Passenger Trains > Amtrak thru Michigan City Draw

So having family in Michigan City, I have the chance to get to the family reunion this year, and am going to go...I have always seemed to focus on the South Shore, since it's pretty interesting..however, does anyone know when AMtrak runs thru Michigan CIty? I know where the old MC coal tower is on the hi-way between Michigan City and New Buffalo, and that that line is the hi-speed test line. Does the Drawbridge at Michigan city still have an operator? I heard that it was being closed, and thought it time to get shots while I still could!
DRLOCO--hoping it's still like it was when I was a kid on my bike peadaling down to the tracks on 11th and Buffalo St.

A few random thoughts from one who is "out that way" several times a year (by auto; sorry 'bout that).

First the coaling tower at New Buffalo is on the Pere Marquette RR (CSX/CP trackage rights) and is adjacent to a railroad museum - both within sight of the "Amshed". The most interesting piece at the Museum is a Pullman Troop Sleeper. This is the route of Amtrak;s aptly named Pere Marquette.

Michigan City has four Blue Water/Wolverine Service trains passing through; one makes a stop. The Michigan Central ROW is Amtrak owned, and to the East of Michigan City, through Michiana Shores, there is fast running. New Buffalo is not an Amtrak stop on the MC; only on the PM.

To the East of New Buffalo in a rather wooded area, The PM corosses the MC on an overpass; there is no physical interchange there.

Even if the P-42 and Horizion consists become a bit "redundant", with five frequencies daily (including PM), there is plenty of chance for action.

Hope this is of help.

There also still is a coaling tower on the MC. Or at least there was, when I was last there almost exactly a year ago.

I do not know how the remoting of the drawbridge has affected photo ops there. I can't imagine it did very much, since I would doubt that the operator's cabin was actually removed.

The Michgan City Drawbridge Control Operator's job was abolished May 3, 2004, when control was transferred to the Amtrak Michigan Line Train Director at 14th St.. in Chicago.

Prior to this cutover, Amtrak had a contract with Conrail and then NS to handle dispatching on the Amtrak-owned portion of thel ine between Porter,IN and CP 147 west of Kalamazoo. The Drawbridge operator was a Conrail/NS employee, from the same pool of employees that staff BO tower in K-zoo.

The new Train Director position is an Amtrak job and is filled from the same pool of employees that handle the interlocking duties at C.U.S. (Lake St. , Lummber St., 21st St.)

Anyway, mornings at MCI will usually net you four trains: Eastbound Amtrak #350, Westbound Amtrak #351 and #365 and the NS Burns Harbor local, which ususally switches a couple of industries north of the remnants of the MC yard.

Afternoons are all Amtrak, all the time: usually see the passage of Eastbound #352 ,#364, and Westbound #353. This time of year you should still get Eastbound #354 in daylight.

If you haven't been there lately, you'll notice the automatic interlocker for the former Monon track into the NIPSCO power plant has been removed and the curve on the Amtrak Line realigned for 50 MPH.

Also keep an eye out starting in July for the South Shore to start jointly switching the industries the Burns Harbor local is currently servicing exclusively. They will access the Amtrak Line through the NIPSCO plant and use the former MC connection into the plant just west of the drawbridge.

Don't forget a modest drive east to Dowagiac can get you pix of the OTHER freight on this line, the NS local out of West Botsford (K-zoo), which usually runs Tuesdays and Thursdays and almost always goes to Dowagiac to switch the furniture plant.

This job has a permanently-assigned power pool (ex-CR GP40-2's 3065-3070) as they had to be equipped with the experimental ITCS Positive Train Control in order to operate over the line.

Monitor AAR 93 (161.505 Mhz?) for Amtrak Line movements.

Happy hunting!

NZ

thanks for the help--it was exactly what I was looking for--
WIsh me luck!--DRLOCO

The coaling tower is still there over both the CSX line at New Buffalo
and the Amtrak line at Michigan City. The Amtrak line coaling tower is
approx 1 mile east of the drawbridge. Just drive east on US 12 from the
drawbridge and you can't miss it.