Passenger Trains > South Shore Line August 18 2019

South Shore Line on Sunday, August 18
My wife and I went from Holland, Michigan, to Chicago to see the Broadway Show, Come From Away, with friends.  Though we have Amtrak Service from Holland to Chicago, it is easier and cheaper for a party of 4 people to drive to Dune Park, IN and take the South Shore Line to Chicago. Also, we did not want the early wake up for the 6:49 am EDT departure, from Holland, MI, of Amtrak’s “Pere Marquette”, train 371 from Holland, MI.

Our original plan was to leave Holland, MI at 9 am EDT for the 90-minute drive to the Dune Park, IN station on the South Shore line.   We expected to be there about 9:30 am CDT to catch train 606 scheduled to depart Dune Park, IN at 9:49 am CDT.  Train 606 is an all stop local to Chicago.
We got away from Holland, MI about 10 minutes early and arrived at Dune Park, IN about 9:22 am CDT.   In the station, we found westbound train 504 sitting in the station, the South Bend to Chicago limited stop express scheduled to depart Dune Park, IN at 9:01 am.  504 makes only 4 stops between South Bend and Chicago and does not make any stops in Michigan City, IN, or Gary, IN.   The ticket collector on the train (one conductor and several collectors) call 504 a high platform only train and it maybe it can be run with less staff as they do not have open the trap doors.
Anyway, the “South Shore Train Tracker” and the comments section explained that 504 sat for 20 minutes in Michigan City wait for Amtrak train 350.  The Amtrak web site said 350 was on time into Niles, MI, but the South Shore collector said it was 20 minutes late and train 504 just sat on the 11th Street.  The South Shore posted the same information as the collector said on their website.

Anyway, train 504 got rolling well until we got to Tennessee Street in Gary, IN where the Positive Train Control (PTC) acted up and stopped the train.  It takes at least 10 minutes to get a train rolling when PTC acts up, but we did proceed at 10 MPH through Gary.  At Clark Road, a guy with a sledgehammer trespassing on the rail line banged every car as it was by at 10 MPH.  Anyway, we got into Chicago at 10:52 am CDT, 36 minutes late thanks to Amtrak and defective PTC.
Sunday was the Chicago Air Show, but it was raining so attendance was poor.   After train 504, the “Air Show Extra” ran with bi level equipment.  It picked up no passengers from Michigan City to Ogden Dunes and then ran as a local to Chicago.  It was followed by train 606, the regular Michigan City to Chicago.  Thus between 9:22 am CDT and 9:49 am CDT, THREE westbound South Shore trains passed Dune Park, with 2 of them stopping.

After the play, we caught the 4:25 pm “Air Show Extra” with 6 bi level cars.  We stopped at Van Buren Street in Chicago and then ran nonstop to Hegewisch.  The bi-level cars are very comfortable, but ridership was very light because of the morning rain and lack of attendance at the air show.  We did go through the 57th Street Station on the Metra IC Electric at 63 MPH per my speed app in 65 MPH territory.

After we got off the “Air Show Extra” at Dune Park, IN, it backed up west and then went into the siding.  Train 507, the South Bend Local, was right behind us and apparently the dispatcher wanted to get him through.  The “Air Show Extra” was terminating in Michigan City and would have blocked train 507 as it switched off the mainline at Carroll Avenue, Michigan City.  The “Air Show Extra” still had a few passengers on board for Michigan City, but they would arrive after train 507.
 
The South Shore crews are great and very informative.  Westbound, the Amtrak hold at Michigan City for over 20 minutes was the only real hassle.  It was great for us as we took an earlier train (504) to Chicago, but many people had a late arrival..

The South Shore is definitely an operation that Indiana should be proud of.
 
 
 
 
 
 

rhburn3 Wrote:
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> Anyway, the “South Shore Train Tracker” and
> the comments section explained that 504 sat for 20
> minutes in Michigan City wait for Amtrak train
> 350.  The Amtrak web site said 350 was on time
> into Niles, MI, but the South Shore collector said
> it was 20 minutes late and train 504 just sat on
> the 11th Street.  

Is the Michigan City interlocking automatic or controlled by
the Joseph C. Szabo Chicago Control Center in CUS?

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/19 10:50 by Englewood.

Englewood,

I think you are right as this is Amtrak property.  Poor dispatching.

Englewood Wrote:
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> Is the Michigan City interlocking automatic or controlled by the Joseph C. Szabo Chicago Control Center in CUS?

Controlled by Amtrak dispatchers, Some of them get optimistic about how long it will take their train to reach Michigan City and clear Amtrak over 11th St long before their train will arrive. NICTD/CSS gets to wait until the signal can be taken down and cleared for South Shore traffic.