Passenger Trains > Amtrak to Raze Michigan City Coaling Tower

   Amtrak plans to raze a coaling tower straddling its Michigan Line in Michigan City, Indiana.
The century-old structure built by the Michigan Central is expected to be removed in fall 2025 and will lead to a two week disruption in service of Wolverine Service and Blue Water trains.

Demolition is expected to begin next September once the Federal Railroad Administration gives its approval.
Officials told a Michigan City radio station that demolition had been set to occur in 2026 but was moved up a year due to the deteriorating condition of the structure. Eight Amtrak trains pass beneath the coaling tower daily.
During demolition passengers will travel on a bus between Chicago and New Buffalo, Michigan. From the akronrrblog
 

Two weeks? Not possible to construct a shoofly and impose overnight work windows?

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

I wonder if some cars that are to be scrapped could be parked under the tower to help the tracks from being greatly damaged?

Dcmcrider Wrote:
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> Two weeks? Not possible to construct a shoofly and
> impose overnight work windows?

Agreed - ridiculous.  Build a shoo-fly to the south, knock down the tower to the north.  Can't understand what exactly is going to take two weeks, even without a shoo-fly.

Dcmcrider Wrote:
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> Two weeks? Not possible to construct a shoofly and
> impose overnight work windows?

Two weeks sounds like a lot, but I suspect they have to stop operations under the tower while they rig the explosives. I don't know how long they need to take for the rigging. 

What's on either side of the tracks which go under the tower? I think that the demolition experts could make most of the tower fall to either side.

One wonders why FRA approval is needed.
Will the government declare it essential in case steam power returns?

Does disruption mean cancellation or a short bus bridge ?

That means trains will be trapped east of New Buffalo, MI for 2 weeks.
Can Charger locos stand from not being shop queens for that long ? 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/24 09:30 by joemvcnj.

I know from personal experience that these coal towers don't always fall exactly where the contractor says they will.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> That means trains will be trapped east of New
> Buffalo, MI for 2 weeks.
> Can Charger locos stand from not being shop queens
> for that long ? 

Look on the bright side.
Perhaps all the equipment can be gathered to 14th St. for 2 weeks of intensive maintenance.

Englewood Wrote:
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> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That means trains will be trapped east of New
> > Buffalo, MI for 2 weeks.
> > Can Charger locos stand from not being shop
> queens
> > for that long ? 
>
> Look on the bright side.
> Perhaps all the equipment can be gathered to 14th
> St. for 2 weeks of intensive maintenance.

I know the crews that are assigned to maintaining those cars and locos are already looking forward to sleeping longer at work.

That will make my T-Trak module historical then!

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3rdboxcar Wrote:
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> That will make my T-Trak module historical then!

Nice model

Wow, I see the TO “sidewalk superintendents” have this all figured out.

Here’s some points to ponder:
US 12 is immediately south of the railroad at this location. Can’t drop the tower that way or fit a two-track shoofly either. Current best practice is to get the track centers at least 25’ from the work area.

Why a two-track shoofly? Without additional research, I don’t know if there are any crossovers close by that would aid in single tracking. Before you say, just add turnouts on either side, consider the implications (cost) of modifying the signal system for two weeks and then restoring it to the current configuration.

One more strike against a shoofly is the grade crossing just west of the coaling tower. More costs to relocate crossing signals and surface and then restoring them.

All of this work is pricey throw-away work.

Close the grade crossing? Likely won’t sit well with the locals when all the truck traffic from the industries north of the tracks detour through residential neighborhoods.

I am sure Amtrak’s engineering staff (whether in-house or consultant) has considered all of the above and more before proposing the current plan.

Edited to change “track traffic” to “truck traffic”
Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/24 16:10 by kevink.

maybe i could buy it turn it into condos?

kevink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow, I see the TO “sidewalk superintendents”
> have this all figured out.
>
> Here’s some points to ponder:
> US 12 is immediately south of the railroad at this
> location. Can’t drop the tower that way or fit a
> two-track shoofly either. Current best practice is
> to get the track centers at least 25’ from the
> work area.
>
> Why a two-track shoofly? Without additional
> research, I don’t know if there are any
> crossovers close by that would aid in single
> tracking. Before you say, just add turnouts on
> either side, consider the implications (cost) of
> modifying the signal system for two weeks and then
> restoring it to the current configuration.
>
> One more strike against a shoofly is the grade
> crossing just west of the coaling tower. More
> costs to relocate crossing signals and surface and
> then restoring them.
>
> All of this work is pricey throw-away work.
>
> Close the grade crossing? Likely won’t sit well
> with the locals when all the track traffic from
> the industries north of the tracks detour through
> residential neighborhoods.
>
> I am sure Amtrak’s engineering staff (whether
> in-house or consultant) has considered all of the
> above and more before proposing the current plan.
>
> Posted from iPhone
>
>that is so much nicer then being called a "keyboard warrior".

kevink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow, I see the TO “sidewalk superintendents” have this all figured out.

The first report I read about the planned demotition stated that the tower would be dismantled from the top down:
Skyler York, Director of Planning and Inspection for the city, said the tower is cast-in-place concrete construction reinforced by rebar inside the concrete, which requires demolition to start at the top and work its way down pieces at a time.

“They looked at three to four different methods and this is the way it needs to come down,” he said.

Any break in the work would add to the risk of collapse before completion because there are no beams within the concrete for enough stability to pause demolition between eight to 12 hours shifts.

https://hometownnewsnow.com/local-news/769653/demolition-planned-for-landmark-train-coaling-tower

This will not be the typical implosion or layong the tower over to one side.

dan Wrote:
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> maybe i could buy it turn it into condos?

Did you miss the part about advancing the demolition by a year due to deteriorating conditions?

Posted from iPhone

justalurker66 Wrote:
------------------------------------------------
<snip>
> This will not be the typical implosion or layong
> the tower over to one side.

Thanks for the informative local link Mr. Lurker.

Posted from iPhone

kevink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> justalurker66 Wrote:
> ------------------------------------------------
>
> > This will not be the typical implosion or
> layong
> > the tower over to one side.
>
> Thanks for the informative local link Mr. Lurker.
>
> Posted from iPhone

A second thank you to justalurker66 from me for posting the link to the article.

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As noted in the article, Amtrak will arrange to have buses between Chicago and New Buffalo, MI during the period the tower is being razed.
 

Here's a shot of the tower.  It appears to lean slightly to the right (south).  Note the phone pole on the far right is parallel to the photo's edge.
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/24 19:35 by calumet.

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