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The new 1.6 mile long, 25 MPH, CTC, "Inspection Track" (IT) has become operational at Swift, WA. Now there is a Siding, IT and Mainline through there. The Siding speed has been dropped from 30 MPH to 25 MPH. I haven't been up there to take pictures in a long time but it seems they built the IT on the new subgrade to the east of the Siding. I know they moved signals and switches south 739 feet and north 452 feet and added cantilever signal bridges for SBCS at South Swift and NBCS at North Swift. If anyone goes by there, please add a picture of the IT and new signals to this thread. I might get up there in couple of months.
I was up there, at Swift, on the 8th riding on the Amtrak 510 train and I took a couple of pictures. I noticed that the new track built to the east of the siding became the new mainline. This is different than what I wrote earlier, although, it was suggested that this was to be three years ago with the mainline on the east side as they built new main lines in Burlington and at Custer years ago. We went through there at track speed so the pictures need some work if I'm going to publish them.
Mark Gillings or BNSFEng, or anyone else... Do you know what's planned for 2016? I wonder if the down turn in freight volume will cause the company to cut back on projects. I always thought that was a backwards way of thinking. Seems to me that, when business is down, that would be your chance to make improvements, not when the tracks are super busy.
Mark Gillings or BNSFEng, or anyone else... Do you know what's planned for 2016? I wonder if the down turn in freight volume will cause the company to cut back on projects. I always thought that was a backwards way of thinking. Seems to me that, when business is down, that would be your chance to make improvements, not when the tracks are super busy.
There are projects that must be done by 2017 that were authorized and paid for by the Federal Government such as the Point Defiance Bypass, the three Kelso Martin Bluffs projects, Vancouver Project Rail Yard Bypass and the King Street Station Track Improvements all of which will be on going or beginning this year. Sound Transit Easements 3 and 4 are on going or starting up. These are the third main projects through Tukwila MP 10 (3) to James Street MP 15.75 and Thomas MP 18.2 through Auburn to Pacific MP 23.8 (4). Also, ST will start working on the new trestle between Freight House Square and L street crossover down in Tacoma.
Double tracking from Ferndale to Custer should be continuing. BNSF built the subgrade for most of it last year. They have shelved the double tracking on the Scenic Sub between MP 16 and 18 plus MP 27 and MP 28 for the time being. I'm uncertain about any projects between Vancouver and Spokane other than a bridge to be replaced on the Fallbridge Sub east of Camas. Hope that helps.
Driving on I-5 through DuPont & past Joint Base Lewis-McCord a week ago, I could see a lot of construction machinery next to the tracks, orange mesh fencing, stacks of concrete ties, etc. Looks like work is well underway on the bypass project.
Also, in Longview, it looks like there will be a new crossover at the north end of the Longview yard between mains 1 & 2. A new southbound cantilever is in place just north of the highway overpass with lights over each track (they are still covered with cloth bags). This control point will also include a powered switch that will replace the hand throw switch for trains going in and out of the north end of the yard.
Driving on I-5 through DuPont & past Joint Base Lewis-McCord a week ago, I could see a lot of construction machinery next to the tracks, orange mesh fencing, stacks of concrete ties, etc. Looks like work is well underway on the bypass project.
Rails have been dumped from a rail train last week, concrete ties are all over the place at Tillicum. They're doing some work on the bridge over I-5 and track work between there and the Nisqually switch. New signals there were put in during 2015. No signals in place that I know of between Dupont and the Bridgeport grade crossing at Lakewood. Lots of work to be done other than track work, as a lot of grade crossing signals and arms will need to be put in place for Amtrak trains. That line has been a slow-speed, low-traffic line as long as anyone can recall, it's going to get ugly the first few times a Cascades comes tearing through there faster than the traffic on adjacent I-5!
It's good to see that scarce-used line put back in first class condition but yeah, maybe they should fence it in like the Interstate typically is. Last's year statistic for railroad deaths in Washington state was 27; people just don't seem to pay enough attention. Grade separation projects between Seattle and Tacoma have undoubtedly reduced train-vehicle collisions.
It's good to see that scarce-used line put back in first class condition but yeah, maybe they should fence it in like the Interstate typically is. Last's year statistic for railroad deaths in Washington state was 27; people just don't seem to pay enough attention. Grade separation projects between Seattle and Tacoma have undoubtedly reduced train-vehicle collisions.
AS far as I know a new fence will be put up for part of it. Presently, with the military base on the west side, it's fenced for a couple miles already at least on one side.
Lots of dirt is being moved and lots of trees have been cut down in Kalama to make room for the new third main. There is quite a retaining wall being built near the I-5 Todd Road exit. Pilings are being driven for the new third main bridge over the Coweeman River just north of the Longview yard.
Hey, Pete Sakes, next time your south, please let us know about CP Kelso (MP 97.6) and if they have put in switches there. I haven't figured out if they are building the new third main on the east side or the west side of the current mains. I think it may criss cross a bit with the old west side siding at Kelso becoming the new Main 1 but at the Longview Jct. Yard the third main will be on the east side with them filling in part of the wetlands. When you said they were pile driving new supports for the Third Main bridge over the Coweeman RIver, are they on the west side of the mains or the east side? My pictures from last summer of the new signals at Kelso South show a west side mainline location but they shouldn't take away a yard track to make it a mainline, or are they?? I hope to be down there in the next two months to take pictures.
There are no switches at CP Kelso at this time. The northbound signal is a cantilever that is standing on the main 2 side and it reaches over main 1. The main 2 signal is lit up, but the main 1 signal has a cloth bag over it. The southbound signal for main 2 is a high stand signal, and it too is lit up. There is no southbound signal in place for main 1 at this time. The old siding along main 1 between the Amtrak station and Kelso South has been torn out and a new track with concrete ties is now in its place. The north end of that new track is not connected to anything. It terminates just south of the Amtrak station about where the old hand throw switch used to be. That new track along main 1 runs south to Kelso South. That track will eventually be main 1. Switches are in place between that track and the current main 1 at Kelso South, but there is no track yet between the two switches, so this new main 1 is not yet complete through the entire control point. South of Kelso South, there are stacks of track panels laid out along the current main 1.
As for the alignment of the new main 3, from south to north, it will run along main 2 on new fill from Longview Junction South over a new bridge on the Coweeman River. North of the river, the roadbed is all built up and smoothed out and it appears to be ready for ties to be laid down. Somewhere between the river and Kelso South, it appears to me that the tracks will shift so that the current main 1 will tie into the new track that runs along the current main 1 through Kelso South up to the Amtrak station, and the current main 2 will tie into what is now main 1 at Kelso South, and the new main 3 will tie into what is now main 2 at Kelso South. What I can't figure out is where the new main 1 will join back into the current main 1 at its north end. It has to end somewhere before the tunnel! Will it run past the Kelso Amtrak station up to Rocky Point? Will it end at CP Kelso just south of the Amtrak station? I don't know. At this time, there is no evidence of any new foundations for signal masts or cantilevers (northbound or southbound) along what will be the new main 1 at CP Kelso.
Switches are being installed at "Toteff," the new crossover at Kalama at the Toteff Road crossing near the Todd Road exit on I-5. Between Toteff and Peavey, there will be 3 main lines. There is a new overhead southbound signal with 4 sets of signals, one of which is over the south end of storage 3. Grain trains will be able to exit and enter the main lines to and from storage 3. North of Toteff Road, the 3rd main will run very close to I-5 as it curves to the left.. A new barricade wall was built along the shoulder of southbound I-5 next to that curve.
Cool! I'm thinking that Storage 3 may become CTC it's entire length and have a speed of 20 or 30 MPH on it sometime in the future since all of the switches being installed are rated for at least that much speed from North to South access and the crossovers with Main 1. Need to have some switch lock boxes or departing signals on all of the access points along storage 3, though for the higher speed to happen.
Good question. With today's ruling against the Gateway Bulk Facility at Cherry Point by the Army Corps of Engineers and the weakness in CBR into our state, they may not need to build any more capacity for awhile.
There is some sort of activity on the north side of Auburn where the third main would be installed, some digging and grading on or next to the new track. No real sign of anything else the rest of the way down to Ellingson Road where the third track would end (highway bridge and White River are immediate obstacles). Been waiting years to see this work done. Coming back from a job interview this afternoon I drove right by this location today, but didn't see anything new.
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