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Re: (erielack) Concordance Map

Conspiracy theories aside, I think this practice had alot to do with TCS
availability, and/or the condition of track and bridges.

There is no doubt that CR deemed alot of these afflicted lines as not
important to its core system, and on those lines cost analysis and penny
pinching took on a whole new meaning.  If you were a Division Supt.,
your mantra was 'If you got it, you made sure you kept it, because
you weren't getting any more.'

Anrie Morscher has a picture on his website of a straight-railed crossover
at Steamburg NY (between Salamanca and Jamestown)

http://www.morscher.com/rr/1978/19780805_09.jpg

The view looks east.  The alignment shifts from track 2 to track 1 in an
eastward direction.  Bi-directional TCS was installed on both tracks from
RH Randolph to Steamburg, but it was installed only on track 1 from
Steamburg to Salamanca.  Track 1 from Steamburg to Randolph was
in worse shape than track 2, and since track 1 was the 'diverging route'
coming off the single track at RH,  they used the better track and straight
alignment at RH, until the crossover at Steamburg, where they jumped
over to use the TCS on track 1 (and which didn't exist on track 2 to
the east).

I remember a time back in the days when the second main was still in place,
but not used, when on account of bridge conditions near Red House
(where the two tracks ran on a separate alignment and used two separate
bridges), I was surprised when scouting around Sawmill Run Rd west
of Salamanca one day to find that CR had temporarily put track 2 back
in service in order to work on the bridge for track 1, the track that was
eventually kept.. Near Sawmill Run Rd, they had temporarily kinked the
alignment from track 1 to track 2 westbound, and they also temporarily
removed the kink at Steamburg.  Later, when I went back to the area,
everything was back to 'normal' (track 1 was continuous at Sawmill Run,
and Steamburg kinked again (and still does today.)

Elsewhere, on the ABS section between Cuba and Salamanca, track 2 was
kept over the entire distance, with the exception of where a small stretch
(~ 5 miles) of welded rail existed on track 1 between Olean and Hinsdale.
The alignment was altered there to take advantage of  it.  I believe it was
just west of the track 2-only hotbox detector at Hinsdale.  By jogging the
alignment there, they were able to keep track 2 through the detector and
still use the welded rail.  They did all that just to keep 5 miles of ribbon rail.

West of Union City PA where the tracks run on a separate alignment, the
newer (easier graded) eastbound main that bridged over the original 1800s
westbound main and ran left-handed was abandoned in order to use the
welded rail on the westbound, and more importantly avoid all that bridge
maintenance associated with the newer eastbound track.

Even on the PRR Buffalo line, the segment of double track from South Olean
to the Erie crossing at CP-Olean was single-tracked, with the main being
removed rather than the siding since the siding had previously been upgraded
to welded rail during early CR times (since the siding was falling apart in the
PC era). Today, the tracks still kink at the former location of CP-South Olean.
While they kept the double track in place from CP-Olean to CP-North Olean,
trains northbound on the 'main' end up on what was the siding, where they
must slow down at North Olean to go through the reversed switch.
Southbound trains also must 'diverge' at North Olean to stay on the main.

It seems that deep down there was some short-term cost-savings reason
responsible for most of this, but it does sound kinda dumb to compromise
smooth long-term operations to save a few pennies.  Classic example
of cherry-picking assets, thus yielding inconsistent future operations.


Michael Dye wrote:

> I've wondered about that. I can understand why Conrail would be pulling up
> rails, to be used on fixing up the @#$@#$%$#!!! PC lines that they decided
> to keep, but why alternate sides in double track territory? To slow trains
> down so they could more easily justify abandonment?
>
> Michael Dye ELHS #1516
>
> >From: "Bill K." <"pontiac_@_dreamscape.com">
> >To: "gelwood" <"gelwood_@_dnaco.net">, "Michael Dye" <luxpan@hotmail.com>
> >CC: <"erielack_@_internexus.net">
> >Subject: Re: (erielack) Concordance Map (was re: Further Query-EL West End)
> >Date: Tue, 30 May 2000 21:14:55 -0400
> >
> >I think this was standard procedure on lines they wanted to get rid of.
> >Reason I say so is the LV west end, also abandoned, does the same switch of
> >track alignments in the middle of Manchester (NY) Yard where a shortline
> >still runs a few miles of the mainline.   Also, Finger Lakes' portion of
> >the LV does some sharp alignment moves where the connecting track from the
> >lower-level yards joins the remaining mainline track.   Makes me wonder if
> >any other lines that ended up surplus, do the same thing -
> >
> >Bill K.
> >
> >----------
> > > From: gelwood <"gelwood_@_dnaco.net">
> > > To: Michael Dye <"luxpan_@_hotmail.com">
> > > Cc: "erielack_@_internexus.net"
> > > Subject: Re: (erielack) Concordance Map (was re: Further Query-EL West
> >End)
> > > Date: Tuesday, May 30, 2000 6:23 PM
> > >
> > > I have the book and thought the same thing.  If I knew Cook I would
> > > ask.  I do have the maps generated by the EL on what both B&O/C&O would
> > > keep when that purchase was discussed (everything east of Sterling) and
> >CR
> > > (everything east of MArion).  It was interesting to see how CR removed
> >the
> > > CR line between Marion and Akron. They would take out alternate section
> > > between crossover. This made operating the EL difficult.  You would run
> > > down the eastbound main for a few miles then over to the westbound main
> > > for a few miles.
> > >
> > > George Elwood
> > > http://www.dnaco.net/~gelwood
> > >
> > > On Tue, 30 May 2000, Michael Dye wrote:
> >
> >
> >  ------------------------------------------------------------
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>
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