Canadian Railroads > Talking turnouts

In the Montreal area the railways now have three "talking turnouts" which are controlled by tones sent by radio from locomotives and MofW vehicles.  The turnouts then report their position, whether lined for the main or the diverging route, over the radio.

The first pair were installed by CPR at either end of St-Mathieu siding on the Lacolle sub (former Napierville Junction Railway).  The newest example is on the CSX at South Valley, the south entrance to the new Valleyfield intermodal terminal.  CN 327 is shown passing South Valley yesterday.

The "talking tornouts" are a great help to railfans with scanners.  The CPR ones are even bilingual. 

KG



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/15 04:45 by kgmontreal.

---

---

Possibly I should know this, but what does 'Begin OS' and 'End OS' mean?

Michael

Mberry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Possibly I should know this, but what does 'Begin
> OS' and 'End OS' mean?
>
> Michael

There was a discussion about 'Begin OS' a few years ago.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1703819

CN's version is second from the bottom of page 1.
 

This is not CN trackage.  It is CSX track.

KG

Is there an approach signal before the switch?

No.  There is no approach signal.  The lights on the mast indicate switch position.  They are not a signal.

KG



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/15 15:55 by kgmontreal.

kgmontreal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No.  There is no approach signal.  The lights on
> the mast indicate switch position.  They are not
> a signal.
>
> KG

They're Switch Point Indicators. The show the position of the turnout.

kgmontreal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is not CN trackage.  It is CSX track.
>
> KG

CSX goes to Montreal????

Tor in Eugene

> CSX goes to Montreal????
>
> Tor in Eugene

The answer to your question is almost.  The CSX trackage in Quebec was originally New York Central, then Penn Central, followed by Conrail and finally CSX.  Many, many years ago NYC ran commuter trains into downtown Montreal from their stations on the south shore of the St Lawrence River.  NYC, PC and CR ran freights into CPR's St Luc Yard on a daily basis.  Freight service into Montreal came to an abrupt end when Conrail began eyeing CPR's container traffic from the Port of Montreal.  In order to protect its container traffic CPR promptly withdrew permission for CR to cross its St Lawrence River bridge onto Montreal Island.  Thereafter Conrail, and now CSX, was confined to the south shore opposite Montreal.

CSX now operates from Massena, NY to Beauharnois, Quebec.  Beauharnois is a busy terminal with a large chemical plant, a lumber reload, steel unloading, propane terminal and plastic pellet transfer.  Beauharnois has between two and five locos assigned there.  One set of units works the yard while another set operates a wayfreight to Valleyfield, Quebec.  There is another cluster of industry at Valleyfield some of which is also switched by CN.  However, CSX has elusive switching rights to the Schenley distillery and has just opened a large intermodal terminal in Valleyfield.  Q152 and its counterpart Q153 serve the intermodal terminal.

The talking turnout from my post is the south switch to the new intermodal terminal.  The trackage is all new as a result of a line relocation to get the CSX mainline out of a residential neighbourhood in Valleyfield. 

CN runs one train each way daily from/to its yard in Montreal to the CSX.  Ultimately that train goes all the way to Selkirk Yard near Albany, NY.  It joins CSX rails at Cecil Jct near Valleyfield.  The CN crew then continues about 15 miles before handing the train over to CSX crews at Huntingdon, Quebec.

The CSX has a fairly significant presence in Quebec.  This fact is not appreciated by many railfans.  It may not quite reach Montreal, but the CSX comes close.

KG


 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/16/15 15:20 by kgmontreal.