Passenger Trains > Trackwork cancellation: 390 and 393

Amtrak's service alerts say that 390 and 393 are cancelled today for planned CN trackwork. In case anyone is wondering, that trackwork appears to be shifting the St. Charles Air Line main over onto to new bridges that have been installed between between 16th St. crossing and the lake front. Once I have a chance I'll get some photos to post. There is also a new bridge being installed on the portion of the Air Line west of 16th St., so that routing may soon be back in service. Notably, despite this, the project isn't done yet. The bridge over Clark St., which is just east of the 16th St. diamonds, has not been replaced. I assume it will be? If so, the new 25mph alignment (up from 10mph) will have to wait I'd guess.

At the moment CN has something lined from Hawthorne in the direction of 16th St., so maybe the work is done.

Was the Air Line always 10 MPH?  - or is it a matter of poor track maintenance? 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/21 15:21 by ronald321.

Others in the know could confirm but I think it's the curves. The new track being put in service has a broader alignment.

The Grand Crossing project completion can't come fast enough.
 

To update, the work was finished in the early evening last night and the first moves happened around 8pm. 58 is going to pass through it this morning. From what I can tell, the switch at Cermak is now different, with Main 2 as the straight route and Main 1 as diverging. (It was opposite.)

sums007 Wrote:
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> The Grand Crossing project completion can't come
> fast enough.
>  

What project?  There was a pipe dream with politicians hoping to being able to remove the St. Charles Air Line to allow more high dollar condos and whatnot.  Seeing as how the Air Line is currently being completely rebuilt, I fail to see how anyone is still hoping to give CPR to that long-dead horse.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/21 08:01 by MaryMcPherson.

They finished work on Main 2 which included all new bridges, roadbed, ties, ballast and rail.  The work Friday involved taking Main 1 out of service, bending the iron over, and putting the newly rebuilt Main 2 into service as the single main between 16th Street and Kelly.  Next up, Main 1 will get the same treatment.

For those who get confused on the numbering, the track numbers swap at 16th Street.  Chicago Sub. Main 1 becomes Freeport Sub. Main 2 and vice versa.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/21 08:02 by MaryMcPherson.

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
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> They finished work on Main 2 which included all
> new bridges, roadbed, ties, ballast and rail. 
> The work Friday involved taking Main 1 out of
> service, bending the iron over, and putting the
> newly rebuilt Main 2 into service as the single
> main between 16th Street and Kelly.  Next up,
> Main 1 will get the same treatment.
>
They'll restore main 1? I thought the end result was just the single track, which was what allows for the better alignment. But, I was wondering why it seemed the small birdge in the staging area between State st. And Clark St. seemed to be redone for both tracks

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> sums007 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The Grand Crossing project completion can't
> come
> > fast enough.
> >  
>
> What project?  There was a pipe dream with
> politicians hoping to being able to remove the St.
> Charles Air Line to allow more high dollar condos
> and whatnot.  Seeing as how the Air Line is
> currently being completely rebuilt, I fail to see
> how anyone is still hoping to give CPR to that
> long-dead horse.

http://www.createprogram.org/factsheets/P4.pdf

Are you saying this has been called off?

sums007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> http://www.createprogram.org/factsheets/P4.pdf
>
> Are you saying this has been called off?

I'd say rather than being called off, it's like my Christmas list when I was a kid: lots of cool stuff that never turned up under the tree.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They'll restore main 1? I thought the end result
> was just the single track, which was what allows
> for the better alignment. But, I was wondering why
> it seemed the small birdge in the staging area
> between State st. And Clark St. seemed to be
> redone for both tracks

Talking to the RTC last night, he said he thought main 1 would get rebuilt but the flagman said it wasn't.  We'll see who is right in the end.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

MaryMcPherson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Talking to the RTC last night, he said he thought
> main 1 would get rebuilt but the flagman said it
> wasn't.  We'll see who is right in the end.

Thanks, I pass by all the time so I'll note if I see any work being done on it. I'm going to post some pictures of the progress soon too.