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57.2 miles of the 78.5-mile route; the balance would operate at 45 m.p.h., with a 40 m.p.h. limit between Southport and Union Station. With intermediate stops at Baton Rouge Sub- urban, Gonzales, LaPlace, Kenner, and Jeffer- son Parish, the trip should take about an hour and a half. Over time, frequencies will be in- creased to six, then eight daily round trips, while speeds will be raised to 90 and then 110 m.p.h. Equipment for the three-car push-pull trains is expected to become available after new locomotives and bilevel coaches enter service on Amtrak short-haul routes out of the Chicago hub in the next few years. The project will replace a dozen bridges along the KCS segment, the largest being the 1.8-mile long timber trestle across the Bonnet Carre Spillway with its 10 m.p.h. speed limit. The other new spans will be associated with passing track extensions at Gonzales, Gramercy, and Norco. In conjunction with the siding extensions and the addition of Central- ized Traffic Control, hand thrown No. 11 turnouts will be replaced by No. 15 powered switches to permit higher speeds entering and leaving sidings.
Kansas City Southern’s present Direct Traffic Control system and automatic block signals will be replaced by Centralized Traffic Control, while most of the CN and Amtrak trackage near New Orleans already has CTC. KCS and CN will be installing Positive Train Control on most of their lines, but Amtrak will have to pay for PTC on four miles of CN track between Mays Yard and Southport Junction unless the FRA grants a waiver. Don’t expect work to begin anytime soon; funding has yet to be identified.
INTEREST IN THE HOOSIER STATE: The Indiana Department of Transportation has received four proposals to operate and im- prove the Hoosier State between Indianapolis and Chicago. Proposals have been submitted by Corridor Capital LLC, a consortium of Her- zog Transit Services and Passenger Trans- portation Specialists, Iowa Pacific Holdings, and Railmark Holdings. Amtrak is the cur- rent operator and has submitted a proposal for fiscal year 2014-2015. In October 2013 In- diana Governor Mike Pence announced an agreement to keep the Hoosier State operating four days a week in partnership with Indi- anapolis, Crawfordsville, Rensselaer, Lafayette, West Lafayette, Tippecanoe Coun- ty, and Beech Grove. INDOT and on-line com- munities want to improve the Hoosier State passenger experience, increase the number of riders, and decrease operating expenses by opening the operation of the train to competi- tion from private operators in addition to Am- trak. It is anticipated that the selected propos- al will be announced this summer.
ACS-64S ARE GAINING TRACTION: As of mid-May, five new Siemens ACS-64 electrics were in regular service and running between New York and Washington, but not to Boston or Harrisburg. A dozen units have been deliv- ered so far and the others were undergoing ac- ceptance testing and being retrofitted for push-pull service. At the same time, four 15- year old Bombardier HHP-8s had been retired and the old AEM-7 fleet was still going strong.
Connecticut Museum Sends FL9 to Streamliner Confab . . .
THE RAILROAD MUSEUM OF NEW ENGLANDwas able to give Connecticut Department of Transportation FL9 No. 2019 a quick, yet thorough four-month overhaul so that the rare EMD could join two dozen other locomotives at the North Carolina Transportation Museum’s Stream- liners at Spencer event from May 30-June 2. One of three FL9s at RMNE, No. 2019 was built in 1960 as New Haven 2049. It currently carries its ConnDOT road number, and the McGinnis paint scheme and Herbert Matter logo is actually ConnDOT’s official image. We’ll bring you complete coverage of the Spencer spectacular in the June issue.
. . . Meanwhile, Two Others Meet the Torch in New Jersey
IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE STORY OF NEW HAVEN 2019, ex-Amtrak FL9s 486 and 487 were scrapped on the Morristown & Erie in March and April 2014. The units had been stripped to keep Maine Eastern Nos. 488 (NH 2016) and 489 (NH 2021) running. Former Erie Mining RS11 No. 7205, ex-Canadian Pacific C424 4231, and ex-Canadian National M420 No. 3562 were also cut up around the same time. It’s always sad to see a covered wagon scrapped, but at least four FL9s are still running; RMNE 2019 [above], Orford Express No. 484 (NH 2029), and the two Maine Eastern units. Nos. 2006 (NH 2026) and 2013 (NH 2040) are intact at the Danbury Railroad Museum and RMNE also has CDOT 2002 (NH 2005) and Metro-North 2033 (NH 2059, the last FL9 and the very last F unit to be built by EMD, in November 1960). ConnDOT has an- other six FL9s stored out of service at New Haven, Conn.
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STEVE BARRY
HOWARD PINCUS
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