Fwd: HTOTHI - December 2006
Paul S. Highland
Date: Sun Dec 24, 2006 11:23 am ((PST))
Hot Times on the High Iron - December 2006
Today: Engineer's Journal; Train Date 12.16.06
Well, I haven't done one of these in quite a long time, so I guess I am really
overdue. This one will be a twist as it comes from a piece of railroad that I
used to operate over in the latter 80's, the former Chicago Central & Pacific.
I hadn't seen this line west of Broadview, IL since 1987 prior to a couple of
weeks ago. Crews from the former IC are recapturing mileage from the former CCP
as their crews operate over our line for some 32 miles to reach Markham. We are
now allowed to work their line to Freeport, IL for several months per year to
equalize the mileage. Sound confusing? It is. In any event, for several months
a year one side of the 337/338 pool is our assignment. I marked up on the run
and had to requalify on the territory as Federal law requires that Engineers
that have not operated over a segment of main track in over a year must
requalify on such track. I was given a pilot for the first two round trips
during the week of December 11th. I felt comfortable enough to go it solo on
the 16th, that is, without a pilot, and so we went. We will chronicle that trip
in today's lesson.
The run today originates at Markham Yard and we will operate via the Chicago
Sub and the Freeport Sub to reach that namesake city in Northwestern, IL. The
Freeport Subdivision extends from 16th Street Tower in Chicago, located at 16th
and Clark Streets. This is where Metra's Rock Island Sub crosses and connects
to the former IC. At 16th Street the Chicago Sub ends and becomes the Freeport
Sub. The mileposts also change here as well. The Chicago Sub ends with
milepost 1.5 and the Freeportr Sub begins with milepost 2.2. Mileage was
measured from Central Station when the trackage (and the station) was still in
place. Both are long gone but the mileage measurements remain the same. The
transition point where the names of these two lines change has itself changed
several times during my ten plus years with the IC and CN. There was also at
least one change prior to my days with the CCP and IC. At the present time,
16th Street is still the transition point. I hear we are supposed to have a new
timetable coming out next month, so we'll see what happens with that.
Our train today is M33791-16. The M indicates Manifest freight, 337 is the
train symbol, and 9 is the region on CN on which the train originates. It used
to be for the division but that plan has been adjusted. Trains originating on
the Chicago Division and part of the Central Division use 9. The digit 1 is for
the regular scheduled section of the train. Had there been a second section of
this schedule, this number would be a 2 instead; 33792. An advance section of
this train would have this number as a 0; 33790. 337 originates at Markham in
part from a connection with train 437 that originates in Champaign. We get a
block of cars as well as the power off 437, marry this up to more cars from
Markham and go on our merry way.
We are ordered for 1700 hours, 5pm in civilian time for today's trip. My
Conductor will be Jorge Contreras. Everybody calls him George and I call him
Georgie, but will spell it the way he does throughout this adventure. Jorgie
has been railroading since 2001. We get along quite well and I enjoy working
with him, so that makes for a pleasant day and trip. Our power is located in
track 11 in F Yard, MF11 in the computer, along with the head end of our train.
Today we have two LMS (Locomotive Management Services) C40-8W's for power, CN
is long term leasing these units and they have been assigned to the former IC
and issued new numbers. They also have large crooked noodles painted on their
car bodies as well. Today we have the IC 2463 and 2456. We call these units the
"blue brutes" owing to their paint schemes. They still carry their Conrail/LMS
blue paint. Conrail and General Electric, the manufacturer of these units
teamed up to formed Locomotive Management Services and operated these units as
part of a lease fleet. Conrail operated them for six months per year and CN
operated them for six months per year. This created the best of both worlds for
both roads as they only operated them during their peak seasons and then only
leased them instead of own them, saving money. They were painted in Conrail
blue but carried the initials LMS and later LMSX instead of Conrail markings
and carried numbers in the 700 series. CN took a long term lease on them,
blanked out the LMSX initials, applied their famous "crooked noodle" logo to
these units and renumbered them into the 2400 series following their own
C40-8CW series. They look like this
http://www.trainweb.org/zeniphotos/LMSX709.jpg only now wearing new numbers,
the IC initials and the crooked noodle. On some of them the paint applied over
the LMSX initials on the front and rear noses has worn off exposing them again
too.
We walked from the yard office in A Yard over to F Yard to our power. I
inspected the power while Jorgie knocked the handbrakes off the cars we were
couple to in 11F. After completing these chores we were ready to go only we
couldn't as train 398 was doubling up his outbound train in front of us. So we
patiently waited. The beautiful bride complains about my lack of patience at
home and I always explain that it is all removed from me while at work. This is
proof. While waiting our turn, Jorgie notices our paperwork is incomplete and
notifies the Markham General Yardmaster. He is informed that fresh new
paperwork will arrive with his ride to the head end of the train after he
completes doubling it up.
We finally get our chance and begin doubling up our train at 645p pulling out,
using thoroughfare four track for headroom and coupling to track 12F. A car
inspector attaches to our crew as a utility employee when our train is in one
piece to hang the end of train device and perform the air test. A dump test is
performed to insure we have two way communications with our end of train
device. The dump test is completed and then we perform our road test including
a leakage check; only 2 psi - well within Federal limits. We receive a highball
on the air at 707p and the Markham General Yardmaster gives permission for us
to head up thoroughfare 4 from Hazel Crest to Harvey. I meet Jorgie at Harvey
at 721p along with the correct paperwork and we are ready to depart. We are
given permission from Markham to work our way through the switches at 157th
Street and get in position to enter main track 2. We need permission for the
Desk 1 Dispatcher as he controls the main tracks. I attempt to contact the
Dispatcher for that permission. I should correct this, they don't call them
Dispatchers here anymore, they are now RTC's; Rail Traffic Controllers.
Somebody got paid lots of money to come up with this one and it wasn't me. Rail
Traffic Controller is what they call Dispatchers in Canada, a name they devised
in the early 1990's so that is what we now call them here; they say it is a
continuity thing. A Dispatcher by any other name is still a Dispatcher.
Finally after an eighteen minute wait, Desk 1 answers and gives us permission
to enter track 2 and proceed north. Jorgie has to operate the electric locks on
these switches first before he can line them. In a nutshell, the electric lock
is a timing device linked to the signal system that must be operated first. The
locking devices with them must unlock before the Conductor or Brakeman can line
the switch for our move. This is in addition to the regular locks on the
switches. The electric locks feature a timing device that must run down before
the route can be lined for our movement. This is a safety feature so that you
don't accidentally line a switch in front of an oncoming train. The electric
locks will not unlock if there is a train approaching on that track. Well,
they're not supposed to unlock anyway. After the time runs down and they
unlock, Jorgie lines the route and gives me the signal to come ahead. We depart
at 749p with 9 loads, 94 empties, 4735 tons and 6118 feet of train including
the engines.
I have to proceed at restricted speed as we have entered the main track in
between signals. Even though I can see the next signal at 1798 is displaying an
advance approach (flashing yellow), I still must operate at restricted speed.
To refresh your memories, restricted speed is a speed that will permit stopping
within half the range of vision short of all that stuff; train engine railroad
obstruction, switch not properly lined, derail on the track, roadway workers,
looking out for broken rail and not exceeding 20 MPH. I must maintain this
speed until the leading wheels of the movement pass the next signal displaying
a more favorable indication than restricting (lunar or flashing red) or
restricted proceed (red with a number plate on the signal). And of course, I
must be mindful of the fact that I cannot exceed 10 MPH while pulling the
entire train through the crossover switches between tracks 4 and 2 at 157th
Street.
We pass signal 21798 (2 meaning the signal is on track 2 and 1798 indicates the
signal is located at milepost 17.98) and its advance approach and I begin to
accelerate from restricted speed. Normal speed here for freight trains is 50
mph. This particular signal tells me I may proceed at normal speed being
prepared to stop at the second signal. There will be another signal coming up
around milepost 15.5 and then the signal for Kensington after that. This
flashing signal tells me that I am mot likely not lined up to proceed at
Kensington and must be ready to stop before passing that signal. The location
of signal 21798 is also known as Highlawn, there is a street called Highlawn
Avenue located west of the railroad hence the name. There are switches that
connect between main track 2, thoroughfares 3, 4 and 7 and also a connection to
the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad. We also pass over the IHB just north of here.
I look down at the IHB (and on them too) and observe all sorts of activity.
This location is a little east of their Blue Island Yard, so there is
frequently something moving here on their line. We pass over CSX on the
infamous Riverdale bridges, the ones that burned down a few years ago
(http://www.railroad.net/articles/columns/hottimes/hottimes_20030703.php).
There was a coal train rolling east on CSX below us as we passed, Just north of
here is the "big river bridge" that spans the Little Calumet River, which is
actually a big, navigable river that sees lots of barge traffic. I contact
Kensington Tower on the radio here to advise him of our approach to him. At
this point I have the train speed up to 38 MPH. He responds and moments later,
the signal at 15.5 (the location of this signal is called Wildwood) which is
now coming into view. I see it is approach (yellow over red) and then it
changes to clear (green over red) indicating that Kensington has lined me up to
proceed across his place.
I put the engines into the dynamic braking mode to begin slowing my train to
comply with the 25 MPH restriction across the plant at Kensington. We roll
through Wildwood, the location of crossover switches between both main tracks
and thoroughfare tracks 3 and 4 and my speed is dropping rapidly. It's great to
have a lot of empties as they slow down quickly. We roll underneath the former
C&WI/MoPac (now UP) overhead (my original railroad stomping grounds) where a
train is passing overhead and the signal for Kensington comes into view. If
there is no train above, you can usually see the Kensington signals further
back, but not tonight. Being that we had a clear signal at Wildwood, I
shouldn't have to worry about the possibility of a stop signal at Kensington.
If we had an approach at Wildwood, I would have had the train speed way down as
I could not see the signal and would have to be prepared to stop the train
should Kensington be displaying a stop signal. Not to worry tonight though.
We roll through Kensington at 25 MPH. There are crossover switches between all
the tracks at Kensington including a connection to the parallel Metra Electric
District. The South Shore also crosses and connects here as well. Also at
Kensington is the Metra passenger station. The Blue Island Loop train is
sitting at the station awaiting the arrival of the main line trains operating
between Chicago and University Park. I worked that Blue Island Loop train main
times in my days at Metra. During the evening hours this train loops back and
froth between Kensington and Blue Island (and all stations in between) on the
Blue Island Branch.
Once the tail end of my train has cleared the limits of the Kensington
interlocking, I can resume normal speed and do just that. Again, with all those
empties and lots of power and I can accelerate quickly once I have the slack
out of the train and reach track speed rather quickly.
"And away we go."
We operate on clear signals (green) most of the way and roll along at 50 MPH.
All is good. We meet Amtrak 59 coming south on track one at 826p near 54th
Street. After he passes I inform him that he is green on the side (brake
indicator lights showing that the brakes on the cars are released and a pair of
"red eyes" in the back meaning his two red markers at the rear of his train are
illuminated. When he passes our tail end he informs me that we looked good and
our marker was working. Upon approaching the curve at milepost 4, I engage the
dynamic brake and reduce the speed from 50 to 40, the speed around the curve
there. For the tunnel at McCormick Place which starts about milepost 2.7, I
reduce my speed to 10 MPH. Again with all those empties in our train, the
dynamic brake easily and quickly drops our speed from 40 down to 10 MPH. With
certain types of commodities in this train we have to operate through the
tunnel at 10 instead of the normal 25 MPH. As we roll through the tunnel, we
also climb up and over the Metra Electric District, come out the north end and
encounter block signal 2226 (track 2, milepost 2.26) which displays an approach
(yellow over red) indication. This signal informs me that I will most likely
have a stop signal at 16th Street. From 2226 all the way through the
interlocking at 21st Street, track speed is 10 MPH.
The track takes a dip near the signal and then rises and curves hard to the
left. We are in the high rent district here; lots of overpriced condos and town
homes line the railroad. Even "Hizzoner Junior," Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley
lives around here. I'll just bet he loves to hear us rolling through; nothing
like flanges squealing against the rail head on the curves and then
reverberating off all those building along the tracks, and of course the rumble
and vibration from the motive power and flat spots on some of the wheels
thumping against the rails. Did you know that at certain engine speeds (rpm's)
there is a deep, powerful rumble created that will rattle windows and china in
cabinets and can even make some lighter items "walk" across tables? I do. I
also know many of the other neighbors love us. Some occasionally tell us we're
number 1. That is what that finger gesture means, right? There is one guy that
will pop out onto his terrace and give us the whistle sign, you know, like the
one you gave to truckers on the highways when you were kids riding around with
the folks on a car trip? Whenever he does, I always comply. The reverberation
effect is great amongst all these buildings. I'm surprised his neighbors
haven't hired an assassin to get rid of him.
Now with a longer train like this I use what is referred to as "throttle
modulation" to slow and stop my train at 16th Street. This involves adjusting
the throttle and using the terrain to slow and stop my train. I have part of
the train climbing the grade through the tunnel, the short little dip, the rise
and then the curve, actually, three curves total between the block signal and
16th Street to assist me in slowing and stopping the train. I routinely use
this to my advantage and stop trains in this manner at 16th Street. As it comes
into view, partially obstructed by a building, there is indeed a stop signal at
16th Street. I contact the operator there who informs me that he has a people
train to move first on Metra and then he'll see what it looks like.
A couple of years ago they changed the name of this place to 16th Street from
Clark Street. It had been Clark Street for what seems to be ever but all of a
sudden the name needed to be changed. For whatever reason they changed it to
16th Street as that is what it was called on Metra. More of that continuity
thing I guess. 16th is also the first of what is known as the "Twin Towers."
21st Street is about half a mile west (timetable north) of here. And the weird
part is that 21st Street Tower is not really at 21st Street. Go figure this one
out. The operator at 16th Street, after getting the okay from our Desk 1
Dispatcher has to communicate with the Amtrak Lumber Street Operator who now
controls the crossing at 21st Street. If he can handle us and our dispatcher
tells him he too, can handle us, they will move our train through. There is
less than half a mile between the signals governing 16th and 21st Streets, so
they will not run a train through until both places can handle us so as not to
block one of the crossings.
Our wait at 16th Street was short, from 839 to 850p awaiting a westbound Metra
to pass. He rolled through with engine 406 in the lead and six cars. When we
began rolling again, we met train 336 coming east and about to change
directions at 16th Street to go south. The directions also change at 16th
Street. Chicago Sub number two track becomes Freeport Sub number one and
changes from a north-south configuration to one of east-west. Likewise with
Chicago Sub track one and Freeport Sub track two. Until recently, Freeport
track one was called track three and two was called track four. Why? Because
they can. The trackage through here has been so many different names over the
years that one needs a scorecard to keep track. After the ICG sold off the Iowa
Division west of the Belt Crossing near Hawthorne Yard in late 1985, the
Freeport Sub became the Bridgeport Sub between 21st Street and Belt Tower. In
the latter 90's, the Chicago Sub was extended up to Bridgeport. A year or so
later they moved it back to Cermak. Then it was moved back to Clark Street and
the Bridgeport Sub was renamed the Freeport Sub. Then about a year and a half
or so ago, Freeport Sub tracks one and two were renamed three and four between
16th Street and Broadview. And of course recently, three and four were renamed
one and two between 16th Street and Bridgeport. Confused? You need a bucket of
White Out to keep up with the changes.
We roll through 16th Street, around the curve, down the hill, around another
curve and to the signal at 21st Street. There is quite the inferior signal
arrangement here. It is a low mount or dwarf type signal mounted on a short
post. You cannot see the signal until you are about four or five hundred feet
away from it. There is a signal governing the approach to it after you depart
16th Street, signal W2.5, but it only displays approach or restricted proceed
(red with a number plate on the signal). Even if you have the signal at 21st,
you will only get an approach at W2.5, so you must have your train under
control in case there is a stop signal at 21st, and sometimes there is.
The city of Chicago acquired the former Chicago & Western Indiana right of way
that was nestled in between the IC and the south branch of the Chicago River
several years ago and built a park on the land. There is a name for it of which
I don't know but we all call it "Chinatown" Park as that Chicago community is
directly south of the tracks here. Hizzoner Jr then began whining about all the
trains that pass through here daily and how they "trap people in the park
whenever they pass through. We rarely stop on the crossing here, generally just
pass through at low speeds. I guess that what you get when you build a park
across from a railroad and have only one way in or out and make it at ground
level instead of building a pedestrian bridge.
We have an approach at 21st, cross the Amtrak line and start back up hill and
around a curve towards Cermak. Cermak Road passes under the railroad near here
hence the name. It is also the location of a set of crossovers between the
Freeport Sub tracks and also the connection to the short section of the Joliet
Sub that ties into the Amtrak line at 21st Street. At one time the Joliet Sub
paralleled the Freeport Sub between 21st and Bridgeport. In 1996 this was
changed as the Cermak plant was built and the old GM&O northbound main was
removed between the two points and the old southbound was downgraded into a
running track (now called the Bridgeport Storage Track). With all of this came
very small signals sitting on the ground and difficult, if not impossible to
see at times.
Coming east the signals are difficult to see even at night. In the daylight
they can be impossible to ascertain. I have had to stop the train, the
Conductor has had to get out and shield the signal from the sun and look
directly into it to make out the aspect it is displaying. Years of complaining
have been fruitless, so now we are "governed accordingly" to make certain we
don't accidentally pass a stop signal without permission.
We have an approach diverging (yellow over yellow) on the signal at Cermak
indicating that we will be crossing over at Bridgeport. We refer to the two
yellow lights on this signal as "double yolkers." Heading towards Bridgeport
the CTA Orange line is directly to the south of us and Bridgeport Yard to the
north. Bridgeport Yard is used for storage and industry support. Normally jobs
out of Glenn and Hawthorne Yards use this yard for interchanging cars and to
store cars for industries around this area. In my days at Metra we used to joke
that CTA stood for "Can't Transport Anything." At Bridgeport we have a
diverging clear (red over red over green) indicating we are actually turning
out from Freeport number one to Freeport number three. If it was clear, green
over red over red, it would indicated we were going "straight" and onto the
Joliet Sub track one. Red over green over red, diverging clear, would indicate
we are crossing over to Joliet Sub track two. Red over red over yellow means we
are either crossing over to track three or four and the next signal (Ash
Street) will likely be a stop (red) indication. Confused?
At Bridgeport the south end of Bridgeport storage track connects as does the
Bridgeport Yard lead. The Joliet Sub reappears and breaks off heading roughly
southwest towards Brighton Park, Glenn Yard and eventually Joliet. We roll
around the bend here just west of the bridge and the Santa Fe Storage Track
breaks off to the south. This is the old Santa Fe westbound track that is now
disconnected from its namesake railroad. The IC obtained this track in the 90's
when Amtrak rerouted off the Santa Fe for BN rails between Chicago and
Galesburg, IL. This trackage became surplus and the IC grabbed it between
Bridgeport and Ash Street and made it a storage track. The old eastbound track
was removed between these two points.
On the north side is the former IMX facility. IMX was the Intermodal Exchange,
IC's intermodal yard in Chicago. In the mid 90's the IC leased this facility to
the Southern Pacific. The IC had built and opened the Moyers Intermodal
Terminal (MIT) at Markham making IMX redundant. SP operated trains in and out
of this facility using the Belt Railway of Chicago and later Chicago Rail Link
under contract to switch the facility. UP took over SP and after several years
of rumors, closed IMX. During this time period CN sold UP the facility. UP has
now sold it to developers and the intent is to build housing and shopping here.
Another ideal location to live; railroads and highways right next to you with
all that noise, but there is a river on the north side so I guess that will
justify overly priced housing.
"If you build it they will come;" no matter how bad the location.
Rolling around the bend at the west end of IMX we encounter Ash Street. This is
the crossing of Norfolk Southern's former Conrail/Penn Central/New York Central
subsiduary Chicago River & Indiana/Chicago Junction line and the parallel CSX
former B&OCT. At one time the former Pennsylvania Railroad Panhandle line
crossed here as well but the line was severed just north of here and the
diamonds removed a few years ago. As it would happen, Wisconsin Central leased
the remaining portion of the line north from Conrail and formed a paper company
called the Wisconsin Central Chicago Link. You have probably spotted the WCCL
initials on some of their boxcars; that is what it stands for. As Ash Street
comes into view at about 913p a stop signal is displayed and there is cross
traffic. Before I even have to attempt to stop the cross traffic clears up the
plant, the signal changes to a clear signal and we proceed without stopping.
Just west of Ash Street on the north side of the railroad is Ameropan, a
distributor of petroleum products and also a CN customer. This place used to
have llamas on the property, several of them. They used to roam freely around
the place and were used to keep rats and other rodents out. The llamas were
there for years and seemed to have no issues with rail crews and truckers
operating in and out of the facility. Word is that the City of Chicago took
exception after all these years and ordered them out. They allow strip joints
and adult book stores which are a form of wildlife but no llamas; can't have
genuine wildlife residing in the city except at Lincoln Park Zoo; might give
the place a bad name.
A curve to the left, another to the right, traversing the Chicago River on a
large drawbridge that hasn't opened in years, one more curve and then it is the
IN. IN stands for Illinois Northern. The IN was a Santa Fe subsidiary,
primarily an industrial line that served industries including the infamous Cook
Count Jail which is nearby. The legendary B.B. King once performed there and a
live recorded album was released of this performance way back in 1971. And over
the years many of the "guests" of the Cook County Board President have easily
"walked away" from the place too. In the daytime you can see the jail from Ash
Street. Cook County Jail; thousands of guests at the expense of county
taxpayers, all wrongly convicted of course.
"My lawyer f#@*ed me."
Today the IN is operated by a short line, Illinois RailNet, I believe. Since
BNSF sold this line off a few years ago I have not observed any traffic move
across the plant here, but at some point there is something rolling across. The
crossing is an automatic interlocking actuated by the approaching trains. With
train lengths of over 2700 feet you have to hold up at the IN instead of right
at the Belt crossing as only about 2700 feet of train will fit in between the
signal and the road crossing at Crawford (Pulaksi) Avenue.
We get held at the IN from 921 until 958p for some congestion at Hawthorne. We
finally get called down and head to Hawthorne arriving about 1000p. Just east
of Hawthorne is the Belt Railway of Chicago crossing. In my CCP days there was
a tower here. The Operator was an IC employee. He controlled the crossing and
the crossover switches between the main tracks here, the east yard lead switch,
the switch for the east wye that connected to the BRC and the "dump" switch.
There is a lead that used to reach into the Western Electric Hawthorne Works
plant here and also a landfill, in those days called a dump. The lead is still
there, for several years during the independent CCP days there was an
intermodal yard located on the former Western Electric plant grounds and a
connection to the Manufacturer's Junction Railroad. The connection is still
there as well as a new one with the BNSF but the intermodal facility is long
gone. The IC, looking to cut costs, closed the tower in the late 80's, removed
most of the power controlled switches and relinquished control of the place to
the BRC Dispatcher. So now when we use the trackage through here we are at the
mercy of the Belt North Dispatcher and we routinely get hammered for cross
traffic. And when do get to move we generally have to stop and line several or
all the switches by hand. They call this progress.
During the latter days of the CCP a new bridge was constructed over Cicero
Avenue that shortened the east yard lead. Since the CN/IC merger, a new wye has
been built in the southwest quadrant and another set of crossovers were added
between the mains. But none of the switches have been powered up, so all trains
pretty much have to stop and operate the switches here by hand because
inevitably, at least one of them will always be lined against your move. In
coming across the Belt, we also change radio channels from one (72-72) to seven
(43-43).
Train 411 is making a move and then he departs for Broadview where he will
leave CN rails through a long connection for the Indiana Harbor Belt. After
making our set out and pick up I perform the air test. We have two psi of
leakage, again well within the rules. While performing the air test Jorgie
copied a track warrant. Track warrant number 4424; check box two; proceed from
MP 16 to East Junction on main track. Okay at 2348 hours, Dispatcher DRP.
We depart at 1152p with 47 loads, 90 empties, 9244 tons and 8245 feet of train.
We are instructed to use main track four between the west end of Hawthorne and
the end of double track at Broadview. We are operating against the current of
traffic as track four is signaled for eastward moves and we of course, are
moving westward. No signals and we are operating within yard limits which
require that operating at restricted speed in such cases. If we were operating
on track three instead and had signals more favorable than approach the normal
speed would be 25 MPH to Broadview. In departing we met 338 at Berwyn, just
west of the yard. The spring switch at the end of the double track at Broadview
was lined against us and we had to stop at the stop signal protecting it.
Jorgie lined the switch for our move and the signal changed from stop to
approach. This delay was from 1215 to 1220.
On the move again we pass the switch and enter the single main track. About
that point the next block signal; 15.1 drops from clear to restricted proceed
(red with a number plate). This requires us to operate at restricted speed
until the leading wheels pass the next signal with a more favorable indication.
Yard limits end at milepost 16, but with the restricted speed indication I must
continue to operate at restricted speed to the first signal I encounter with a
more favorable indication. Being that this signal dropped for what seems to be
no reason, we must be mindful of the things that go bump in the night. There
are any of a number of things which will cause this signal too drop; cars
rolled out somewhere, somebody managed to cut off a lock and tamper with a
switch, a rail may have broken or this could be a test. It was my first trip
solo after getting requalified on this line and a test is certainly not out of
the picture. So it is restricted speed all the way being on the lookout for all
that stuff and watching for a possible red flag or fusee of a restricted speed
test.
While proceeding at restricted speed we enter into the "No Whistle Zone" that
begins at milepost 19.3 and ends at milepost 31.3. This is a very touchy
subject for me; I am dead set against such zones unless there all of the
hardware is in place to truly prevent motorists from getting around lowered
gates. There are some crossings within this zone that don't really prevent
motorists from getting around the gates at all, but we can't whistle them just
the same. Politics. Operating at the reduced speed, we approach the road
crossings at a slower rate of speed. At several crossings in the quiet zone
motorists not opting to wait, drove around the gates in front of us. When this
occurs, a dangerous situation is now present. The motorist is obviously unaware
of my approach and decides to risk their life and possibly those of passengers
in the car with them. This situation allows me to sound the whistle. And I
whistle freely when a dangerous situation like this occurs.
At South Addison, about milepost 20.3, a clear signal is encountered. This
particular signal is an absolute signal (no number plate) so if it was
displaying a stop signal, a stop would be required before passing it and
permission from the Dispatcher would be necessary to proceed past it. A little
luck was with us tonight as it was clear instead of stop. Once the lead wheels
on my lead locomotive pass that signal, I can now resume normal speed. Normal
speed is 40 MPH between Broadview and milepost 24.
A light rain had begun to fall around Elmhurst. With a pair of GE's for power,
they began to slip and slide on the wet rail as I started to accelerate the
train. This will make for an interesting trip.
"We bring good things to light."
There is a temporary speed restriction of 25 MPH over the road crossing at
milepost 23.4, so I cannot go for maximum speed right away. When the tail end
of the train clears this restriction I begin to accelerate the train. In
between the wheels slipping I do gain speed. Once the entire train is past
milepost 24 I can then make the attempt to reach the track speed of 50 MPH.
"Slip sliding away."
The rain intensified a bit and then let up, quitting completely by the time we
passed through Carol Stream, IL. Then we hit the fog. Not that heavy thick
stuff, just a light, wispy sort. It was enough to make the rail wet and wreak
havoc on the power causing some wheel slip. As the train speed slowly increased
the wheel slip began to subside a bit.
We roll through Munger, the site of a passing siding and also the connection
with the EJ&E. Trains 348 and 349 operate via "the J" between Leighton and
Munger and use the Freeport Sub between Munger and Hawthorne.
The Munger detector is west of here, located at milepost 38.1. It gives the "No
defects" message along with an axle count of 564 and a temperature of 50°. One
detector down, one to go.
The route begins an ascending grade west of Munger and with the light fog and
wet rail, this should be fun and it is. By the time we reach Plato Center,
around milepost 47, we are down to 16 mph. Healthy grade, wet rail, GE power,
it doesn't get any better than this. There was a siding at Plato Center during
my days with the CCP, but it was removed sometime after 1988.
The track levels out a bit and by the time we reach the passing siding at
Burlington the train is back up to track speed of 50 MPH.
There is a big sweeping right hand curve between milepost 58 and 59 that allows
for a good look back at the train. Nothing appears to be sparking or burning,
which is always a good thing. We are back on ascending grade now as we approach
the hamlet of Genoa, IL. A lumber yard is located there, with the switch for it
near milepost 61, that gets regular rail service but they have no request for a
switch this evening and we simply roll through town tonight.
Onward we pass the passing siding at Colvin Park and head on west towards the
defective equipment detector at Irene about milepost 71.5. Once upon a time,
there was a siding at Irene but was removed during the ICG years.
"IC Railroad, equipment defect detector, mile 7-1 point 5, no defects, length
of train, 8-1-8-9, speed 4-8, axle count, 5-6-4, temperature 4-3, think safety,
detector out."
We drop on down towards Perryville, once the sight of an elevator that received
rail service. In my CCP days, I caught an extra local job out of Freeport one
day and we spotted this place, but that won't occur today or likely again in
the future. I don't know if the place is even in business anymore, but if it
is, they don't load grain into covered hoppers anymore. We start up ascending
grade again towards Rockford. As we near Rockford we drop down into the Rock
River Valley. This is a fairly significant descending grade. By now we have run
away from the fog and have dry rail which makes life and railroading much easier.
I begin to bunch of the slack of the train with the dynamic brakes to reduce
our speed to the required 25 MPH through the city limits of Rockford. There are
no less than fifteen road crossings here and the residents of this community
don't seem to believe that it is necessary to stop for the lowered gates. So it
seems that at almost every crossing you'll have some yahoo playing Russian
roulette using their motor vehicle instead of a revolver. And this evening was
no exception. I'd like to have a crisp new $20 for every idiot that drives
around the gates in front of my approaching train; I could quickly become a
millionaire.
Buckbee Siding is located at the east end of town with the east switch near
milepost 83.6. This siding is dotted with road crossings so meets here would
tend to be a bit of a pain. The Iowa, Chicago and Eastern, Illinois Railnet
crossing is located in Rockford near the bridge where we cross the Rock River.
This crossing was once the Milwaukee Road (later Soo Line, CP then later, I&M
Rail Link) and BN. The Rock River is traversed via a long bridge on a curve.
There are no walkways on this bridge, plenty of warning and no trespassing
signs posted yet the neighbors all seem to know better and use it as their
personal pedestrian walkway. Over the years there have been many mishaps
through here. Fortunately there were none this week.
The grade becomes ascending once again after crossing the river as we begin
climbing back out of the river valley. At the west end of Rockford by the small
yard there was once Case Siding. This siding was removed sometime after 1988.
Like Plato Center, it too was a rather short siding only 3727 feet. Plato
Center was 3058 feet. We pass the old Rockford passenger depot and also the
former sight of the Rockford Operator. At one time trains received train orders
here. Talk is that Amtrak would like to initiate passenger service between
Chicago and Freeport and possibly Dubuque again. As recently as the early
1980's Amtrak ran the Blackhawk passenger trains on this line between Chicago
and Dubuque but the ICG did everything they could to discourage them including
putting heavy coal and grain trains out in front of the passenger trains to
slow them down and run off patronage. It worked and these trains were
discontinued well before they sold the line off to the CCP.
We reach higher ground west of Rockford and level out accelerating to track
speed. Alworth is passed at milepost 94.5. There isn't much here, a track for
spotting tank cars for unloading agricultural chemicals and another for
unloading fertilizer and seed. There is a sign to remind us to change radio
channels from seven back to one at this point and we do so.
The passing siding of Seward is the next point of interest. This is the longest
siding on the subdivision, 7175 feet long. It is also home to a large elevator.
This elevator employs a former C&NW GP7, the 4120 as the power for shunting and
loading grain hoppers around their facility.
We roll on into the city of Freeport, population 26,500. This town hasn't grown
much since I was there last in 1987; its population then was around 26,000.
Freeport is the sight of the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates, and little else.
There is a large tire plant there, formerly Kelly-Springfield and now called
Titan Tire that is a customer of CN. We deliver carloads of carbon blacks and
rubber pellets to the plant. Don't know if we still do, but we used to get
boxcar loads of tires out of the plant as well.
We come into town and pass the former sight of East Junction, milepost 113.5.
The Amboy District used to break off around here and head south. The Amboy
District, known affectionately as the "Gruber Line" was the original IC line to
southern Illinois back in the 1850's when it was thought Freeport would become
what Chicago is today, the largest city with the most commerce in Illinois. The
Amboy District was mostly abandoned in 1985 although a few small segments of it
survive in central Illinois, but not around Freeport. When the group led by
Jack Haley acquired the Iowa Division from the ICG in December 1985 to form the
CCP, they wanted to purchase the Amboy District as well. The ICG recognized the
fact that such a purchase would give the CPP some alternatives to the ICG in
Chicago; they refused to sell the line opting for abandonment instead. Today,
this location is simply a block signal with the number 113.5 and now the
approach to the current East Junction. The old Freeport passenger station is
located at milepost 114.4. Today it is owned by a non-rail entity and used for
other purposes than rail although the passenger platform and its roof still
remain intact.
Freeport was once the sight of a respectable sized rail yard as well known as
Wallace Yard. The IC had a pretty strong presence here at one time as recently
as the early 1980's. There was also a line to Wisconsin that connected here,
although I cannot recall exactly where it came it now. The ICG sold that line
off in the early 80's to an outfit called the Chicago, Madison & Northern who
failed. Later it was the Central Wisconsin and still later Wisconsin & Calumet
(WICT) called the "Wicket." The Wicket used to have a fair amount of
interchange traffic here at one time well into CCP days. This line was pretty
much dried up after the WICT gained direct access into Chicago via the Metra
Milwaukee North line and the Belt Railway of Chicago. In CCP days Wallace Yard
saw its fortunes ebb, flow and ebb again. Initially the yard was downgraded
with just a couple of locals working out of here and one road job, the
Freeport-Hawthorne turn, trains 25 and 24 which later became 50 and 51. All the
through trains eliminated the crew change at Freeport operating with one crew
(sic) between Waterloo and Hawthorne. Most of the jobs at Freeport were
eliminated and the employees there had to relocate to the likes of Waterloo,
Hawthorne, Dubuque or other terminals on the CCP. The Amboy District was gone
and the jobs that once operated in and out of Freeport in conjunction with that
line were also gone.
For a time, the CCP moved most of the switching performed at Hawthorne back to
Freeport then later, back again to Hawthorne forcing the Hawthorne employees to
have to relocate several times as well. Go figure; let's make the employees
lives miserable and then wonder why morale sucks.
Today, Wallace Yard has been renamed to Freeport Yard. The old office building
and headquarters is gone, the crew dormitory for crews coming into Freeport
from out west and from the Amboy District is gone and most of the yard itself
is gone. There is only an eight track yard and one job based there, the
Monday-Saturday Freeport Local. There is a new office; a one level building far
smaller than what was once there. And even East Junction has moved. Now it is
located at milepost 115.1. There is the siding between East and West Junction
and the eight track yard off to the north of it. The yard office is across the
street from the yard on the south side.
We pass a clear signal at East Jct at 331a marking our arrival at Freeport and
heading down the main. The outbound crew won't be on duty for another two
hours. Our set out of 13 cars is made into track three and we couple onto and
pull down the pick up of 26 cars to the west end of the yard. Owing to the
length of our train, we cannot make the pick up for the outbound crew and leave
it secured there with the engines. The cab arrives and takes us first to the
office to tie up at 450a and then to the hotel to book our rest.
The hotel in which we stay is quite nice and probably one of the better ones
I've stayed in over the course of my career. It seems to be way too nice for a
town like Freeport. Several locals I've met in Freeport tend to agree with me.
Having not seen the line in nearly twenty years there have been changes. The
track is in much better shape for the most part. Much of it had 10 and 25 MPH
restrictions back then owing to the poor track conditions from years of neglect
by the ICG. Two sidings removed, some business run off, some routed away, most
of the grain trains routed away, radio talker detectors, Freeport Yard a shell
of what it once was and track warrant control replacing the train order system.
Many of the signals have been replaced and some of them relocated as well.
Track speed on much of the line has increased from 40 to 50. Also, Tabular
General Bulletin Orders (TGBO) have replaced the old General Order system. I
can recall getting a general order back in 86 or 87 and having no less than
forty-three speed restrictions on the entire line between Waterloo and Chicago.
This trip I had only one speed restriction on the TGBO. Time marches on and
change is constant.
Another trip completed to my liking; nothing got wrecked, nobody got hurt and
best of all, nobody got fired.
At this time the beautiful bride, the wonderful baby and I would like to extend
the greetings of the Holiday season to you and yours; Merry Christmas, Happy
Channukah and a safe, prosperous and happy new year to all of you all. This
year I get to live like the "civilians;" I have both Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day off. I'll get to enjoy baby's first Christmas. We're visiting my
parents for Christmas Eve and the father and mother of the beautiful bride on
Christmas Day and of course, Midnight mass as well.
And so it goes.
Tuch
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Hot Times on the High Iron and the HTOTHI initials are ©2006 by JD Santucci.