Passenger Trains > How good is this Metra/UP track?

While waiting for the train on the Metra UP-North Line at Rogers Park, I've often wondered about the condition of the ties. Today I took a few photos, as I am wondering how those with MOW experience view this. What caught my eye is how many ties have one spike, have spikes that are floating, or have plates that are sinking into the ties. I think the speed here is 70mph, there is no freight traffic, and because of 100+ year old bridges, I don't think MOW trains can use 286k cars.

Also, there was some track work just north of here this weekend between Rogers Park and Evanston that caused some delays. I don't know what it was for, but maybe this year there is tie replacement?

Edit: I decided to add a video from 2011 that shows how express trains fly through here.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/17 19:44 by inCHI.

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Lastly

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Skin er back.
JB

49 CFR 213, the FRA Track Safety Standards will give you the definition of a defective tie, how many ties are required (as a function of speed), and track geometry requirements; it is up to the ties to hold the rail in alignment so as to meet the geometry standards.
One or two failed ties do not make an exception under the regulations unless two ties under a joint are failed.
In the limited views shown, I think the UP is comfortably in compliance, at least for this year and probably 2018.
What you see are signs of decay that will result in several of the ties becoming defective in the not-too-distant future.
In that this track is confined by station platforms it is very difficult to change a few ties with a maintenance gang or even to run a conventional tie production gang.
My guess is that sometime you will see stacks of panels accumulating nearby and one weekend they will dig out those ties and install 100% new ties.
Or they might run a Track Renewal Train.

A disaster waiting to happen. I am surprised that concrete ties haven't been installed regardless of the disruption that the MOW process will cause.

Jim
Hatboro, PA

I enjoyed your videos! Are they still running the sole Deerpath club car?

Chooch Wrote:
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> A disaster waiting to happen. I am surprised that
> concrete ties haven't been installed regardless of
> the disruption that the MOW process will cause.

Disaster? Concrete ties?
Keep in mind that this track sees little to no freight. It looks fine for commuter service but as RTB noted, it will need some tie replacement short term.

mp51w Wrote:
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> I enjoyed your videos! Are they still running the
> sole Deerpath club car?

The club car was running yesterday.

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kevink Wrote:
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> mp51w Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I enjoyed your videos! Are they still running
> the
> > sole Deerpath club car?
>
> The club car was running yesterday.

Oh thanks for answering that. M-Thursday I'm am at work past when I could see it, and Friday, I wonder sometimes if it doesn't run. This morning I looked at inbound 326, which I thought is the inbound train with it, and didn't see it.

inCHI Wrote:
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> kevink Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > mp51w Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I enjoyed your videos! Are they still
> running
> > the
> > > sole Deerpath club car?
> >
> > The club car was running yesterday.
>
> Oh thanks for answering that. M-Thursday I'm am at
> work past when I could see it, and Friday, I
> wonder sometimes if it doesn't run. This morning I
> looked at inbound 326, which I thought is the
> inbound train with it, and didn't see it.

So who rides in that, and how much do they pay?

Google is your friend

"As of 2012, Car 553 operates twice daily on the Union Pacific North Line between Chicago and Kenosha, Wisconsin. The car is operated as part of an agreement between club members and the Union Pacific Railroad (Who operates Metra trains on the UP/North Line). While in the past, membership was exclusive to wealthy "North Shore" families, it has since become open to anyone who pays an annual fee of $900, in addition to the fees for Metra's monthly pass. The car arrives in Chicago shortly before 9:00am, and departs for Kenosha shortly after 5:00pm (Based around the traditional 9-to-5 workday)." Wikipedia

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> My guess is that sometime you will see stacks of panels accumulating nearby and one weekend they
> will dig out those ties and install 100% new ties.

There is a stack of track panels just north of the Evanston station, about three miles up the line on the former Track 1 right-of-way. Not sure what the plans are for these - sometimes they're used during highway crossing surface replacements. In recent years UP has used the equivalent of the old-time section gang to do spot replacement of ties on this line where needed between visits from a production tie gang - the spot renewal gang has a hi-rail truck to supply power/compressed air for their track tools. I've also seen this approach used on the Metra BNSF line to Aurora where nests of bad ties need to be broken up.

The "Club Run", now down to one car, still exists. At present it runs on train 349, the 5:35 p.m. departure to Kenosha, in the afternoon. Not sure which train it's on in the morning these days. There were originally four club cars, on the 5:10 p.m. express (first stop Highland Park, MP 23) in the afternoon and the 8:08 a.m. departure out of Highland Park in the morning (next stop Chicago). There was a 10-mile third main track between Canal Tower just north of Evanston and Deering Bridge just north of Clybourn (MP 3) in those days, facilitating express running. Today's equivalent of the 5:10 departs at 5:03 as train 341, stopping at Ravenswood, Wilmette and Braeside before arriving Highland Park at 5:39 p.m. The inbound equivalent of the 8:08 departs at 8:04 and makes five intermediate stops before arriving Chicago at 8:49 a.m.

My late first wife was from Lake Forest. I occasionally rode that 5:10 express when we visited her home.

It stopped at all the wealthy suburbs and skipped the others. Once I wandered through that club car -- for some reason they didn't stop me. It was just before Lake Forest, so some of the riders had already exited. No fixed seats, just nice easy chairs.