South Shore Double Track

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DaveO
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66 wrote:
Mon May 30, 2022 9:32 pm
All done ... US 12 open for traffic with a nice double track crossing.
And looks like a sizable speed bump.

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Saturnalia
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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DaveO wrote:
Tue May 31, 2022 6:01 am
justalurker66 wrote:
Mon May 30, 2022 9:32 pm
All done ... US 12 open for traffic with a nice double track crossing.
And looks like a sizable speed bump.
Nope, it’s actually really nice.

Broadway at Beverly Shores is next.
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justalurker66
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Yep ... US 12 crossing is barely noticeable in a car and people are taking it at full speed.

"Walsh/Herzog began removing the existing low-level platform and began building the two new low-level platforms at Beverly Shores Station the week of May 16. Large beams will be installed for the NICTD catenary system east and west of Broadway beginning June 8. Track, overhead wire and fiber work will be ongoing in the general area in May and June."

I didn't see any platform removal at Beverly Shores yet but with the road closure coming next week on Broadway (followed June 20th at Kemil Rd) I hope we see rail all the way from Tamarack. I see the Central Ave closing has been added for July 5th (east of Tamarack).

Is Tamarack out of service as a siding? Since West End Tamarack is going away I'd expect Main 2 to be cut from the West End switch and extended west to Tremont.

At this point I am expecting the construction crew to drop a panel track in for the new track at Franklin. Get it open and move on to Washington St!

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66 wrote:
Tue May 31, 2022 5:43 pm
Is Tamarack out of service as a siding?
Technically, no.
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Thanks. I walked down to Tremont a couple of weeks ago (thank you Calumet Trail) but have not made the hike to Tamarack. It may be cool enough this next weekend.

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Franklin St not open yet ... and bumpy. The old track remains in the old strip of asphalt and the new track ends on either side of the crossing.
11thSt-20220604-1.jpg
11thSt-20220604-2.jpg
2nd Track being laid at Lafayette St
MC 220604 Lafayette St.jpg

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Head west to Alpha Storage by the Amtrak diamond ... the north part of the building is gone.
Alpha-20220604-1.jpg
Alpha-20220604-2.jpg
One more photo stop. Someone left their Volvo parked on the platform at Beverly Shores. Platform and sidewalk up to the front door of the building to be removed next week along with a portion of Broadway St for the new road crossing.
BEV-20220604-Neon.jpg

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66 wrote:
Sun Jun 05, 2022 12:09 am
Someone left their Volvo parked on the platform at Beverly Shores.
That took me a couple of seconds :?: :lol:

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Today, Franklin St reopened, and Washington closed for its one-month rebuild. Broadway at Beverly Shores also closed and the old platform at Beverly Shores has departed reality and entered the realm of history.
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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The new crossing at Franklin St is good for the posted speed of "Stop". Some work was done to provide a level path for pedestrians/bikes/wheelchairs on the west side of Franklin St but the main travel lanes were bumpy on Sunday. Otherwise the new tracks were down at Beverly Shores. I expect that crossing to be much smoother. :)

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Protected by transit police, the fence is down between the Moose property and NICTD's 11th St south parking lot. Tables and chairs are set up at the edge of the Moose property and there is a small stage in the NICTD parking lot. Is there an event scheduled for NICTD? Juneteenth?
11thSt-20220619.jpg
Taken from apartment parking next to a well protected parking lot.

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Crossing complete and open (and smooth). The sidewalk to the front of the building needs to be restored. Kemil Rd / State Park Boundary Rd will close tomorrow through July 1st. There is new track laid east of Central Avenue (which will close in July for two weeks).
BEV-20220619.jpg
BEV-20220619-2.jpg
BEV-20220619-3.jpg

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66 wrote:
Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:36 pm
Protected by transit police, the fence is down between the Moose property and NICTD's 11th St south parking lot. Tables and chairs are set up at the edge of the Moose property and there is a small stage in the NICTD parking lot. Is there an event scheduled for NICTD? Juneteenth?
11thSt-20220619.jpg
Taken from apartment parking next to a well protected parking lot.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held today, the Governor was in attendance. It was delayed to this year due to Covid ongoing last year.

FWIW the Franklin St crossing does not have its top coat which is why it’s bumpy. It will receive its final layer once the existing track is replaced. Not sure when that’s scheduled for though.

Kemil Rd closed today for its two-week outage to add the new track. Central Ave will be after that.

Expect the new track to begin showing up in earnest now, especially around Beverly Shores.
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Thanks. I saw news coverage tonight with the governor hammering away at a panel track I saw on site on Sunday. There were two gallery cars present with one that appears to be one of the refurbished Metra cars. Good to see an official groundbreaking for this.

https://www.wndu.com/2022/06/20/gov-hol ... k-project/

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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justalurker66 wrote:
Mon Jun 20, 2022 7:08 pm
Thanks. I saw news coverage tonight with the governor hammering away at a panel track I saw on site on Sunday. There were two gallery cars present with one that appears to be one of the refurbished Metra cars. Good to see an official groundbreaking for this.

https://www.wndu.com/2022/06/20/gov-hol ... k-project/
I just saw this on ABC 57.
https://www.abc57.com/news/south-shore- ... higan-city
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Jochs wrote:
Mon Jun 20, 2022 11:27 pm
I just saw this on ABC 57.
https://www.abc57.com/news/south-shore- ... higan-city
The video confirming former Metra car 1202 was the one closest to the action (with another former Metra car behind it).

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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I watched with the audio off. Politicians always sound better that way :lol:
Why use former Metra cars? NICTD/South Shore couldn't find any not needed for active service?

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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Since February NICTD has been using the single level cars west of Dune Park and the gallery cars east of Michigan City. The Metra cars are the most recently refurbished (although single level cars are being refurbished for the West Lake line). They are shiny and look good on camera.
Last edited by justalurker66 on Wed Jun 22, 2022 12:22 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: South Shore Double Track

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DaveO wrote:
Tue Jun 21, 2022 6:34 am
I watched with the audio off. Politicians always sound better that way :lol:
Why use former Metra cars? NICTD/South Shore couldn't find any not needed for active service?
The cars are clean, fresh and available.

They’ll also be mainstays on the Mainline once the 32 single levels go to West Lake, so it’s also fitting in that way. These cars backfill and increase capacity for the mainline.
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Re: South Shore Double Track

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11thSt-20220626.jpg
Governor is out of town ... I guess the sign isn't needed any more. :D
Hopefully it gets set back up somewhere where it isn't in the way of construction.

MC 220626 Lafayette St Curve.jpg
A lot of improvement in the Lafayette St Curve. New catenary poles are in place from about Lafayette St east with more bases ready for poles west to Cedar St (the east end of the new station). 10th St has had wood poles for a few weeks and steel poles have been added (presumably for the constant tension equipment).

MC 220626 Lafayette St.jpg
Getting closer to having a road at Lafayette St as well. Curbs are being constructed on the north side of the tracks.

Not a lot else to say ... except to note that the official detour for the closed State Park Boundry / Kemil Rd does not use Broadway past the station. The posted detour goes another mile east then north then west to Broadway adding two more miles to the detour route.

And new June 6th schedules should fix an issue with the South Bend express trains. (6) 15 minutes earlier departure from South Bend, (11) 17 minutes later arrival in South Bend, with no changes west of Michigan City. It should help get those trains "on time". I'm not sure how they could have been on time before the February street closure. The schedules were posted on line but print versions are now available at the stations (mixed in with May 1st schedules).

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