NS Conemaugh Line?

The Conemaugh Line is mostly river grade with the exception of the grade at I believe around Saltsburg. Most heavy tonnage trains can make the run from Pittsburgh to Johnstown without helpers. This keeps from tying up the Main Line where they run time sensitive Intermodel trains. A 14,000 ton train with 2 helpers on the mainline can tie things up pretty good on the Radenbaugh hill and the hill from Latrobe up to Derry. We're talking speeds at 10 mph or slower. I haven't been over there in several years so can't say if the signal system has changed. I have my doubts that anything much has changed since they single tracked the system some years ago. If memory serves me correctly the Signal system was waysides only from Pittsburgh to Kiski and then Cab signals with waysides only at Control points from Kiski to Conpit.

As Forest said, the line is used to handle most of the eastbound heavy tonnage trains (in excess of 10,000 tons).  Some of the manifest trains eastbound out of Conway are simply too heavy to make the ramp onto the OC Bridge to run the Mon Line to Perry (where they could cut back over to the mainline), or too heavy to Climb the grade east out of the station through Bloomfield/Shadyside/East Liberty.  Also, certain hazardous shipments are not permitted to be routed mainline through downtown Pittsburgh.

 

Also, even though the Mainline is double tracked from Penn to Conpit (where the Conemaugh rejoins the main), there is simply too much traffic to handle everything via the Mon and Mainlines.  The Conemaugh helps alleviate the eastbound traffic by taking the heavier trains on the longer, river grade to Conpit, where they will receive one or two sets of helps to make the trip over Allegheny Mountain.

 

Also, the Cabs-no-wayside system is still in place and you will probably see more cab signal territory converted to this in the coming years.  It eliminates the maintenance on the wayside automatics and allows for constant signal updates which can increase average train speed.  That being said, when there is a problem with the cab signal system, it can cause immense delays (i.e. trains running a restricted speed for many, many miles)! 

But NS has been replacing signals system wide with the new Aluminum Saftran waysides and ATCS.

Last year NS requested (and, as I recollect, was given) permission to remove intermediate wayside signals along their Pittsburgh Line between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.  Only wayside signals at control points would be retained. 

 

Since I'm only back in PA once a year in the summer, I've no idea if any intermediate waysides have been removed yet.  Forest or Form D would have to comment on that.

 

With positive train control coming, intermediate waysides will pretty much become redundant technology and I suspect that is what was behind NS' request to remove them.

 

Curt

 

 

Sad to see classic physical plant go but whatever it takes to ensure the continued efficient success of railroads also works for me.

The automatics are still in place and will be for the next couple years at least.

When complete, trains will be able operate east and west on all 3 tracks between SO and Altoona.

I guess I am shocked that all mainlines now with a decent amount of traffic aren't signalled with bidrectional signalling.  

Mike:

 

If you go beyond the limits Form D mentioned in his post (South Fork to Altoona), the rest of the Pittsburgh line is signaled for bi-directional running.  Conrail routinely reversed the direction of traffic on each track of the Pittsburgh line.  One day number two track was westbound and number one east, the next day number two was east and number one west.  

 

Under NS ownership, in the area between Port Royal and Huntingdon, PA at least, number two track seems to be used predominately for westward traffic and number one for eastward.  That said, it is not unusual for NS to use the multiple tracks and control points to allow faster trains to overtake and pass slower ones.  

 

There is one "predictable" diverging move you can expect in the Lewistown area.  NS will normally cross east bound coal trains from the number one to number two track at CP Lewis so the coal trains can use the weigh in motion scale at Denholm.

 

Curt