A tracklaying challenge

[asarge]

Bob, that's a train order signal. The pic was taken from the Interlocking tower at the crossing. The NYC track is barely visible behind the crossing watchman's shanty. The twin tracks on the the left are C&O and EL, The ones on the right are GT and the ones crossing the picture are the EJ&E. Today it's all CN as the "J" is now part of CN. The NYC, C&O and EL have been abandones although a short part of the C&O/EL exists as a spur served from a connecting track from the EJ&E.

[DKS]

Bob, that's a train order signal.

This?

[Bob Bufkin]

Yep, it's a train order.  Can see that now.  Looks a lot like the mail catchers they used to use.  I looked closer at the end of the pole and realized it's a train order stand.  I've actually placed orders on some of those at various PRR locations yeara ago.

[asarge]

Here's another interesting one from Chicagoland. It's Deval junction. 3 sets of diamond spread out a little bbut look at the one on the top. Built on Top of Northwest Hwy

http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/?org=aj&FORM=LMLTCC#5003/0.6002=q:des+plaines+il:nelat:41.6070901272428:nelong:-87.4606561170273:swlat:41.5986578727634:swlong:-87.4702798829727:nosp:0:adj:0/5872/style=be&lat=r0717k&lon=7p7mwh&alt=161.878555&z=18&pid=5874

The Goolge Maps view

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=des+plaines+il&rls=com.microsoft:*&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&rlz=1I7ADFA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x880fb0447ae71d6d:0xe95d217a6e46c8ba,Des+Plaines,+IL&gl=us&ei=h8UpTq-hAYPqgQfbn_yuCw&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=4&ved=0CDcQ8gEwAw

[Chris333]

The crossing in my pic is the Erie, C&O, EJ&E, and NYC.

[Bob Bufkin]

Where is that (super) crossing near Chicago?  I've seen photos where a ton of tracks cross another ton of tracks but can't find it.  Is it now gone?

[Chris333]

Bob, Are you talking about the crossing in the latest MR?
As if you are looking at the photo:
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qz86kt7px755&lvl=18.587798396089965&dir=359.02966019611096&sty=b&where1=Chicago%2C%20IL&form=LMLTCC

[Bob Bufkin]

Not sure it that's it or not.  I've got several PRR reference books which show the Broadway coming off a lift bridge getting ready to cross lots of tracks.  If that is the place it sure has changed.  Also noticed that one is near the crossing David posted earlier.  Looks like some tracks going into a tunnel or sorts near the crossover but can't find out where it comes back out.

[asarge]

That's 21st crossing Bob and that's the onbe in Chris's overhead. Looks like alot less tracks today.

Chris, you for got to include Grand Trunk Western in your roster for Griffith.

[Bob Bufkin]

Does look different than it used to.  Believe it used to be called Grand Crossing.

[DKS]

Looks like some tracks going into a tunnel or sorts near the crossover but can't find out where it comes back out.

That's a subway line that swings over to State Street and runs due north, then turns west on Division Street and continues on from there. It re-emerges somewhere around Lincoln Park.

[Chris333]

If you look in the MR photo the large building behind the lift bridge is still there.

In Griffith I didn't know if it was GTW or EJ&E.

[Chris333]

In Chi-town it was called ATSF Juction, they ran the tower there. My fav pic 

[Chris333]

From bottom left to right is the Erie main shared with the C&O after the station Erie cuts right and C&O to the left.

The bottom track with the train order stand is the EJ&E

The double track from the bottom right to the top is the GTW and their brown station.

The single track is the Michigan Central

[GaryHinshaw]

But my favorite is still this one in Chicago, mostly because of the switches on the bridges.

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qz925r7pxq3g&lvl=19.620116566756202&dir=0.12929721272937617&sty=b&where1=Griffith%2C%20IN&form=LMLTCC

This looks fakey:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qz8vgk7pxp4d&lvl=19.590579476700032&dir=0.896105646545006&sty=b&where1=Griffith%2C%20IN&form=LMLTCC

Why not flip the crossover and run the interchange track off the left main, and eliminate the diamond?  There must be enough real estate to allow it.