21A and 21T rerouted

[Greg46m]

As of 1/15/06 NS trains 21A and 21T have been rerouted from the Chicago Line via Butler/Huntington District to the Fostoria District via NE onto the Huntington District. I'm guessing to lighten the load of the Huntington District a little bit. I also noticed that they are making the trip quicker as they usually came through mid afternoon, and today I saw them with 21T following on 21A's heels about 12PM.

[nssd70]

I'm not from the area could you tell me what NE is? thank you in advance.

[Funitsforever]

I'm not from the area could you tell me what NE is? thank you in advance.

the old NKP named their towers with 2 letters of the town they were located in.
FS=Fostoria
DA= Arcadia
NE= New Haven
just a few examples, get the idea.

[rrnut282]

nssd70,

Check out this page for more information. It shows the rail lines in Fort Wayne and the interlockings (towers).

http://www.fwarailfan.net/fortwayne_loc.htm

[KEITH_HARRIS]

WHEN I WORKED RUNNION AVE IN LATE 1952 AND EARLY 1953 THE INTERLOCKING WAS CONTROLED FROM A CABIN LOCATED JUST WEST OFF OF RUNNION AVE. IT HAD A CTC LIKE MACHINE AND CONTROLED THE SIGNALS AND LOCKS ON THE CROSSOVER EAST OF RUNNION AVE. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE CALL LETTERS THERE, BUT SOUTH WHITLEY'S CALL WAS "SY". CAN'T REMEMBER CLAYPOOL OF ARGOS EITHER. BEEN TOO LONG AND GETTING OLD. THE HARDEST THING AT RUNNION WAS TO PUT PAPER YARD TRACK MESSAGES IN THE RACK FOR EASTBOUNDS.
THE ONLY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TOWERS WAS TELEGRAPH. THE ONLY PHONE WAS THE DISPATCHER. AH, FOR THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
KEITH HARRIS

[Joe Millspaugh]

Keith....I have been out there many times when the signals went down and would have given my left arm for the towerman to keep things moving...I crawled from,and I mean crawled,from Toledo to Cleveland one morning after a TV train ripped out most of the interlockings between those two points with a dragging trailer...the automated DED never caught it but I bet even the most red-eyed towerman would have heard the noise or noticed after all the interlocking rods were torn out....could have stopped alot of damage but alas the bean counters had their way and the towers went by the wayside....what a shame... lost a ton of jobs and the ability to control the railroad even under the most adverse of conditions...

[KEITH_HARRIS]

RIGHT ON THE AUTOMATED STUFF. JUST A COUPLE THAT COME TO MIND ARE A BRAKE RIGGING DOWN ON AN EMPTY COAL CAR AND A SEALED BEARING OUTER CAP WITH TWO OF THE THREE CAP SCREW GONE. BOTH HAD JUST PASSED OVER DETECTORS. CAR KNOCKER SAID NEITHER WOULD HAVE MADE THE NEXT DETECTOR. ONE CHRISTMAS MORNING I HAPPENED TO HAVE THE SCANNER ON TO HEAR AMTRAK AT MP 348 WITH A BRAKE RIGGING DOWN, I GOT ON MY TRUCK RADIO AND ASKED IF THEY COULD MAKE SR 5 CROSSING IN LARWILL. AL HODSON SAID YES. I LOADED MY CUTTING TORCH AND WENT TO LARWILL. GOT THEM GOING WITH A 30 MINUTE DELAY. MAKES YOU FEEL WANTED, DOESN'T IT? LOVE THOSE BEAN COUNTERS.
KEITH

vistalawn@hotmail.com

[Greg46m]

seems that 21T at least is back to it's routing from the Chicago Line, making the turn at Butler and coming down the Huntington Distict again. Must have been a temporary rerouting for whatever reason.

[rrnut282]

I was West of Kendallville near the NYC wlr, and I swear the intermodal train I saw called itself 20A. This is the second time I've thought I heard that. Once, I can dismiss as a fluke or temporary reroute. Are 20A/21A still going on the Huntington District West of the fort?

[Greg46m]

Gee, now only if we knew a certain employee that still has his mainframe access...

[Big Ed]

According to the computer the 21T originates in Harrisburg, PA and runs through the Fort, down the Huntington District to the Voltz Mixing Center in Kansas City. I couldn't find any 20A/21A's on the Water Level or anywhere for that matter.

[joemcspadden]

Even though routes have been changed several times east of Fort Wayne, the 20A, 21A, 20T. and 21T have never stopped running
through Wabash on the Huntington District during the past several years. I hear them on my scanner all the time and frequently
watch them go through.

The only change I am aware of is that, during the floods in June '08, the 21A and 21T were combined into a single train for few
days. A year ago, 21T started picking up some autoracks (I believe in Cleveland) and running them on the head end. This practice
was discontinued during the time the two trains were combined.

The last time I checked, 20A (St. Louis to Rutherford, PA) runs Tuesday through Saturday; its counterpart 21A runs Wed-Mon.
20T (Kansas City to Rutherford) runs Monday through Saturday; its counterpart 21T runs daily.

Rutherford Is the site of a large NS intermodal facility just outside of Harrisburg.

I have gotten the strong impression from occasionally listening to the FW radio feed that these trains have been using the Butler
connection to the Water Level Route the past few months, rather than the Fostoria District--but I can't be sure. That they have
never stopped going to/coming from St. Louis/Kansas City via the ex-Wabash west of Fort Wayne is something I am darned sure
about. They pass within five blocks of my house.

Joe

[rrnut282]

This was on Monday, but I can't see them running a different route one day a week. I need a new scanner. It must be something that sounds like 20a (208, 28A, etc).

[Big Ed]

Maybe I'll buy you a box of Q-tips Mike LOL Monday's Water Level trains:
10R
16E
861
23W
24M
20E
365
17R
82E
20K
206
20R
68T
22W
418
34G
14A
20N
26N
24W
34J
36J
20G
19A
21Z
21N
21Q
25K
24V
20Q
30Q
18A
616
34E
B09
33E
21M
31G
21J
21E
21V
S54
17W
31Q
25Z
37M
25Z
205
21Q
667
37M
681
19A
17V
31Q
69Q
21G

[rrnut282]

Just my luck. I ask for a scanner and get a box of Q-tips.

Out of the 57 trains listed I'd say 20K sounds the most like 20A.

Hmm. I don't see the CP trains on that list. Is it only NS trains? Looking back I've caught a fair number of these listed at one time or another.

Hey Greg, do you think you can cut and paste this list onto the operations page for future reference?