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Paths Through Pittsburgh
- Thread starter sechs
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At the risk of sounding stupid... (it's a bummer when your memory doesn't work as well as it used to...)
The Pennsylvanian uses currently NS, ex-PRR, ex-PC mainline in and out of Penn Station in Pittsburgh.
The Capitol Limited uses CSX trackage from WAS up until about a mile or so from Penn Station. It then takes a crossover track to NS trackage into the station. IIRC, I think PennDOT ended up paying for that track, but perhaps Amtrak did. Departing Pittsburgh, it takes the old PRR Pittsburgh to Cleveland line that runs through East Palastine, Salem and Alliance, OH.
That line was never a attention-getter for most of the PRR days, but it took on added importance when the Pennsy expanded Conway Yard dramatically.
Hope this helps.
The Pennsylvanian uses currently NS, ex-PRR, ex-PC mainline in and out of Penn Station in Pittsburgh.
The Capitol Limited uses CSX trackage from WAS up until about a mile or so from Penn Station. It then takes a crossover track to NS trackage into the station. IIRC, I think PennDOT ended up paying for that track, but perhaps Amtrak did. Departing Pittsburgh, it takes the old PRR Pittsburgh to Cleveland line that runs through East Palastine, Salem and Alliance, OH.
That line was never a attention-getter for most of the PRR days, but it took on added importance when the Pennsy expanded Conway Yard dramatically.
Hope this helps.
I guess that's the information that I asked for, but not what I wanted.
Alright, here's the map:
http://www.lundsten.dk/railfan_pa/pit.html
I think that I can safely presume that the Capitol Limited comes in on the North Side and crosses the Allegheny to Penn Station.
Are you saying that the Pennsylvanian goes out through Wilkinsburg? 'Cause I never saw a train there during the day.
Alright, here's the map:
http://www.lundsten.dk/railfan_pa/pit.html
I think that I can safely presume that the Capitol Limited comes in on the North Side and crosses the Allegheny to Penn Station.
Are you saying that the Pennsylvanian goes out through Wilkinsburg? 'Cause I never saw a train there during the day.
I don't recall where the crossover track was located, and the last time I rode #29 from WAS, I got off at McKeesport (thereby dating myself. Sigh.)sechs said:I think that I can safely presume that the Capitol Limited comes in on the North Side and crosses the Allegheny to Penn Station.
Are you saying that the Pennsylvanian goes out through Wilkinsburg? 'Cause I never saw a train there during the day.
I don't know of any other way for The Pennsylvanian to get out of Pittsburgh on NS except for the old PRR main. Again, I haven't ridden #42 or #43 lately, but AFAIK, that's still the line they take to get to Greensburg.
...and our Danish friend adds this:sechs said:Well, what you say makes sense. It just clashes with what I know.
I've seen trains going into the Neville Tunnel, but Superliner equipment wouldn't fit in there.
Which is kinda what I thought. Couldn't think of the name, though. CP Fields.Today Glenwood Yard is leased to the Allegheny Valley Railroad and so is the southern part of the P&W. CSX still operates the few miles of the P&W from Braddock to CP Fields (near Downtown) for interchange with the NS. Amtrak's Capitol Limited also operates over this section of the P&W.
Back in the day, I rode the Chessie Steam Special when it came to the 'Burgh. Me, my dad, and my grandfather. Nice memories. sigh.
Anyway, we departed from the old B&O station where the jail is today, and went out through Glenwood Yard down to Point Pleasant, WV, IIRC. Rare mileage -- especially when you consider the station and tracks within Pittsburgh don't exist anymore.
A
amtrakconductor2930
Guest
...and our Danish friend adds this:sechs said:Well, what you say makes sense. It just clashes with what I know.
I've seen trains going into the Neville Tunnel, but Superliner equipment wouldn't fit in there.
Which is kinda what I thought. Couldn't think of the name, though. CP Fields.Today Glenwood Yard is leased to the Allegheny Valley Railroad and so is the southern part of the P&W. CSX still operates the few miles of the P&W from Braddock to CP Fields (near Downtown) for interchange with the NS. Amtrak's Capitol Limited also operates over this section of the P&W.
Back in the day, I rode the Chessie Steam Special when it came to the 'Burgh. Me, my dad, and my grandfather. Nice memories. sigh.
Anyway, we departed from the old B&O station where the jail is today, and went out through Glenwood Yard down to Point Pleasant, WV, IIRC. Rare mileage -- especially when you consider the station and tracks within Pittsburgh don't exist anymore.
29 goes off csx at field and comes on ns at cp bloom in the neghborhood of bloomfield.
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Did you you listen for the scraping sounds?Didn't believe it until I finally rode it during the early part of May this year.
frj1983
OBS Chief
So what everyone is saying here is that the tunnel is just big enough forActually, I did.
Our train (and I would suppose every Amtrak train) moved through the tunnel at restricted speed, probably no more than 15 miles an hour.
Amtrak to scrape through....whoa, that must be exciting! I wonder how
many little scrapes and dings are on the tops of the cars?
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They wouldn't let the train through if there wasn't appropriate clearance. Now, how much is "appropriate clearance" is a little more open to debate.
When I lived in Pittsburgh, the only trains that I saw go through there were single-level Amtrak and freight trains, and the clearance on those cars seemed just adequate to me....
When I lived in Pittsburgh, the only trains that I saw go through there were single-level Amtrak and freight trains, and the clearance on those cars seemed just adequate to me....
FWIW, Amtrak Superliner cars are 16' 2" (4928mm for the English-unit challenged), which I believe is much less than a double-stack container car.They wouldn't let the train through if there wasn't appropriate clearance. Now, how much is "appropriate clearance" is a little more open to debate.
When I lived in Pittsburgh, the only trains that I saw go through there were single-level Amtrak and freight trains, and the clearance on those cars seemed just adequate to me....
CSX undercut the track through the tunnel to obtain the needed clearance? Or perhaps, it was done by Amtrak at the time the connection was put in between the CSX and NS lines. Remember, the CL in B&O days came into what is now Station Square -- and was the P&LE station.
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A
amtrakconductor2930
Guest
FWIW, Amtrak Superliner cars are 16' 2" (4928mm for the English-unit challenged), which I believe is much less than a double-stack container car.They wouldn't let the train through if there wasn't appropriate clearance. Now, how much is "appropriate clearance" is a little more open to debate.
When I lived in Pittsburgh, the only trains that I saw go through there were single-level Amtrak and freight trains, and the clearance on those cars seemed just adequate to me....
CSX undercut the track through the tunnel to obtain the needed clearance? Or perhaps, it was done by Amtrak at the time the connection was put in between the CSX and NS lines. Remember, the CL in B&O days came into what is now Station Square -- and was the P&LE station.
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