days. Not saying that's not what they are doing, just making an observation.
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GaryIndianaRailFan
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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There's at least one tie kicker and brand new ties at Tolleston alongside the FtW. The vegetation that's been overgrown on the FtW for the past two summers has been cut.
“...what thrills me about trains is not their size or their equipment but the fact that they are moving, that they embody a connection between unseen places.”
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justalurker66
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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I forgot to post this from last Saturday:
GaryTies-190629.jpg

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GaryIndianaRailFan
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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The mower is still sitting in the same spot. Taken this morning.
66492198_1441663099329931_7783280261399052288_n.jpg
“...what thrills me about trains is not their size or their equipment but the fact that they are moving, that they embody a connection between unseen places.”
― Marianne Wiggins

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GaryIndianaRailFan
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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The mower is gone as of yesterday.
“...what thrills me about trains is not their size or their equipment but the fact that they are moving, that they embody a connection between unseen places.”
― Marianne Wiggins

9xs
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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GaryIndianaRailFan wrote:The mower is gone as of yesterday.
Saw it occupying the main in Lake Station

tttodisp
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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We have been seeing a new NS ATCS address pop up occasionally over the past few days and it could be for the NS view at Tolleston. Has anyone been by there in the past few days to note any NS signal crews working there?

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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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75501710090202 is CP MJ in Momence IL (Pence)

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GaryIndianaRailFan
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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I haven't physically been there in over a month but I did see a piece of construction equipment from afar last week. No MoW equipment on the tracks, just parked to the side. I meant to check out what was going on but life gets in the way. There were old track segments stacked up over there from 9th to just under the former G&W overpass, maybe they were removing those? I don't know, just speculating.
“...what thrills me about trains is not their size or their equipment but the fact that they are moving, that they embody a connection between unseen places.”
― Marianne Wiggins

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GaryIndianaRailFan
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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A fairly large construction project is happening in the Tolleston area. Street work at the CSX xing at 9th & Taft, at the xing around Taft & Wabash. MoW equipment has been parked at 9th Ave and the Ft. Wayne xing for over a month. Might not be railroad related, but I just find it odd that work is happening at these specific places.
“...what thrills me about trains is not their size or their equipment but the fact that they are moving, that they embody a connection between unseen places.”
― Marianne Wiggins

9xs
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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GaryIndianaRailFan wrote:A fairly large construction project is happening in the Tolleston area. Street work at the CSX xing at 9th & Taft, at the xing around Taft & Wabash. MoW equipment has been parked at 9th Ave and the Ft. Wayne xing for over a month. Might not be railroad related, but I just find it odd that work is happening at these specific places.
It is a parallel utility project

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GaryIndianaRailFan
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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http://www.dhke.com/CRJ/others-in.html says about Tolleston:

"The diamond has been reinstalled at the Porter Branch/CF&E crossing and a connection has been built in the northeast quadrant, so that NS trains on either route can reach the ex-Wabash as part of a new route that will enable them to more easily access CN's Kirk Yard on the Gary lakefront."

I was just at Tolleston about a week or so ago and the diamond was not installed, so I'm confused. I have been seeing hi-rail trucks at the ex-Wabash xing on 5th Avenue. Yesterday the gates were - I assume - being tested. They were lowered, lights on - but no trains. Vehicle traffic was allowed to pass through the gates while they were down. That isn't a sign the diamond is installed, but it could be a sign that - maybe - the northeast/west quadrant turnout at Tolleston might be back in operation soon. I drove by the interlocking while the hi-rail trucks were at 5th Avenue and saw nothing interesting. I would hate to go back out there and find out DHKE is mistaken.
“...what thrills me about trains is not their size or their equipment but the fact that they are moving, that they embody a connection between unseen places.”
― Marianne Wiggins

Typhoon
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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The diamond Is not in at Tolleston.

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GaryIndianaRailFan
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Re: Tolleston & High Line Questions

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A man traveling on I-90 posted this photo on Facebook this morning. MoW equipment chopping vegetation NW of Tolleston near Clarke. Seems to have been working in the area for at least a week.
4.19.2020
4.19.2020
93998406_2851305744966697_6216249430429925376_o.jpg
“...what thrills me about trains is not their size or their equipment but the fact that they are moving, that they embody a connection between unseen places.”
― Marianne Wiggins

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