Plymouth & GR sub-div Work

[Jetlink]

New Signal at CH 104.3 and CH 94.20? (Intermediate on the east end of Grand Ledge)

New Signals on the ground in Grand Ledge with crews working as of 08:00 2/1/2024

New Signal Bungalow at 100.87 in Grand Ledge as well

I thought ch 104.3 is the Cochran road defect detector. I don’t recall there being signals there.

That's right, it will replace 105.

Does the signal around 109 just west of Mulliken stay in service?

[LansingRailFan]

CP is mandating that all of this work be done before they complete the purchase of the line.

[AARR]

I knew it!

CP is mandating that all of this work be done before they complete the purchase of the line.

[kd_1014]

I thought ch 104.3 is the Cochran road defect detector. I don’t recall there being signals there.

That's right, it will replace 105.

Does the signal around 109 just west of Mulliken stay in service?

It should yes. Everything between 105 and 118 is still standing.

[Saturnalia]

They’re quickly going to be in service - and this is essentially poor man’s CTC with absolutes but the sidings won’t be fully controlled. Supposedly after Grand Ledge to Ensel, Trowbridge to Williamston will be next.

[Tom49801]

From a conversation heard between L304-04 & the Dispatcher, he had told the Dispatcher they had a note stating the newly installed signals/system on the Plymouth sub-division go into effect on 02/05/2024 at 7:59am

[amessmann]

Supposedly after Grand Ledge to Ensel, Trowbridge to Williamston will be next.

There were crews working at both EE and WE Trowbridge last week, they seemed to be messing with the crossings at Mnt. Hope Rd. Hi-Rail crane at the EE and Toebe Construction equipment at the WE. No signals on the ground like recently out west. Unsure how closely the crossing and CTC systems are related. I realized today, I haven't seen any flags or other construction related markings on the eastern half of the line, this compared to the many seen when I was west of Ensel in Fall 2023.

The intermediate west of ADM Webberville, CH 69.7 is a "vader" type, just one mast with two heads facing east and one facing west, it is the distant to EE Williamston. I presume this was replaced when the tornado touched down in the area a few months back. Not wired to the codeline like other intermediates are. I suppose it could've been there for a while now like the "new" signals at CH 51, this was my first time seeing it so unsure of the history there.

[pudgy]

CH 69.7 has been that way a few years now. Not sure when it was replaced.

[Talk]

CH 105 is gone

[GP30M4216]

CH 69.7 has been that way a few years now. Not sure when it was replaced.

A 2012 post on this board indicates the signal was already replaced with a Safetrans replacement by that time. #history

[amessmann]

It looks like a grade crossing is being built between the eastbound signal and diamond at WE Trowbridge, only over the CSX line that I could see from the Trowbridge Rd. exit. Explains the Toebe Construction equipment. I will get photos when I am back there next. I wonder if this relates to the US 127 construction.

I am told the searchlights at the WE of Ensel are gone now too. Also thanks to those who updated us on the signal at CH 69.7.

[MiddleMI]

I am not sure where the EB signal is, but, yes, I imagine it's work for the US-127 reconstruction. At Trowbridge, they are moving the ramp back, considerably, to offer a smoother turn:

Edit: Was just out on this section (though not on Trowbridge), and they've got the heavy construction equipment at some of the interchanges ready to go. They've also expanded the shoulder on the southbound lanes for when they which northbound traffic over to that side of the freeway. The local news just had a story saying work starts on the freeway reconstruction early next month. Anyway, yeah, the new Trowbridge exit is going to cross both the CN and CSX tracks instead of just the latter as the current ramp does.

[bluewonderrails]

I am not sure where the EB signal is, but, yes, I imagine it's work for the US-127 reconstruction. At Trowbridge, they are moving the ramp back, considerably, to offer a smoother turn:

Edit: Was just out on this section (though not on Trowbridge), and they've got the heavy construction equipment at some of the interchanges ready to go. They've also expanded the shoulder on the southbound lanes for when they which northbound traffic over to that side of the freeway. The local news just had a story saying work starts on the freeway reconstruction early next month. Anyway, yeah, the new Trowbridge exit is going to cross both the CN and CSX tracks instead of just the latter as the current ramp does.

The EB signals for both lines are close enough to the diamonds that they won't be in the way of the reconstruction. CSX's is on the south-side of the tracks, so with a likelihood of construction trucks and etc possibly/probably using that lot to get in and out as needed, they won't have to pass by the signal same-side

[J T]

The EB signals for both lines are close enough to the diamonds that they won't be in the way of the reconstruction. CSX's is on the south-side of the tracks, so with a likelihood of construction trucks and etc possibly/probably using that lot to get in and out as needed, they won't have to pass by the signal same-side

Good view of the signals in this photo:

[GP30M4216]

Does anyone know if the intermediate signal just east of the West side I-96/I-69 overpass will be replaced? The old searchlights are gone. I couldn’t get a good look last time I passed over that bridge to see if any work was going on there…

I will have to check if the old high mount searchlight absolute at Ensel is gone

[SD80MAC]

Per a bulletin issued by CSX on February 5, the following signals are retired and removed from service: CH 105.2, CH 101.2, CH 99.2, CH 97.8, and CH 95.1. New eastward and westward color light intermediate signals are in service at the following locations: CH 104.3, CH 97.8, and CH 94.2. New eastward and westward absolute signals are in service at NEW control point GRAND LEDGE HOLDOUT at CH 100.8.

So there is a new absolute signal west of Grand Ledge that will be controlled by the RN. This leads me to believe that the signals at either end of the siding in Grand Ledge will not be absolutes, or at the very least, will not control any power switches. Per some friends at CSX, the Grand Ledge siding will be uncontrolled track, so any signal you would get if lined in would be a restricting (if that will even be possible). I would guess they put the holdout signal west of town so that the RN can hold an east-bound out there if a grain train or the local happens to be working Grand Ledge.

[amessmann]

I find the spacing of the new signals interesting. I haven't had the time to work out the new distances but the blocks are much longer than before. Thoughts on what this means for train length? IIRC the old system had trouble with longer trains. Awesome photo JT, and thanks SD80MAC for relaying that bulletin. I will add that I was wrong about the new crossing at the diamond, it is west of the eastbound signal, not between it and the diamond.

[SD80MAC]

I find the spacing of the new signals interesting. I haven't had the time to work out the new distances but the blocks are much longer than before. Thoughts on what this means for train length? IIRC the old system had trouble with longer trains. Awesome photo JT, and thanks SD80MAC for relaying that bulletin. I will add that I was wrong about the new crossing at the diamond, it is west of the eastbound signal, not between it and the diamond.

The old signals were closer together for higher speeds, so passenger and freight trains could follow each other and not constantly be running on yellows. Since they started upgrading the signals on the PM in 2007, the new intermediates generally replace the old ones on a 1 to 4 basis. I believe the current rule for the Plymouth Sub is any trains over 15,000 tons are limited to 35 mph, just like the GR Sub used to be. This is because many of the blocks in the old signals territory are so short, a train that heavy might have trouble stopping in time if they encounter a bad signal. The longer blocks eliminate that problem.

[Jetlink]

There is a sign visible to eastbound trains at Onieda road now. Onieda is the first road crossing just to the west of the City Limits of Grand Ledge. You can also see it from the public grade crossing. I took a cell phone photo of it but struggle to get photo's uploaded on this site from my phone. The code line poles area still standing here but the wires and line are in shambles just hanging and not connected. Any way the sign says:

Entering
Signal Rules
1281-1291
Leaving
Signal Rules
C-1281 - C-1298
Leaving
Signal Rules
TWC - ABS

[J T]

Awesome photo JT

Thanks. I randomly arrived at Trowbridge and put my drone up in the air a minute before the EB BNSF train arrived...and I had no idea there was CSX train waiting to cross the diamond. Score! (terrible lighting, though)