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More info go to http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/rail/kelsonewsiding/ and you can access the Environmental Impact statement which has figures 1, 2 and 3 which show the project in a bit more detail about location. The beginning of the south portion of triple track is at MP 105.90 which is just north of the Temco grain access tracks and south of the Kalama River bridge. This is for Task 5 adding 4.1 miles of third main. Task 6 is up in Kelso down through Longview Jct. and adds 3.7 miles of third main.
I drove by the Vancouver station this afternoon. The track under the red arrows was all removed and stacked. Under the green arrow, the roadbed appears near complete for the bypass track, from there to the Mill Plain bridge, along with a new chain link fence to the east of it. I didn't look north of the Mill Plain bridge.
"Nearly $500 million of that expansion work will occur in the Northern Region, which is where BNSF is experiencing the fastest growth—as well as the most congestion."
Speed is the word now on the Seattle Subdivision as trains over 100 tons/operative brake no longer have to slow down through the newly rebuilt crossover switches and can now match speeds with trains less than 100 tons/ brake. 50 MPH is the new 35 MPH. And 35 is the new 25 MPH. That was effective on April 21, 2015. You may have noticed that while out railfanning.
Given that increase in general speed, it would be a cautionary note while railfanning to pay even closer attention now.
They're still noisily banging through the crossovers at Ellingson Rd south of Auburn, so I guess moving frogs are still indefinitely in the future. (What I'm really awaiting is the new third track through town.)
Given that increase in general speed, it would be a cautionary note while railfanning to pay even closer attention now.
They're still noisily banging through the crossovers at Ellingson Rd south of Auburn, so I guess moving frogs are still indefinitely in the future. (What I'm really awaiting is the new third track through town.)
I don't know if they have rebuilt those crossovers but they have raised the speed while crossing over at Pacific and Ellingson siding turnouts. Third track through town is next year. Pretty much every crossover from Titlow south is rebuilt or going to be.
I'm heading along the Seattle Sub on Saturday, to take pictures of ALL the new, rebuilt and under construction control points that have been worked on over the last couple years. Also, I plan to hit Vancouver to give a good overview from the ground and the bridges of progress on the whole Vancouver Rail Project especially the final bypass track. If time, I'll head over to Camas and see the new siding.
Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers out there. My trip yesterday was not a total success. I didn't make it to Vancouver after 11 hours but I was blessed with a train at almost every Control Point I visited. I was disappointed in a couple instances such as at Nisqually. There was no work going on except to put huge 500 lbm blocks of cement in front of all of the containers sitting there that the locals had been opening and putting garbage in. An item in our General Orders about new intermediate signals a couple miles down the track, made me think that they were already starting on Nisqually to get it ready for the new high speed bypass that Amtrak was to use up the hill. Sorry, Charlie, not yet. Another disappointment was that Plumb was getting new signals and switches except that the switches are not #24s but replacement #20s although with "Swing Point Frogs". So many other cps were reworked with higher speed switches such as Ostrander, Napavine South, CP 85 and Vader but Centralia South, Chehalis Jct., Wabash and now Plumb only got #20s as replacements. I can understand Centralia South since it's only a 1 1/2 miles south of a 40 MPH speed limit for freight section but the two others are at least 4 miles from that section and Plumb is in the middle of a highest speed section. A supervisor at Plumb said, "That's what WSDOT ordered so that's what they get". From an engineer's standpoint who likes to run "track speed", I don't like it, but I don't run south, currently.
I only made it to Kelso South and had to skip CP 85 since it was getting late and I couldn't find a safe way to get there. I'll research it on my maps again and stop there next go round. Hope you enjoy the pictures which will follow this reply later on.
June 20, 2015 Trip to Control Points on the Seattle Subdivison
1. This signal off of the Lakeview Sub has been in place for years. With the new switches and signals that are to be installed, I don't know if this will remain in play.
2. This signal was also installed years ago and is about a 1/2 mile north up the track from the junction. Again, I don't know its fate.
3. The V BLUPTL1 14A heading to Portland passing through the Nisqually control point.
4. This rail was laid down when they installed the signals and goes up the hill for a total of about a mile.
June 20, 2015 Trip to Control Points on the Seattle Subdivison Part II
5. I stopped at Centennial Station and caught Amtrak #500.
6. BNSF B & B are rebuilding bridge 36.3. They had two pile drivers working. The second one is off to the left.
7. The Tacoma Rail local which works to Olympia usually ties up there at East Olympia. Their only two GP 38-2s.
8. This is Plumb, MP 37.4. They are cutting over the new signals tomorrow and installing one or two switches on Wednesday and then the others on another day. I don't know what day though. These are #20s with swing point frogs good for 35 MPH all trains.
June 20, 2015 Trip to Control Points on the Seattle Subdivison Part III
9. Amtrak #11 heads south past the Plumb sign.
10. The #20 switch with the swing point frog in the center while #11 heads away.
By the way, #11 had Amtrak 192 and 191 in reverse sequence on the head end.
11. New Northbound Control Signals (NBCS) for Plumb scheduled for cut in today.
12. Rebuilt Wabash Control Point with new signals and replacement #20 switches.
June 20, 2015 Trip to Control Points on the Seattle Subdivision Part IV
13. M EVEVAW1 20A splits the new NBCS for Wabash.
14. The new cantilever SBCS for Centralia Center are much more user friendly being able to see them farther out and above any train movements. I remember working south years ago having trouble seeing them, especially when a train was going northbound, until you are almost on top of them.0
15. BNSF 2826, a recently repainted and air conditioning added GP39M, and BNSF 2296, an air conditioning added GP38-2, occupy the engine track at Centralia Yard.
16. Amtrak 513 comes into Centralia for a passenger stop under the new cantilever NBCS for Centralia Center. Talk about difficult signals to see, these were the worst when you were coming northbound due to buildings and trees since they were ground mounted with Main 1's right next to the platform. It looked so much better to me now! Almost making me feel like I want to go south again...nah!
June 20, 2015 Trip to Control Points on the Seattle Subdivision Part V
17. This merchandise train was not on my short lineup but is heading south toward the Centralia South Control Point. This control point was rebuilt with 4 new #20 swing point frog switches.
18. The signals were built higher than before and have been around for awhile since after the flood of 2007 which covered up this control point and the mainlines for about 1/2 mile. I didn't work south for several days back then.
19. The signal bungalow was raised well above the previous high water mark of 2007.
20. A south bound vehicle train splits the NBCS signals.
June 20 trip to Seattle Sub Control Points Part VI
21. Western Washington Railroad SW1200 #23 in Chehalis on the Tacoma Rail line
22. An old Southern Pacific bay window Caboose #2633
23. An SD40-3MR #AEX 100020, used to be Portland and Western #3300.
24. A very abused Northern Pacific baggage car. All of these were within a half block of each other so I thought I'd stop and take a break and get some pics. No idea why the SD is there. Both diesels were shutdown.
June 20, 2015 Trip to Control Points on the Seattle Subdivision Part VII
25. Sorry, again this train was not on my lineup. I imagine it could be the M LYDVBT. He is going by the milk plant in downtown Chehalis.
26. A northbound UP bare table roars through the NBCSs at Chehalis Jct. These #20 switches were replaces and the signals were too.
27. One of the four swing nose frogs (SWF) in the plant. I did not want to walk way up to the SBCS since this is a very large control point since it used to have a junction in the middle to South Bend, WA and it was getting late.
28. Napavine South control point looking at the SBCSs. They moved it south, hundreds of feet, so they could build it and continue using the old crossover. It has new #24 high speed switches with SWFs and new cantilevers with tri lights signals for PTC requirements. Speed through the crossovers is now maximum 50 MPH for all trains.
June 20, 2015 Trip to Control Points on the Seattle Subdivision Part VIII
29. The swing nose frog is also part of the Individual Controlled Switch (ICS) so that it operates the same time as the points section does and they both can operate independently from the other switch of the crossover. The supervisor, I talked to that day, said that option was a major factor in replacing all of the switches. There is more work for signalmen, due to an extra switch machine involved, but far less track wear and tear.
30. C RWMCEC 030 heading north to the Centralia Steam Plant through the NBCSs at Napavine South. I stopped up at the plant and saw lots of empty cars and a few loaded cars but no engines. There was quite a mountain of coal in the area east of the power plant and a large CAT was moving the coal around. Their wheel loader was in operation scooping up the coal and was quite impressive.
31. Another manifest train, I didn't have on my list, heading south through the SBCSs at Napavine South.
32. NBCS at Vader. They moved the plant south several hundred feet to allow the old crossovers to still be used during construction. BNSF had lots of space to do that on other crossovers such as MP85 and Napavine South.
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