Mileage markers

[AmtrakPDX]

I'm looking at the BNSF division map for Nebraska to get milage marks for the Amtrak stations.

http://www.bnsf.com/tools/reference/division_maps/div_ne.pdf

Omaha shows 496.2 which I'm assuming is the distance from CHI, but it shows another mileage, 16.8. Is this BNSF mileage? What is it milage 'from'?

Also, around the Omaha area there are frequent 'CP' annotations with mileage marks. What does the CP mean?

TIA!

 

[Long Train Runnin']

CP stands for control point. When a the tail end of a train clears the the control point they radio the dispatcher and say something along the lines of "Amtrak 5 Engine 187 clear CP Something"

 

[battalion51]

The point where mileage originates from is seemingly random. Many time its holdovers from previous railroads starting and ending points or major terminal locations. On CSX for example the S-Line, A-Line, and RF&P are all measured in distance from Richmond. So on the S-Line and A-Line your mileage gets higher as you move south of Richmond, whereas on the RF&P it gets higher as you move north from Richmond. There have been a couple of times when I've woken up and heard a DD call out at MP 33 (or something like that) and I have no idea if I'm north or south of Richmond. :lol:

As far as CP's go in some places it's CP xx, like in the Conrail system. They used CP numbers, so Palmer is CP 83, Springfield Station is CP 98, etc. In other areas they have CP Names. So you might have CP Whalen for example.

 

[PRR 60]

Mile 496.2 is the distance from Chicago via the old CB&Q. Mile 16.8 is the distance from Oreapolis NE on the line coming from the south.

 

[battalion51]

Mile 496.2 is the distance from Chicago via the old CB&Q. Mile 16.8 is the distance from Oreapolis NE on the line coming from the south.

Like I said, seemingly random. :lol: