Question(s) about CSX Indianapolis mainline

[WILocoworks]

I have a few questions related to the CSX mainline that goes between Cleveland and Indianapolis. I'm doing an extension of the Conrail Indy line that continues where the original route ends in Marion, OH. Here is what i'm still wondering about:

1. Its seems very hard to even determine what the actual names of the current CSX subdivisions are that run through Ohio, the one I'm building runs through Shelby, Shiloh, Greenwich, Grafton, New London, and other towns. I think this is now called the Greenwich Sub, at least for part of the way, but that's what I'm wondering. A good explanation or map of the CSX subs in Ohio would help alot.

2. Related to the first question, is the current updated version of the MSTS Indy route based on the route today, or when Conrail still existed?

3. Is this line double tracked, or has the second track been removed etc? I'm using USA Photomaps to place the markers and its very unclear if there is a second track in some sections, or if its in the process of being added/taken out. The pictures are from 1994 and 95.

4. I would like more information about this line and any available pictures, etc. of different parts of the line.

Thanks.
WILocoworks

[Vince]

I have a few questions related to the CSX mainline that
3. Is this line double tracked, or has the second track been removed etc? I'm using USA Photomaps to place the markers and its very unclear if there is a second track in some sections, or if its in the process of being added/taken out. The pictures are from 1994 and 95.

Thanks.
WILocoworks
Sorry I can't help with 1, 2 & 4 but try Google Earth for modern photos and the ability to generate markers. Use Route_Riter to convert Google kml data to MSTS marker data.

BTW, are you aware that marker data from any source are off in MSTS by anywhere from 0 to 2 miles?
Comes from the way the Earth is (round) and the way MSTS is (square)
Visualize squeezing a square patch onto a sphere and you'll get the idea.
So dont be too critical with markers, they are off to begin with.
There is a scientific name for this and has been explained in great detail in the forums by members familiar with this sort of thing. Perhaps a search?

You'll see this in your route construction as a line of markers curving when your own eyes just told you in the satellite photo you were just looking at, the line ran ruler straight though a particular area leaving you scratching your head wondering whats up.

This, BTW, is the curse of Google Earth; It forces you to make it look like the real world, not a funny line of blue flags.

I use the markers as a rough guide trusting a satellite photograph over crooked MSTS markers.

[landnrailroader]

I have used UsaPhotomaps exclusively for 6 or 7 routes that I have foisted
on the community, including my first two, which I may redo when I can find the time, now that I am retired, but being paid well by a signal company to essentially do my hobby.

I have never seen an error greater than 8-10 meters in relation between Photomaps and MSTS, or Google, either, which I have used lately to lay out markers for some routes
I want to do -- the easy part is doing the geometry extraction and creating the markers,
right---.

Theoretically, you should seem a curve when the track is straight, but I haven't done the Australian route across the Nullarbor plain, so my hilly routes seldom have tangents
longer than several hundred meters.

When I did the markers for the Coast Division of the MIlwaukee, and then before laying the track, I found an easterly offset of about 5 meters at three or four locations where the terrain extraction was fine enough to indicate the actual roadbed. (I use Demex) All I did was re-extract with Demex a few more times until I got it adjusted out and that was that.

From Crestline, OH to Indianapolis, the Subdivision is called the "Indianapolis Line Sub." and I believe it is called the Greenwich Sub. from Berea, OH to Crestline, but I will have access to that data tomorrow at work, and I will see what the current names are.

Oh, paid to do my hobby. Well, I am using any means available, including Google Earth to examine the Right of Way, and making a rough sketch of what is there - every switch, signal, crossing, bridge, burp---- so our survey crews can then go and get precise measurements for PTC work. As it happens, I just finished Indianapolis today.

J. H. Sullivan, P.E. (retired, but enjoying a new career in my 70s)

[Vince]

Hi Jerry,

It depends on the direction of the line.
The marker problem is why there are about 5 miles missing between Philadelpha and Wilmington on the NEC route.

I realized this recently while running track on the LIRR Bay Ridge Division.
The lines runs through Brooklyn, New Yorks nice street grid and satellite photo's show it runs straight as a string and as I grew up there, I 'knew' it was straight as a stringline.
I was using USA Photomaps and Google Earth generated markers. IOW, I was generating markers for the many overpasses, trying to be as accurate as I could. Now markers placed along an exactly straight rail should be in a straight line in the Sim. They were not! You can see in the satellite photos that the street grid is perfectly square but it get skewed when the lat/lon data is put in MSTS.
The markers deviated when I was going south, also showing curves when in fact there were none.
A good squared up street grid layout is really the only way to see this so I relied on the markers only as a guide.
Ten miles south at the Bay Ridge car float docks the markers were about 3/4 of a mile west of where they should be according to the street grid photo's.
I went with the photos because I 'know' this line was ruler straight. And this also agrees with the official employees timetable I have.
So up here in Brooklyn, the streets are like rulers. :p

[BC07USD]

1. Its seems very hard to even determine what the actual names of the current CSX subdivisions are that run through Ohio, the one I'm building runs through Shelby, Shiloh, Greenwich, Grafton, New London, and other towns. I think this is now called the Greenwich Sub, at least for part of the way, but that's what I'm wondering. A good explanation or map of the CSX subs in Ohio would help alot.

I'll get back to you on this one.

2. Related to the first question, is the current updated version of the MSTS Indy route based on the route today, or when Conrail still existed?

Not from crestline-cleveland

3. Is this line double tracked, or has the second track been removed etc? I'm using USA Photomaps to place the markers and its very unclear if there is a second track in some sections, or if its in the process of being added/taken out. The pictures are from 1994 and 95.

The mainline is single track from cp95 to 83 then also cp71 to 54.. We might get the double track put back in from 54 to 71 if the 3c passenger rail passes here in ohio.

4. I would like more information about this line and any available pictures, etc. of different parts of the line.

If you need any photos of the line around the shelby area I'd be glad to help out. Just shoot me a PM sometime and let me know what photos you need.

[NS4Life]

Really excited to see this route being done! Is it going to be an expansion of the Indy or a stand alone route?