More new signals on the Grand Rapids sub

[amtrak1007]

So does this mean they have completed resignalling of the double track from St Joe Bridge up to Riverside through Benton Harbor and Gray, or did they skip that part and pick up at the next single track portion going east from Riverside? Thanks for the continuing updates!

Seems that way... Looks like I have a weekend trip to plan to get photos and ATCS id's

[csxt4617]

Don't ya think I would've posted if they finished it? They're still working on putting up the new signals, just going from East Kirk westward. They don't even have the ones done at the West Kirk yet. They've only gotten as far as Riverside putting up the new ones. Haven't seen anything for the double track yet (except at Riverside). Anyway, whoever was interested in the trilight signals at Benton Harbor yard, I've verified there's one more near the Paw Paw avenue crossing. The eastbound on track 2 is this style. I think the westbound on #1 there also used to have the trilight style, but was replaced with a newer style searchlight sometime in the last 15 years or so. Also, I don't know if your ATCS gear is going to be any good. Supposedly the new installation for the yard in North Baltimore used satellite rather than radio and is now a dark spot on the ATCS monitoring. I imagine the new stuff here is the same way.

[amtrak1007]

lets just say i'm hoping, that they aren't satellite bases comms. Have you seen any of the antenna structures yet?

[MSchwiebert]

That's correct, the new installations for North Baltimore have satellite links - which cannot be monitored. I've seen conflicting thoughts on if this is the new "standard" for CSX installations or not.

Don't ya think I would've posted if they finished it? They're still working on putting up the new signals, just going from East Kirk westward. They don't even have the ones done at the West Kirk yet. They've only gotten as far as Riverside putting up the new ones. Haven't seen anything for the double track yet (except at Riverside). Anyway, whoever was interested in the trilight signals at Benton Harbor yard, I've verified there's one more near the Paw Paw avenue crossing. The eastbound on track 2 is this style. I think the westbound on #1 there also used to have the trilight style, but was replaced with a newer style searchlight sometime in the last 15 years or so. Also, I don't know if your ATCS gear is going to be any good. Supposedly the new installation for the yard in North Baltimore used satellite rather than radio and is now a dark spot on the ATCS monitoring. I imagine the new stuff here is the same way.

[Jochs]

So does this mean they have completed resignalling of the double track from St Joe Bridge up to Riverside through Benton Harbor and Gray, or did they skip that part and pick up at the next single track portion going east from Riverside? Thanks for the continuing updates!

No, there are only new signals between Riverside and Kirk. None on double track yet, except at the east end of double track. None have been cut in. You should have plenty of time to get pictures of the tri-light signals in Benton Harbor . You may want to get out soon before gas gets too high, or by a Schwinn

I may have confused some people with the crossing signal updates. The only recent new crossing signal is at Zoschke Rd. near Gray. Maple Lane east of Gray has bases in the ground, as does Bessemer Rd. near Coloma.

[Jochs]

A bunch of new signals were delivered last week to Benton Harbor.
Also, a new switch was delivered and set alongside the tracks near the M-63 overpass.

[JANGAJONGA]

A bunch of new signals were delivered last week and are now laying on skids near the car house at the corner of Water St and North Shore Drive by the tracks.
Also, a new switch was delivered and set alongside the tracks near the M-63 overpass.

Do you know what the new switch is for?

[Jochs]

A bunch of new signals were delivered last week and are now laying on skids near the car house at the corner of Water St and North Shore Drive by the tracks.
Also, a new switch was delivered and set alongside the tracks near the M-63 overpass.

Do you know what the new switch is for?

It appears that the west end of double track is going to be moved to there instead of on the curve. Check back in the coming weeks for updates.

[JANGAJONGA]

A bunch of new signals were delivered last week and are now laying on skids near the car house at the corner of Water St and North Shore Drive by the tracks.
Also, a new switch was delivered and set alongside the tracks near the M-63 overpass.

Do you know what the new switch is for?

It appears that the west end of double track is going to be moved to there instead of on the curve. Check back in the coming weeks for updates.

So is that extending the double track? sorry i am unfamiliar with the area.

[Jochs]

[quote="JANGAJONGA"
So is that extending the double track? sorry i am unfamiliar with the area.[/quote]

No, it is shortening the double track about a half-mile or so. I think they want the switch under the bridge to keep it from filling with snow, but with all the wind down there, it isn't going to work. This will also make it impossible for any long trains to sit between Upton and North Shore Drive without blocking N Sh Dr.

[Jochs]

New signal bungalows are going up and most crossings have them, though Coloma's West St. Bungalow (CG 76.27) and Riverside/Fikes Rd.(CG 80.19) are still being stored at Riverside where they were delivered. The new crossing signal at West St., which has been laying on the ground waiting to be installed since October, has yet to be installed, and Bessemer Rd. in Coloma and Maple Lane near Gray have yet to be installed. Just the bases are in the ground, no signals at the locations yet.[/quote]

Well, today at Bessemer Rd. they took the crossing signals off their bases and put them on the new bases. I imagine they will probably do the same thing at Maple Lane. I thought there would be new crossing signals going in, but I guess I was wrong.
The new bases are set back a couple of feet from the tracks and the road comapared to the old bases.

[J T]

Do you know what the new switch is for?

It appears that the west end of double track is going to be moved to there instead of on the curve. Check back in the coming weeks for updates.

So is that extending the double track? sorry i am unfamiliar with the area.

Janga, this is what the area looks like. I was standing underneath the M63 overpass looking west when I took this shot. The switch for the double track is on the curve in the background, off the frame to the left. Just beyond that switch to the left is the St. Joseph River swing bridge.





The existing switch where the double track ends is just above the shack where the CSX vehicles are sitting:

[tsinoms]

So why shorten it? That's what i'm not getting... Maybe for when they put in the new signals?

[Jochs]

Right now, the bridgetender, not the dispatcher, controls the switch. Moving the switch away from the bridge could give control to the dispatcher instead of the bridge. Someday, according to the trainmaster at a hiring session I went to in 2005, they hope to have the bridge controlled by the dispatcher, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

[tsinoms]

Right now, the bridgetender, not the dispatcher, controls the switch. Moving the switch away from the bridge could give control to the dispatcher instead of the bridge. Someday, according to the trainmaster at a hiring session I went to in 2005, they hope to have the bridge controlled by the dispatcher, but I don't see it happening any time soon.

I head that too. Supposedly they were gonna remote control it from the small blue box they have near the bridge. Idk if they have put and RC stuff in yet though.

[Jochs]

Yesterday the crossing signals were moved at Maple Lane onto their new bases. The crossing signals at Kerlikowske Rd are sitting in new ballast. I can't tell if they were moved.

[Jochs]

I can't say for the whole line west of St. Joseph, but at least up to St. Joseph and through Stevensville the old telegraph poles have been sawed down and piled up along the line, with the insulators removed. You can either view this as good or bad.... No more poles in the way of your pictures, or no more telegraph poles, a part of American History gone forever. BTW, the insulators have been removed, or at least the good ones have.
BTW, tri-light signals are still at Benton Harbor, though somewhat obscured by the trees which are leafing out about 3 weeks earlier than usual.

[amtrak1007]

BTW, the insulators have been removed, or at least the good ones have.
BTW, tri-light signals are still at Benton Harbor, though somewhat obscured by the trees which are leafing out about 3 weeks earlier than usual.

I agree the poles are down/in the weeds between porter and St. Joe... Did seem to still have insulators, on most of them, but at 80 mph you can't get a really good look at them. The signal bungalows seem to have either atcs, or cellular antennie on them... EE Sawyer? has a satellite dish. I'm gonna try to get down some time in June to check each to see what method of control they are using.

[GP30M4216]

I was in the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor/Coloma area for work this past Friday with the following report (nothing really new, just summarizing previous posts with my own personal sightings)

The old searchlight absolute signals are still up and in place at WAS and EAS St. Joseph Bridge. I heard a train passing through around 11:00AM but couldn't get to the tracks to see whom it was. I did not see a switch laying near the M-63 bridge for the WE of the double track, but I may have missed it.

I didn't have much time, but I checked on the Benton Harbor X-over tri-light signals at mp86.9. The EAS and WAS signals are still in place here, and I did manage to snag a side view of the WAS mast with two faces, one I had not photographed previously.

I also verified that the old pair of intermediates at Paw Paw Avenue is still in place, yes, a double tri-light pair for EB trains, and what appears from the road to be a newer mast installation for WB's.

I was unable to see if any work had been done at Grey. The Riverside WAS is still bagged, as is the new intermediate pair immediately beside the S-curve crossing at Coloma Road, with the old searchlights still in place to the east. The EAS at WE Kirk is still bagged right beside the old searchlight, and I didn't notice any sign of a cantilever installation for WB's at WE Kirk, but I may have missed it.

Not really an update, just a summary. I'll try to upload that tri-light photo soon. Appreciate the updates, all!

[Jochs]

The only signals up are from Riverside to West Kirk... no cantilever as or yet.

A new 30m.p.h. crossover is being installed at Grey, according to what I heard on the radio. The RN dispatcher also asked if the signals would be upgraded so a westbound on #2 track could go track speed instead of restricting. The maintainer was not sure.