Alternatively, NICTD has also mod- ernized and expanded their operations with new equipment, signals and plat- forms at many stations. In the years since NICTD first purchased the line, welded rail has been installed system- wide, and new high-level platforms at Hegewisch, Hammond and East Chica- go helped to speed train dwell times. In 2007, the first of three planned seg- ments of CTC came online between Kensington and Gary, replacing the In- sull-era automatic block signals that long stood trackside. By the spring of 2012, the entire signal system had been converted to modern CTC. A fleet of 14 new bi-level passenger cars, a first for the South Shore, were delivered in the winter of 2009 to help bolster the fleet of single-level electric m.u. (EMU) cars. In February 2012 a new connection was opened at Kensington to speed train movements onto and off of the Metra Electric (former Illinois Central) tracks, which also eliminated the sta- tion stop for South Shore trains for the first time in 100 years.
The Passenger Side (NICTD) South Shore’s passenger operations offer frequent service during peak and off-peak hours, with long-distance and short-haul service all incorporated into a daily schedule. The easiest way for one to understand South Shore’s sched- ule would be to grab a public timetable at any one of South Shore’s stations or visit
www.nictd.com.
A normal weekday sees 21 eastbound
trains and 20 westbound trains. A nor- mal weekend day sees 11 eastbounds and 10 westbounds. Photographing passenger trains can be tricky if you seek good lighting conditions. Only a handful of trains run into the sun as peak-hours operations occurring oppo- site the direction of the sun. Choose your locations wisely, and be aware of local speed limits should you attempt to reach multiple stations.
The Freight Side (CSS)
South Shore Freight, as they are now known, is one of northwest Indiana’s primary steel haulers in the region serving Mittal Steel (ArcelorMittal) at Bailly and U.S.S.’s Midwest Steel Plant (part of the Gary Works) in Portage. South Shore Freight is also one of northwest Indiana’s largest coal haulers, receiving coal from CSX, Nor- folk Southern, and Union Pacific for de- livery to Mittal and the NIPSCO. This is all in tandem with the numerous on- line customers and interchange work performed by the South Shore. South Shore Freight’s symboling sys- tem works by crews, not by train. There are two types of crews; Assigned Freight (AF) and Pool Freight (PF). As- signed crews work an assigned job five days a week with a set start time. The
40 JANUARY 2013 •
RAILFAN.COM
ABOVE: Sporting a six pack of bi-levels on this day, Train 220 leans into the curve after pausing at the Chicago Airport flag stop on July 25, 2012. RYAN KERTIS PHOTO OPPOSITE TOP: CSS 2006 leads AF-20 west through Ogden Dunes, running against the current and wrong main on March 26, 2010. JOHN MEANS PHOTO OPPOSITE: CSS 2001 starts the drop down to street level after crossing over the CSX mainline and curving away from the Indiana Toll Road at Hammond on December 30, 2012, with co-author John Means as conductor. RYAN KERTIS PHOTO
Pool crews work off of a first-in/first-out board where it is similar to an extra board where you are called to work, but you stay with the same crew through your entire work week. Here is a cur- rent breakdown (as of the beginning of 2013) of the six Assigned Freight jobs that toil away during the week. AF 16: The New Job (Fri: 10:30 a.m., Sat-Sun: 9:30 a.m., Mon-Tues: 2:30 p.m.). On Friday, the train covers one of the Barr Job’s off days and goes to East Chicago. On Saturday, they do the work of the Bailly Switcher. On Sunday, they do the Belt Job. On Mon- day and Tuesday, they take a pair of engines from Shops to Burnham, mak- ing any number of stops along the way, pick up an eastbound train, and return making stops as needed. AF 17: The Bailly Switcher (Mon- Fri: 4:45 a.m.). The Bailly switcher works all day at Bailly putting together the Belt train and the Barr Job. You may also see this crew head west to work Midwest Steel via the connection between Ogden Dunes and Wilson East to the NS at CP 487. The crew usually comes back to Shops engine light.
AF 18: The City Job (Mon-Fri: 7:00 a.m.). The job starts by switching out an eastbound train at the South Har- bor Yard in Michigan City north of the NICTD diamond. After the train is switched,
they head east to Davis
(about MP 29) where cars are swapped. There’s also a customer at Davis that receives a few cars a week. Additional work is performed at Olive before re- turning to Michigan City. The train is usually shoved down the former Nickel Plate main line and the power is cut off south of Roeske Ave. A customer is also switched at this location.
On Monday-Wednesday-Friday, this job also goes to the lakefront which is accessed from Amtrak’s former Michi- gan Central route in downtown Michi- gan City. The locomotives will run west through town to Power (CP 36) and back into the siding. Cars are switched for the two industries and taken through Lincoln Yard adjacent to NIPSCO’s Michigan City plant. After the work is completed, the train is pulled back to the siding at Power, and the outbounds are left in the northern most siding. The power returns light to
For the latest NICTD passenger schedules, please visit
www.nictd.com
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