OH I Wish There Was a Shortcut to Atlanta!

[west point]

Single loco ATL to NEC is not a good idea. There are several grades that would slow train too much. And it is more likely that train will be longer than 6 cars.

The wye at 5 points is a problem as 2 legs are used by CSX freights. Ownership of the wye track age is murky and the tails are owned by NS one for sure and 2 by CSX.

What is needed is a joint use agreement to cover both the old Union station / Terminal station area and the parallel 2 main tracks each of CSX / NS to Howell. Provide at least one universal CP thru all 4 main tracks which would allow CSX freights from south to avoid the wye. Also build Howell with flyovers.

But there is not any push to do these items. Now if freight traffic increases ? ? ? ?

Anyone know if the proposed joint dispatch ( NS CSX ) center for the Atlanta area was ever implemented.

 

[Ind Ben]

Never,NS dispatchers handled both NS @ CSX between Howell and East Point

 

[Seaboard92]

What about a Novel approach from 1917. Build the new station tracks like Richmond Broad Street. Except make it join with two wyes then you have no back up move. Problem solved

 

[jis]

Boy we are now really off in la la land

 

[xyzzy]

When Broad Street Station was built, it was on the edge of civilization. Land in downtown Atlanta is worth a lot these days.

 

[west point]

There could possibly be enough real estate for a station to be built in downtown Atlanta that would include a balloon track. That at the combined location of Union station and Terminal station. However until the Howell CP problem is fixed no way. Southern RR's back up move < > terminal station had Southern Crescent to/ from Birmingham and also earlier trains that had back up moves that crossed Howell twice. As well also SAL passenger trains to / from Birmingham also had twice back up moves. Then there were NC&SL, L&N to the north, & ACL trains to the south that also went across the CP.

Regular passenger RT train counts around 1958 were SOU - 10. NC&SL - 2, L&N-2. SAL -3. ACL -2

Then all the freight transfer trains < > Ga RR / A&WP, C of GA, SOU RR, L&N / NC&SL/ ACL Tilford yard, and SAL. All these trains were rather short and the tower was manned. Now freights are so long that into NS Inman or CSX Tilford are long enough to foul Howell either originating or terminating thru Howell

One of trains magazine blog had a post about Howell as one of 5 worse in the USA.

 

[GaSteve]

There could possibly be enough real estate for a station to be built in downtown Atlanta that would include a balloon track. That at the combined location of Union station and Terminal station. However until the Howell CP problem is fixed no way. Southern RR's back up move < > terminal station had Southern Crescent to/ from Birmingham and also earlier trains that had back up moves that crossed Howell twice. As well also SAL passenger trains to / from Birmingham also had twice back up moves. Then there were NC&SL, L&N to the north, & ACL trains to the south that also went across the CP.

Regular passenger RT train counts around 1958 were SOU - 10. NC&SL - 2, L&N-2. SAL -3. ACL -2

Then all the freight transfer trains < > Ga RR / A&WP, C of GA, SOU RR, L&N / NC&SL/ ACL Tilford yard, and SAL. All these trains were rather short and the tower was manned. Now freights are so long that into NS Inman or CSX Tilford are long enough to foul Howell either originating or terminating thru Howell

One of trains magazine blog had a post about Howell as one of 5 worse in the USA.

The Howell issue aside, there isn't anyplace near downtown that a balloon track could be laid unless you want to spend mega$$ on land, and probably not even then.

 

[xyzzy]

The original Crescent and the original Piedmont (both NY-Atlanta-Montgomery-NO) avoided the backup move at Howell because they ran straight through Terminal Station onto the A&WP. Likewise the Kansas City-Florida special ran straight through on its way KC-B'ham-Atlanta-Jacksonville. The Sunnyland originated/terminated at Atlanta in 1948. Of Southern's named trains, this left only the Southerner and the Peach Queen to run NY-Atlanta-B'ham-NO with the backup move.

When A&WP/WofA/L&N wanted out of the Crescent and Piedmont, Southern essentially renamed the Southerner as the Southern Crescent and dropped Terminal Station as a calling point. Terminal Station lingered on for another year serving CofG trains, but there was no backup move -- although there was switching at Howell because the engine consists usually changed there and the consist was extended between Atlanta and NY.

As another person said, poor SAL was stuck with the backup move too. In fact they had to cross both the NC&StL/L&N and Southern's Piedmont Division at Howell. Imagine how smooth a process that was.