Seattle Construction Update

[KristopherJ]

Saturday was a typical dark and wet day in Seattle. I wanted to checkout the progress on the construction of the new main lines. This thread is sorta related to Macster's "ARGO" thread.

The first photos is looking north at Holgate Street. The Amtrak 565 was dead, the BNSF 2097 was doing all of the switching chores at the coach yard.

The second photo shows two of the switches under construction. I’m guessing they are #24s. Does anyone know what the name of this control point will be? Will it be HOLGATE? Or will it be STADIUM?

Photo three. Turning around 180-degrees, the new mains and the new Mud Tracks are progressing along.

[howeld]

So what are they building a whole new railline or relocating another line?

[KristopherJ]

Photo 4: this view is looking north again, from the south end of where the new mains begin at Lander Street.

Photo 5: take from the other side of Lander Street, a new switch has been installed on the Mud Track. This view brings up a question: how will the new mains tie into the old mains? Or how will the old Main 1 and Main 2 tie into the new mains? Will all 3 mains come off of old Main 2? What will be the name of this control point?

Photo 6: Amtrak 565 dead at the coach yard. What happened to #11 today? It was very late out of Seattle.

-Kristopher Johnson

[GVNY]

Yes, what exactly are they constructing?

[No-Defects]

Originally Posted by GVNY

Yes, what exactly are they constructing?

Well it dose look like a railroad doesn’t it?

[markgillings]

Originally Posted by howeld

So what are they building a whole new railline or relocating another line?

It's a relocation about .8 miles long.

[markgillings]

Originally Posted by KristopherJ

The second photo shows two of the switches under construction. I’m guessing they are #24s. Does anyone know what the name of this control point will be? Will it be HOLGATE? Or will it be STADIUM?

Photo three. Turning around 180-degrees, the new mains and the new Mud Tracks are progressing along.

Photo 5: take from the other side of Lander Street, a new switch has been installed on the Mud Track. This view brings up a question: how will the new mains tie into the old mains? Or how will the old Main 1 and Main 2 tie into the new mains? Will all 3 mains come off of old Main 2? What will be the name of this control point?

These turnouts are actually #20s, just like at Spokane Street. It will be called Stadium.

In your third shot, the Lander Main is yet to be laid on the right side, then there's Main 1, Main 2, Mud Track yet to be laid and then a storage track.

When it comes time to cut over the tracks, I'm sure it will be done one at a time. The new Mud Track will get cutover first. The rails will be cut, loaders will hook up to it and literally pull or push it over to meet the new track. Same thing for Main 2 and then Main 1. I imagine we'll have a crew on each end working at the same time.

[Silver Banquet]

Originally Posted by GVNY

Yes, what exactly are they constructing?

As previously posted, they're relocating the mainline so that it no longer separates the coach yard from King St. Station. Right now to get between the station and the coach yard trains have to cross over the mainline. This relocation will move the mainline so that it is east of both the station and the yard.

[Dick H]

Originally Posted by KristopherJ

... the new mains and the new Mud Tracks are progressing along.

And what exactly is a "Mud Track"? YES, I checked the Glossary.

[KristopherJ]

Originally Posted by Dick H

And what exactly is a "Mud Track"? YES, I checked the Glossary.

I have no idea how it got that name. I've always wondered myself.

-Kristopher Johnson