From: Mark D Bej 
Subject: Re: Valparaiso (Was Northern Indiana)
cc: Jon Roma  Michael Stimac 
To: Multiple recipients of list RAILROAD 

A couple of comments.  I went along this line in March of this year, when
all the installations were very new.

> Most likely, here's a crude ASCII drawing:

West of the location below, in ?Hobart, the ex-PRR track makes its final
move over to the NKP, with PRR torn out farther west, until one gets to
Gary, where the former "Broad Way" PRR main line is now single track
unsignalled industrial trackage.

>           GTW      PRR   NKP
>             \       /     /
>              \     /     /
>               \   /     /
>                \ /     /   ^
>                 X     /   east
>                / \   /
> -----Tower Rd-/---\-/----------
>              /     X
>             /     / \
>             |    /|  \
>             |   / |   \
>             |  *  |    \
>             | /   |   GTW
>             |/    |
>             |     |
>            PRR   NKP

> to as "Ft Waybe Jct" in the GTW timetables, even though it's no where near Ft

No doubt because the PRR line was originally the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and
Chicago;  and 'cause it was commonly referred to as "the Fort Wayne".

> correctly. After CR abandoned the line, and before NS bought it, the GTW/PRR
> diamond was removed, but had little jumper wires across it, to keep the PRR
> signal system active. (Since it wasn't officially abandoned, the signals were
> still active)

Sounds like excessive expense (removal of diamond) -- and for what benefit,
when the diamond had to be re-installed?

> I think NS has since taken all the PRR ones down between Valpo
> and Hobart, and replaced them with color-light signals, and has also installed
> a hotbox detector at Wheeler on the PRR.

Yes, unfortunately.  I secretly hoped that the position-light signals would be
retained (given N&W), but NS seems to have settled on SOU-style color light
signals.  The Hobart junction has SOU-style signals on the PRR and retains
the NKP style signal heads on tall signal masts on the NKP;  east of that,
both tracks got new signalling, with SOU-style heads throughout.

East of the PRR/GTW Xing, so far as I could tell, PRR signals were still
in.  Certainly east of Valpo.  But perhaps not anymore, as they've had a
summer to install Automatic Block.


>----------------------------------

P.J. Hinton
P.J.Hinton@nd.edu

  I skipped over articles posted over the Thanksgiving holiday, so this inform-
ation may have been posted.  If so, please excuse me...

  I read in the Friday, November 25, 1994, <> that Conrail
has completed the sale of the ex-PRR trackage between Valparaiso and Warsaw.
A shorter stretch of track between Gary and Valparaiso was sold to the NS
late last spring.  According to the agreement, NS does retain trackage rights
from Warsaw to Fort Wayne, and Conrail will continue to provide local service
to customers along the line.

>----------------------------------


Peter N. Ruesch
sp4449@expert.cc.purdue.edu

I received word this morning from an NS employee that the first NS train
on the former Pennsy between Fort Wayne and Chicago has been run.
Though it may not have been the first one, NS train L99 was called for 8
AM yesterday.  This train was officially considered a grain train, but
it worked the few industries enroute between Warsaw and Valparaiso.
Since the crossovers at Hobart have not been completed, L99 ran to the
end of NS ownership at Tolleston, thence onto either Conrail or the
Indiana Harbor Belt.  NS now owns the track from Tolleston to CP Selby,
a signpost on the west side of Warsaw.  Employee bulletins have
established a 40-mph speed limit between Selby and Valpo, with a 10-mph
limit the rest of the way to Tolleston.  Crews were also instructed to
approach every crossing with the assumption that automatic crossing
protection was inoperable, and to approach switches with the assumption
that they are thrown against main line movement (Not taking any chances,
are they?)  NS Trainmaster Cheney was aboard the L99, and it is expected
that supervision will be the rule until crews are officially qualified
over this new trackage.