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12/28/2024
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Viewing Album:  CSS Catenary Replacement Continues
 
By:Gary Everhart
Dates:7/16/2011 - 7/16/2011
Album Info:The Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad is in the process of replacing its catenary wire from the Illinois/Indiana border to South Bend for the last 2 years. According to one of the project foremen, this is done approximately every 30 years. He mentioned that in some sections more than half of the thickness of the catenary contact wire had been rubbed off by the constant contact with the pantograph. Last year, I caught the team near Portage, IN (iee my album “CSS Catenary Replacement” on 7/1/2010). Now the crews have reached Michigan City, IO so I went to see them pull the wire there. The process appears to be 4 major steps - 1st to remove older catenary wires (see album “CSS Catenary TakeupFSpooler” on 6/13/2011); 2nd to remove the old support bracket; 3rd to install new support bracket; and 4th to pull the new support (messenger) and power (contact) wires. These are oversimplified steps since much more is involved by many highly trained and specialized crews in or/er to complete the job, not to mention the steps to re-power the line by electrical crews. Here are the pictures I was able to get Saturday, July 17, 2011 as they pulled new wire east of Michigan City. The pull through town on the street running sections will bn around July 30th - hope to catch that too!
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Pulling wires
Title:  Pulling wires
Description:  The NICTD Catenary Maintenance Vehicle is pulling new the support and power wires east of Michigan City.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:34:15 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives:  NICD MTW-100(MoW Equipment)
Views:  192   Comments: 0
Pulling wires
Title:  Pulling wires
Description:  One of the crewmen reaches over with a drop wire to pull the newly installed support bracket closer to install the new messenger and contact wires.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:34:52 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  92   Comments: 0
Pulling wires
Title:  Pulling wires
Description:  The newly strung messenger wire is clamped into the newly installed support bracket.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:35:02 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  78   Comments: 0
Pulling wires
Title:  Pulling wires
Description:  While two crewmen hold the support bracket, a crewman hooks a dropper wire onto the messenger wire so he can then hang the contact wire. Another crewman installs clamps on the messenger wire.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:35:12 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  82   Comments: 0
NICD MTW-100
Title:  NICD MTW-100
Description:  The NICD RT-100 Catenary Maintenance Vehicle prepares for the wire pulling activity just east of the street running section in Michigan City, IN.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:13:03 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives:  NICD MTW-100(MoW Equipment)
Views:  177   Comments: 0
NICD MTW-100
Title:  NICD MTW-100
Description:  The crew begins the pull by raising the NICD MTW-100 platform to cable height at the first support bracket of the pull.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:14:11 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives:  NICD MTW-100(MoW Equipment)
Views:  186   Comments: 0
NICD RT-100
Title:  NICD RT-100
Description:  The NICD RT-100 Reel and Pole Trailer prepares to uncoil the messenger (support) and contact (power) wires from the large reels at the back of the trailer.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:14:20 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  96   Comments: 0
NICD RT-100
Title:  NICD RT-100
Description:  The reel on the right holds the messenger wire which is used to support the copper contact wire (reel on the left) which the pantograph touches for power.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:14:27 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  93   Comments: 0
NICD RT-100
Title:  NICD RT-100
Description:  The reel on the right holds the messenger wire which is used to support the contact wire which the pantograph touches for power.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:14:35 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  81   Comments: 0
Securing the end
Title:  Securing the end
Description:  Before pulling the messenger (support) and the contact (power) wires, they must be secured at the beginning point. The blue wire is attached to the messenger wire to pull it towrd the securing point.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:14:44 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  93   Comments: 0
Securing the end
Title:  Securing the end
Description:  The new messenger wire (support wire) is pulled toward the crewman in the bucket so he can secure the end to the long bracket hanging by the pole.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:14:56 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  68   Comments: 0
Securing the end
Title:  Securing the end
Description:  The messenger wire (support wire) is secured to the bracket at the beginning of the pull. The blue cable will pull the contact wire (power wire) up to be secured as well.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:15:05 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  69   Comments: 0
Securing the ends
Title:  Securing the ends
Description:  Both the messenger (support) and contact (power) wires are now secure at the beginning point of the wire pull just east of downtown street running in Michigan City, IN.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:15:14 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  78   Comments: 0
Attaching the wires
Title:  Attaching the wires
Description:  On the raised platform of NICD MTW-100, a crew member installs the messenger wire (support wire) in the newly installed support bracket.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:35:20 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives:  NICD MTW-100(MoW Equipment)
Views:  174   Comments: 0
Attaching the wires
Title:  Attaching the wires
Description:  The new messenger wire (support wire) is now clamped in place on the first support bracket of the wire pull. The contact wire is being clamped in place below the first wire.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:35:41 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  76   Comments: 0
Pulling wires
Title:  Pulling wires
Description:  In the lead is the NICD RT-100 Reel and Pole Trailer in front of the NICD MTW-100 Catenary Maintenance Vehicle as they pull the messenger (support) and contact (power) wires just east of the street running section in Michigan City.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:35:56 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives:  NICD MTW-100(MoW Equipment)
Views:  215   Comments: 0
Pulling wires
Title:  Pulling wires
Description:  NICD RT-100 and NICD MTW-100 proceed slowly while unreeling the new messenger (support) and contact (power) wires from the large spools.
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:36:10 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives:  NICD MTW-100(MoW Equipment)
Views:  185   Comments: 0
Pulling wires
Title:  Pulling wires
Description:  Close up of the delivery pulleys on the NICD RT-100 Reel and Pole Trailer. Upper wire is the messenger wire (support wire) and the lower copper wire is the contact wire (power wire for the pantograph).
Photo Date:  7/16/2011  Upload Date: 7/18/2011 6:36:21 AM
Location:  Michigan City, IN
Author:  Gary Everhart
Categories:  RollingStock,Track,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  110   Comments: 1

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