Hey Leo,
Give us more of the story of this steam engine that sank in the soft soil…
From: CBQ@groups.io [mailto:CBQ@groups.io] On Behalf Of
Leo Phillipp via groups.io
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2021 1:55 PM
To: CBQ@groups.io
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Shoo Fly at Illinois Tollway????
So before Moderator Dave shuts this thread off as not Q related. I’ll try and add some Q related comments,FWIW.
There’s numerous precedents for BNSF requiring improvements in return for working with government agencies on road projects.
1) on the West Batavia branch when the tollway wanted to improve the exit and entrance lanes from I88 to route 31 in North Aurora not only did the tollway and Feds(our money directly) pay for removal of the unused bridge over the tollway
they paid for a nice new a approx. half mile runaround built to 30 or 40 MPH standards where there had been nothing before. On the Irish Mail job we used to shove back from Dart(the customer located there) over crossings to the old cooperage runaround a good
3/4 mile.
2) somewhat related, when Amtrak(our tax $s) and the state of Illinois (many of us on here tax $s) wanted to add the Quad cities trains BNSF got the expansion of yard tracks at Eola paid for so the Galesburg main would be clear of parked
freight trains so Amtrak could use both mains w/o big delays. I went over the Eola road bridge last week and Eola yard looked as empty as a church parking lot on Monday morning.
The new project to widen I294 is just another case. BNSF has removed ever single side track on the entire east end except for a couple yard tracks at Downers Grove and Congress Park. I’m sure a nice new double ended spur at I294 would be
a great operating aid. By the way since I294 is an interstate there’s no doubt that Federal money(here again our tax $s at work) is paying a goodly portion of this project.
But in defense of the project I294 is a parking lot during both the morning and evening rush hours.
Hey, just maybe this project will uncover the long rumored steam engine that sank in soft soil way back when and was simply used as fill !?
On Feb 4, 2021, at 1:29 PM, Mike Schattl <mike@schattl.com> wrote:
Maybe BNSF is fibbing to avoid public outcry from the NIMBY community, Lol.
Mike SchattL
On 2/4/2021 1:20 PM, Charlie Vlk wrote:
Mike-
No joke….unfortunately.
You would think so but when somebody else is paying the bill cost is not an issue!!
The linked writeup specifically stated the MOW siding is part of the plans and that there is considerable citizen opposition to it.
Charlie Vlk
I doubt the fourth track is for MoW storage, LOL!!! Perhaps a passing siding but any MoW track could've been located east or west of the new bridge IMHO as bridges are super expensive to build.
Mike SchattL
On 2/4/2021 12:50 PM, Charlie Vlk wrote:
David-
The MOW extra track bridge will be part of the new bridge construction and is shown south of the main lines. They may even be considering using the main 3 temporary bridge for it….but that would make too much sense.
BNSF may not be getting the project out of tax dollars but rather out of the Illinois Tollway Authority, whose bonds were supposed to be paid off through toll revenue and the toll roads turned over to the state as free access interstates.
The tolls are paid by taxpayers either directly or embedded in the cost of goods carried in trucks.
Charlie Vlk
I've seen the videos too, and I don't recall the storage track being there.
Technically, taxpayers have nothing to do with it. This is a Tollway project and paid entirely out of toll revenues.
--
David Streeter
On 2/4/2021 11:43 AM, Charlie Vlk wrote:
Erik-
Thanks for the information! Interesting that the BNSF is trying to get the taxpayers to build an additional bridge and fill (that is where the fun will begin!!) for MOW equipment. Bet they wouldn’t spend big bucks to dump fill in that
troublesome area and build a new, separate bridge just so they don’t have to inconvenience themselves running rail mounted MOW stuff to the next siding as they have been doing since 1864!!!
Charlie Vlk
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Site preparation for tollway widening expected in August, despite contin...
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The Illinois Tollway is moving forward with plans to widen Interstate 294 through Hinsdale and Western Springs w...
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'That is a tunnel of noise': Western Springs residents talk sound walls,...
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Western Springs residents want a better sound wall on their side of Interstate 294 as part of the Illinois Tollw...
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On Thursday, February 4, 2021, 11:01:38 AM CST, Charlie Vlk <cvlk@comcast.net> wrote:
Does anybody know what the construction is at the Illinois Tollway between
Highlands and Western Springs? I have seen a video taken from a Dinky on
uTube going both ways and wonder what the details of the project are.
I am not normally interested in any BN/BNSF/Metra events but as this is
taking place in the area that gave the CB&Q fits with sinking roadbed during
the original line construction of the two track grade and when they added
the third track I was wondering why they are doing what looks like a bridge
replacement and if there have been any problems with the fill for the shoo
fly or the new construction.
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