MARC's Empty ACSES Bracket

In 2020 MARC moved to switch from Amtrak's ACSES transponder based PTC system to the ETMS system used by freight railroads that is more reliant on GPS and data radios. Using two different head units was likely more costly in both equipment and training and dual-equipping rail lines for both ETMA and ACSES has become fashionable over the past decade.  

When I first reported on this move, the ACSES transponder antenna was located in a fairly prominent location behind the fuel tank on MARC's MP36PH-3C locomotives. Since that time the bracket has remained, but the antenna has been stripped off with the cable left dangling.  

I guess MARC is happy with its decision as removing the antenna would make it harder to switch back.

MD and KY Survivor B&O CPLs To Fall

Two examples of B&O Color Position Light signals that held on after re-signaling projects felled all of their neighbors, will finally meet the wrath of standardization.  The first are GREENBELT interlocking on the Capitol Sub in suburban Maryland and the others are at OB (Ohio Bridge) CABIN on the Cincinnati Terminal Sub in Covington, KY.

GREENBELT was installed in 1992 to support a new intermodal MARC station.  High level platforms at GREENBELT would make the station incompatible with CSX freight clearances so two station tracks were installed within the limits of a new interlocking.  CSX was still in the practice of installing legacy signaling at the time and GREENBELT was therefore given modern style B&O CPLs in addition to other interlockings being installed in the DC area to support CTC and increased MARC service.  In 2012 CSX, backed by some amount of government funding, embarked on another re-signaling spree in the DC area and ripped out all of the CPLs save for those at GREENBELT, probably due to some disagreement over how much the state should pay as the interlocking's sole use was to support MARC services.  Anyway, in 2020 the issues were finally resolved and from what I have heard the CPL replacement project will wrap up sometime in June or July.

Back in 2018 I reported on the demise of the well known CPLs at KC JCT in Covington, KY and worked under the assumption that the adjacent CPLs at OB Cabin would also be replaced.  Well it turns out I was wrong as for reasons unknown, the CPLs at OB Cabin hung on for a further two years with a planned retirement in mid-May 2020.  Surprisingly, instead of masts or dwarfs or dwarf masts attached to the side of the bridge or the old gantry uprights, CSX has decided on some sort of super-signal bridge that has more in common with a tower crane than a railroad signal and might be the tallest railroad signal ever constructed



This will leave the single cantilever at WINTON PLACE and another adjacent Indiana and Ohio Railway interlocking as the only two remaining main line CPLs in the Cincinatti Area.  Of course that's a downright luxury as the ENTIRE STATE OF MARYLAND, home of the Baltimore and Ohio itself, will now be completely devoid of main line CPLs.  Think about that one :-(

Amtrak Dual Equips Part of NEC for I-ETMS PTC System

Effective April 23rd, 2020, Amtrak is activating I-ETMS (Interoperable Electronic Train Management System) on its Philadelphia to Washington route between PENN and the end of CTEC territory at CP-AVENUE and on the Harrisburg Line between FRAZER and STATE.  This is the PTC system generally used outside of the Northeast commuter zone by the Class 1's and other railroads and on Amtrak territory I-ETMS will be used by NS freights and MARC commuter trains.  The bulletin order with the relevant information can be found here.

Here are some important takeaways regarding this bulletin order.

1.  I-ETMS relies on the cab signal system to enforce train separation as a CSS failure will constitute an I-ETMS failure.  This was generally suspected to be the case due to the lack of I-ETMS antennas at intermediate signal locations in cab signal territory both on NS and on Amtrak. 

   "Trains operating with I-ETMS that experience a cab signal, ATC, Speed Control or LSL failure enroute must consider I-ETMS to be inoperative and proceed in accordance with SI 592-S2."

2.  Some MARC Locomotives were ACSES equipped for NEC operation, but as of 2018 MARC was still ACSES exempt.  MARC now appears to be switching over to I-ETMS, but I am unsure if it is because the locomotives can only support one PTC system or simply want to simplify procedures as the Camden and Brunswick lines as CSX will use I-ETMS.
   
   

   

   ACSES receiver on a MARC MP36 locomotive. 

    
3.  I am still working to get the instructions for the I-ETMS on board apparatus, but the I-ETMS special instructions make reference to time consuming software downloads, manual entry of consist weight and manual selection of track before entry into I-ETMS territory. All of this manual entry through what is probably a fairly simplistic interface device is likely what led to METRA's complaints about PTC setup times of 10-15 minutes necessitating schedule changes.  ACSES does not require complex setup procedures due to the use of transponders.
4. The rules state that the Stop release becomes available after 300 seconds (5 minutes) stopped within 1500 feet of a stop signal, but I was told that might be a typo as 30 seconds would be a more reasonable amount of time.
5. It will be interesting to see how the two systems stack up regarding braking curves and calculated enforcement points.
6. SEPTA's claims that ACSES was incompatible with I-ETMS to justify separating the West Trenton branch from the CSX Trenton line were not entirely truthful.  The 2015/16 project cost a good deal of money and reduced capacity on the West Trenton Line with SEPTA claiming it was out of their hands.  As I pointed out at the time there was nothing that would technically prevent deploying both systems on the same section of track and Amtrak has proven this assertion without much fuss or fanfare. 

Anyway, that's all I have.  MARC riders, keep your eyes open to see how I-ETMS effects performance.  I'll follow up and try to get the answers to the lingering questions.

Amtrak's K Tower Threatened

No, the tower isn't closing, but if a developer gets his way Washington DC's iconic K Tower and the entire terminal throat might be covered over and replaced by office towers.  Just like what was recently done in New York City with the Penn Station "hole", views like these will be a thing of the past.  The CPLs, pneumatic point machines, green overhead wire and 5 track signal bridges forever hidden and bathed in pale LED light.

Even worse, forget getting a breath of fresh air while your through train get's its power swapped out.  Everything will be under cover creating a smoky, Chicago style atmosphere with little to know lighting.



Sure urban development is important, but city after city has come to regret covering over its great train stations and creating smoky rabbit warrens.  Chicago, New York and Boston have all made this mistake.  Hopefully this is just another smoke and mirrors development project like oh so many before (remember the Jet's stadium that was planned to cover the West Side yard?)

PHOTOS: WB Tower

CSX's WB (West Brunswick) tower in Brunswick, Maryland closed on December 9th, 2011 after a career spanning a full century of service on the B&O Main Line between Baltimore (or Washington) and Pittsburgh (or Wheeling).  It also had the distinction of being the last manned interlocking tower on the B&O Main where scarcely more than 10 years before there had been 8.  Fortunately I had several opportunities to personally visit WB tower between 2007 and 2010 as well as numerous others to pass by it on Amtrak's Capitol Limited, so I have enough material to devote an entire post to it in my ongoing series covering the B&O Main Line.

As far as I can tell WB was built sometime in the time around 1910 and while most evidence says indicated that it featured a power type interlocking machine from day one (note the compact square layout of the structure which would be ill suited to a mechanical frame) there is an opening in the concrete foundation that could have supported operation of mechanical pipelines.  Over the years it had many paint jobs including the rather bland Chessie cream, however it eventually ended up in a nice CSX blue and grey scheme as seen here.

Remarkably the all wooden WB not only failed to catch fire it also retained its original tall style drop sash windows, a feature that most others of this age would have had boarded up and replaced with smaller modern windows.  At some point in the first years of the 21st century WB was given a cosmetic refresh with brand new red siding and new, old style windows.  In the age of rapid tower closures this was a remarkable development.

For most of its life WB was a US&S pneumatic interlocking plant with a 29-lever Model 14 type interlocking machine.  At the time of its closure the tower had 9 levers for signals (2,4,6,8,16,24,26,28), 5 for switches (1,3,15,19,21) and 1 for an electrically locked switch (11).  They are painted red, black and blue respectively.  Here is a picture of the machine and the operator's desk shortly before the tower's closure in 2011.  The machine is an older style Model 14 similar to the machine of similar vintage in ALTO tower which is another reason I suspect it is original.

To help you orient yourself here is a view of the model board.  Technically WB controls the west end of Brunswick Yard which is located between two pairs of main tracks, 2 and 4 eastbound, 1 and 3 westbound.  Technically tracks 3 and 4 function more as sidings and yard leads than main through tracks.  On tracks 2 and 4 the interlocking consists of a pair of crossovers with signals on either side.  On tracks 1 and 3 the interlocking is a trailing point ladder from three yard tracks.  There is also a hand operated facing point crossover outside of interlocking limits.  In WB's later life this ladder was mostly used by MARC commuter trains pulling out of the yard and into service.

In WB's last few years its premier signal was the 28R, which replaced an earlier structurally compromised CPL mast earlier that year.  Here it is displaying a Clear indication for an approaching CSX freight train.

 Also present in 2007 was the westbound train order hoop which got a lot of use prior to 2004 when the section west of HARPERS FERRY was operated under Rule 251.  Orders would be placed in each of the two order fork mounts with the head end crew grabbing one set and the rear end crew the other.

PHOTOS: Complete CPLs at Carroll Interlocking

As I promised some of you CPL fans out there here is the much awaited tour of CARROLL interlocking in Baltimore Maryland. CARROLL interlocking is located directly south of downtown Baltimore on CSX's Baltimore Terminal Subdivision on the route of the former Baltimore and Ohio route to Washington, DC (now known as the Metropolitan Sub). You might remember this route from other essays such as those covering Dorsey and Jessup Interlockings.

As always I will start with a little history. The interlocking currently known as CARROLL started life under the B&O as CX Tower. CX was an electro-mechanical plant of the type typically seen on the B&O with manually operated points and panel operated signals. CX was located south (railroad west) of 1950's relay/NX plant, HB Tower that governed the southern throat of the B&O's Camden Station. CX was also the junction between the South Baltimore Industrial Track and the Mount Claire Branch. The Mount Claire Branch was at the time a two track branch that allowed trains on the new alignment to Camden Station and the Howard Street Tunnel to reach the old alignment that terminated at what is today the B&O Railroad Museum. The old Alignment contained the Mt Claire Yard so CX was an important junction that allowed trains to reach this yard from the North. CX also provided a connection to what is now the South Baltimore Industrial Track, but then allowed southbound trains a routing to the Curtis Bay yard and industrial area w/o having to go through the Mt Claire Yard. To the south was the smaller Mt Winans Yard which complimented the older Mt Claire Yard.


Luckily pictures do exist online of CX tower as it appeared. Here you can see the cantilevered lever room design and the mechanical pipelines for point operation in this eastbound view.