Stage Three at North Baltimore

[JoJames]

Monday July 11 was the beginning of stage three with several new train additions. After talking with one of the employees in transportation and also one in the intermodel end. Both have said it is a whole new game with a faster pace of business. Also it sounds like around 100 containers have been received locally a day from near by cities.

[Y@]

Yes, things are finally coming full circle in NB. Step four, finish the connection at Galatea.

[CF&E East]

Yeah I had read somewhere that the connection was still scheduled to have construction started in July, but they also said they would believe it when they see it. I'm getting ready to relocate from my place a block away from the CF&E to a place in Findlay a half block away from the Toledo Branch, so bring on that connection!
Stay Cool Everyone!
Jim

[mrreet2001]

Yes, things are finally coming full circle in NB. Step four, finish the connection at Galatea.

What connection is going to be built? I assume it will connect from / to the west, but will it connect to the north or to the south or both?

[ConrailForever]

Yes, things are finally coming full circle in NB. Step four, finish the connection at Galatea.

What connection is going to be built? I assume it will connect from / to the west, but will it connect to the north or to the south or both?

Should be in the southwest quadrant of the diamond, from what I've heard.

[CF&E East]

Yes, things are finally coming full circle in NB. Step four, finish the connection at Galatea.

What connection is going to be built? I assume it will connect from / to the west, but will it connect to the north or to the south or both?

Should be in the southwest quadrant of the diamond, from what I've heard.

That's what I've heard as well.

[Y@]

Grading work has already been done and from what I've heard, and I'm working on confirming it with a more "inside" source, the switch is in place on the Toledo Branch. May not be true as I heard it in a game of telephone so to speak.

[StupidFlee​t]

Grading work has already been done and from what I've heard, and I'm working on confirming it with a more "inside" source, the switch is in place on the Toledo Branch. May not be true as I heard it in a game of telephone so to speak.

I;m in North Baltimore now and I just went by Galatea and nothing has been done.

[CSXQ122]

Well I'll say this, unless that switch and grading was done within the past week, I can tell you that is not true.
Q122 out

[Y@]

I had heard several weeks ago that there had been some minimal grading work done. Nothing major and at the most it was probably just some brush clearing.

Thanks for clearing up the switch though, I had my doubts.

[JoJames]

Nothing has been done other than survey work. Also three more train id's have begun this week in the Chicago to North Baltimore corridor . Eastbounds Q-170 and Q-175. Along with Q-167 Westbound.

[mrreet2001]

Drat, I was hoping for a north connector.

[railohio]

Another update on North Baltimore operations from Virginia:

CSX muscles in on Norfolk Southern's cargo business

The relevant bits:

The full impact of the new arrangement may be a few years away, when CSX's "National Gateway" comes online. The gateway is a planned double-stack rail route connecting mid-Atlantic ports, including Hampton Roads, with the Midwest.

Until then, CSX will be running only single-stack container trains in and out of the port. For now, it's five trains a week, each way, between northwest Ohio and Portsmouth.

Beginning in January, five additional eastbound trains will be added each week from Chicago to Portsmouth, CSX officials said.

[Chris7092]

I believe 2014 is the projected finish date for the widened Panama Canal. That will be a definite game changer for how international freight is routed to the eastern US, and will likely result in a dramatic change in operations for both NS and CSX. Time will tell!

Chris

[mike nowakowski]

How often is the north-south track at Galatea used? I didint think it was that big of a deal track.

[MSchwiebert]

Currently there's 4-6 trains a day north of Ridgeway and on to Toledo. When the connection at Galatea is completed, the number of trains using the connection should equal that. As an aside, It's my understanding that brush clearing for the connection track began today (great weather for that!)

How often is the north-south track at Galatea used? I didint think it was that big of a deal track.

[Huelsy'sTrainBlog]

Currently there's 4-6 trains a day north of Ridgeway and on to Toledo. When the connection at Galatea is completed, the number of trains using the connection should equal that. As an aside, It's my understanding that brush clearing for the connection track began today (great weather for that!)

How often is the north-south track at Galatea used? I didint think it was that big of a deal track.

I wonder if they had a Northwest wye in Sidney, how much the track through Galatea would be used.

[MSchwiebert]

I'm guessing that it was looked at, but I'm guessing the cost/hassle to build in a residental area wasn't worth it. Another advantage is that trains have run for years from Indy to Toledo under one crew. With the traffic that the Toledo Sub sees, I doubt that a train could get from Indy to North Baltimore with one crew.

Currently there's 4-6 trains a day north of Ridgeway and on to Toledo. When the connection at Galatea is completed, the number of trains using the connection should equal that. As an aside, It's my understanding that brush clearing for the connection track began today (great weather for that!)

How often is the north-south track at Galatea used? I didint think it was that big of a deal track.

I wonder if they had a Northwest wye in Sidney, how much the track through Galatea would be used.

[Huelsy'sTrainBlog]

I'm guessing that it was looked at, but I'm guessing the cost/hassle to build in a residental area wasn't worth it. Another advantage is that trains have run for years from Indy to Toledo under one crew. With the traffic that the Toledo Sub sees, I doubt that a train could get from Indy to North Baltimore with one crew. ]

I didn't know about the crew part but I guess thinking now there is no where really for a crew change. As for the residental area part, they could make it a long wye and cut out a between Sidney and Houston and then bring it in around Anna. You are right about the Toledo Sub. I would not be suprised to see them string some of those sidings together to get extra areas of double track running to ease congestion on it.

[mike nowakowski]

So i am guessing they are going to have to expand the bridge under I-75, Or they are going to make the trains go over it lol