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Starting next month, the Music City Star commuter train will begin service. Started by the Regional Transportation Athority in November of 2004, service will travel from Nashvile's Riverfront Park and will go 32 miles east to Lebanon, stopping at Donnelson Pike, Chandler Road, Mount Juliet, and Martha along the way. The roster consists of three former Amtrak F40PH's numbers 332, 398, & 399, and 11 bi-level coaches recently aquired from Metra. The RTA plans for other lines to connect Murfreesburo, Franklin, Bellvue, Montgomery, Clarksville, and Gallitan. This is also my first post here.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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I like your handle. I have been following this from afar for a while, and was of the impression that the opening had been delayed to sometime in January or February.
The N&E line has been a poster child for how to do this liek it ought to be done. First, you have a cooperative railroad. Second, don't rebuild the world, only fix what needs fixing. Unfortunately, for the ex TC main, that was quite a lot. Third, what you do fix, fix right.
Buying used coaches and locomtives may not be glamerous, but these things can last a very long time if the maintenance is kept up.
This was the good first choice. All the others are on CSX lines that have heavy freight traffic, and will probably need significant additional track. Also, CSX is currently not the most cooperative railroad to deal with.
I have one question about the choice of end poitnt: Why did they choose to end at Lebanon downtown? It would seem that it would have been better to go a couple of miles further to the vicinity of the I40/US70 interchange and build a humongous parking lot.
Oh yeah, their web site: www.rta-ride.org go to "services" then go to "commuter rail" then go to updates and work your way through for information. Under contractual related issues, you will also find track charts and the N&E rule book in pdf form.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Some progress was made while I was riding the TCRM's Exursion Train to Watertown on April 23. Work was being done on a siding next to Donelson Pike. Also, a fly-over crossing Route 109 and Route 70 was built to kiss the grade crossings good-bye. Also, a new bridge was built over Briley Parkway. Right now, they had just started repainting the 398. 399 is still in Surfliner Paint. And the 332 will be used as a parts donor.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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Can anyone give me more info on this train and the compagny riding it? Pictures are also appreciated.
Posts: 6 | From: Belgium | Registered: Sep 2005
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The startup date has now been rescedueled to either February or March. Work has started on the stations at Riverfront, Mt. Juliet, and Lebanon. I'll keep you posted on the progress. I'll be chasing the Tennessee Central's Super Fall Foliage Special to Cookeville in the next three weeks or so.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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The most recent monthly update was just put up on the rta web site. The most significant item is that rail and tie replacements are complete.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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If you go over to railpictures.net, you'll see Music City Star F40PHR no.121. They had just finish repainting on the 398. The 399 will follow next. The 332 will not be used as a parts donor and instead undergo a mini-restoration and renumbering as RTA no.200. As far as I know, the bi-levels have not been touched but will be repainted soon.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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All of the proposed corridors have been extended. The south line has been expanded to Columbia. The west line has been expanded to Dickson. All the other corridors have stayed the same. Two other corridors, one north-west to Ashland City, and the other north to Springfield, (No, not the one in Illinois) are in the planning stages. I will be photographing the Tennessee Central's Super Fall Foliage excursion to Cookeville on Saturday. I might see some updates while I'm busy with the "digi" cam.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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Going to Columbia really makes sense, there are a lot of people down that way. The question is how much work it will take to make the line usable at reasonable speed. I believe that it is a 40 mph line and unsignaled. Dickson also makes sense, and that is currently 50 mph for freight, has signals, not a lot of trians, but not a lot of people, either, but should be fairly cheap to start up. It is curvey, and took about an hour without stops during passenger service days. Ashland City? i though the bridge across the Cumberland River was unusable. Also unless it gets to Clarksdale, where are the people? This may be in the dream stage. Springfield has so much freight traffic, I am guessing that CSX would want an extra track full length, so we are looking at a lot of money for this one. Same for Murfreesboro. Course these are also the more populous corridors.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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The RTA has now reached a contract with the TCRM to use some of their engines, including ex-Amtrak 258 & 375 ,possibly E8 6902, as back-up power. Now the Music City Star has its own website at www.musiccitystar.org for more info.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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I'm back after 210 miles on the road. The fly-over at Martha is complete. And locomotive 399 is now in primer. Two of the eleven bi-levels had been repainted. I'll post some pictures soon.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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Maybe the RTA might aquire some of the remaining F40's still at Beach Grove.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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OK. We're experiancing some technical difficulties with our technical difficulties about the pictures. Might be a while.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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Now the new bridge over Briley Parkway is completed. Some time ago, a test train, cosisting of the 121 and two bi-levels, ran from Riverfront to Hermitage as part of the Tennessee Public Transportaion Association confrence. Photos can be seen in the November 2005 update.
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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This is very interesting news. Do you think there is ever a chance that this train will be extended all the way to Chattanooga and maybe even Atlanta? I have heard that Chattanooga is a fast-growing city, and I for one have repeatedly mourned the fact that there is no Chattanooga ChooChoo.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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This first commuter train route is not toward Chattanooga. It is instead on the former Tennessee Central line toward Cookeville and Harriman from where you took Southern RR to get to Knoxville.
When you hear then talking about commuter service to Myrfreesboro, then you can start thinking about toward Chattanooga. Even thought this would probably be one of the heavier used lines, it may be one of the late ones because it will be one of the more expensive to implement. I would suspect that CSX would want full double track before saying OK to commuter service on this line, and actually, it would take that to have any sort of reliability.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Think about it sojouner. Maybe some day, a commuter train would pull out of the Chattanooga Choo Choo Station heading for suburbs like Cleavland, Bridgeport, & Ringgold. The station would be where the TVRM parked there Downtown Arrow on the trolly tracks. Remember, it's just a dream.
Brian
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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So any improvements on Music City Star , no updates since september on their website.
Posts: 6 | From: Belgium | Registered: Sep 2005
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Tehy seem to have forgotten how to update their web site. At least according to their last wpdate, all planned rail replacement has been done, which means that all the under 100lb/yd stuff in gone. Our most recent information now is that from NC&StL576. At least he is in the area. I am not.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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I dunno. I sent them an email a few months back asking about updates. They said that they were behind a bit. Then, when I got a response, they posted the November update. And then, all of a sudden, the website was down for a few days. They said that they were giving it a new look. Wrong. When I got back on its feet, nothing was new. None at all. Not even a new graphic. The only difference was that the November update was removed.
All I can say about this is, "GET IN LINE, BROTHER!"
Brian
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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Fortunately, I downloaded the November update while it was up. They have now thrown in the two early 2006 meeting minutes, but under misleading titles on the site. When I checked yesterday, it now says opening will be late summer, but otherwise there is nothing new on the site. Considering that almost all work is done, I am wondering why late summer instead of the early spring they had been quoting.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Feb 28 minutes are now on the site. Still no new monthy progress reports.
Apparently teh last piece of federal money is now agreed, but in the glacial process of getting it turned into actual cash in the hand of the agency.
"The ballast cleaner has arrived and is in the field. Outlying stations are being finalized with paving and landscaping. Riverfront station is looking very good."
There was also mention of the planning for opening ceremonies.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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koen, same thing happened to me as well. Last I heard was that they were behind. Like, 6 months behind. Anyways, they won't post any updates here. I will. Starting right now!
The coaches were open for tours at the TCRM meet last Saturday. Inside, everything looked green, from the reflection of the windows. I was even allowed to go beyond the yellow saftey tape to get a shot of the 121. The results were striking & I wish I could put them up on here, but the pix are on a different machine and I can't log in for some stupid reason into the forum, so there ya' go.
Also, almost all of the brickwork on Riverfront station has been completed & the inside is being finished; even though the tracks have been tepmorarly removed. But still a good site.
And BTW, I'm gonna be visiting Nashville for the next few months, so I'm gonna keep ya' updated when I get the chance.
Cheers, Brian
Posts: 17 | From: College Grove, TN | Registered: Sep 2005
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Nashville has another update on line. It is posted as the March 28 update, but it also includes the March 14 minutes. Sounds like the “Late Summer” opening will actually happen. They are also talking about running a “Special events train for Nashville’s Fourth of July fireworks. (Maybe I can get up there to ride it! ) The major remaining problem appears to be obtaining insurance up to the required limit of $200 million at a price they can afford, and as part of that showing the ability to come up with a $2 million “Self Insured Retention Fund”, effectively the deductible, in case of a claim. This apparently must be in place before they can even do any test runs or operator training, which they want to start on June 1. Apparently the Madrid commuter system and London subway bombings have caused a huge jump in the cost of insurance for public transit.
Construction Update:
“As of 2/25/06, $23,547,101 (83%) worth of work has been completed of the currently $28,267,187 that has been obligated.”
“ballast cleaning is complete, Phase II of the grade crossing signals were installed, landscaping, curbing and electrical work have been completed at both Mt. Juliet and Lebanon, the concrete platforms are completed at both Hermitage and Donelson and installation of insulation, drywall and exterior masonry and metal roofing has begun at Riverfront Station.” Estimated completion status was about “Signals 90%, Stations 75%, Trackwork 90%.
An Operations and Maintenance contract has been given to Transit Solutions Group (who are they) for five years for a total of $8,363,319.00. This amounts to a mobilization of $1,372,642 and gradually rising amounts per year beginning with $1,281,610 in year 1 going up to $1,498,963 in year 5. It is not clear form the discussion whether they get the fares or the RTA gets the fares and this is the total cost of running the service.
At least it is good to see that they are really getting close to having a system. May they be overwhelmed with ridership.
George
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Well , if they want they also are able to hire a super Conductor for a save ride on their trains. All they have to do is give me a call.
Posts: 6 | From: Belgium | Registered: Sep 2005
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The end is near: Monthly updates are now to be found on thw www.musiccitystar.org web site for all months January through May of this year. They have some nice pictures of the works in progress.
The latest board minutes is saying for the Construction Update: “As of 5/25/06, $26,145,049 (92%) worth of work has been completed of the currently $28,442,582 that has been obligated.”
A new openign date has also been stated in these board minutes:
Friday, September 15, 2006: Grand Opening Event Monday, September 18, 2006: Revenue Operations Date
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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It is also on a line that has not seen scheduled passenger service since sometime in the early 1950's. The line was originally built sometime in the 1900 - 1910 time frame, so it has spent more times as a freight only line than it did with passenger service available. It is also getting another thing it never had before, signals. The Tennessee Central also did not get to Nashville's Union Station, and this commuter service will not either. Looks like when they get around to line 2, whichever one it is they will not go into the same station in Nashville.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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