Colton CA

Yes to your first question.

You asked, spbed, if the diamonds are still accessible from Valley Blvd.

In short, yes and no!  Crazy answer, I know.  Note the below photo from the south walkway of Valley Blvd. looking south: 

An angled view from Valley Blvd. of the northwest quadrant's transition track: 

Access, if one dares to use that term, from Valley Blvd. to the diamonds is via what is generally recognized as Sixth Street.  But, one can turn onto that Sixth Street by going through lowered curbing and up over the sidewalk, which indicates one is entering private property!

There used to be a restaurant there with an easement to a business on the south side of the freeway, but those are all gone now.  That south of the freeway business was located in the below photo's far background upper center.  The photo was shot from 4th Street. 

About the closest one can get to the diamonds while on public property is at the southwest quadrant.  A ballast train is heading east on the old SP Sunset Route in the below photo. 

An old file photo near to the diamonds from the northeast quadrant:  Again, access is over a sidewalk, so someone owns the property, and that access is questionable. 

So, spbed, the answer to your question is more complicated than most want to hear, but that is the reality of it.

I can remember the days when railfans use to park their vehicles right by the "No Trespassing" signs and the railroads didn't care.  And railfans and trainmen use to smile and wave at each other.  But, sadly, that is no more ...

In the future, it is unknown how the Colton Flyover construction will affect railfans wanting to get anywhere near the crossing diamonds.

Thanks a UPRR cop showed me where the public property is on the SE corner of the diamond entering off Valley Blvd. So to sum up the construction of the under/over has not begun yet is that correct?

The last I heard, the design engineering process should end in July 2011, with construction beginning three to four months after that, and will last three years till late 2014.

There is public roadways in three of the quadrants around the diamonds (between half a block and a block away), but the diamonds themselves are off limits.

Thanks for the info!

K. P. Harrier

The last I heard, the design engineering process should end in July 2011, with construction beginning three to four months after that, and will last three years till late 2014.

Since the design is still ongoing have you or anyone heard if BNSF and / or UP will maintain present alignments or will a temp shoefly be built for one or both of the RRs? If a shoefly is a design possibility maybe that is why erected signals have not been activated?

Blue Streak 1 (2-20):

This forum contributor has not heard anything officially.  However, two aspects can be commented on.

First, the BNSF line cannot reasonably be altered because of present freeway structural supports.

PHOTO #1:

A southward view from "E" Street: 

PHOTO #2:

A closer southward view from Valley Blvd.: 

The two tracks under the freeway are on wide centers, as discerned in comparing Photo #2 with Photo #1.  So, three tracks on traditional centers would easily fit under the freeway overpass, but NO shoefly is possible.

The present new BNSF tri-light signals (photos posted earlier in this topic) are believed to be related to the installation of the mandated Positive Train Control (PTC).

PHOTO #3:

Second, note the UP Sunset Route as viewed eastwardly from the Rancho Ave. overpass: 

Official webpage diagrams have changed, so it is inconclusive what approach the flyover construction will actually take.  The easiest would be building the flyover to the north (left in Photo #3), but that has greater long term operating costs than a straight-line approach.  But, the latter would require a shoefly of unknown design and problems. 

PHOTO #4:

It would not be as simple as the shoefly in the City of Industry was: 

So, what will develop on the UP line in Colton is yet to be seen.

Bits and pieces of this information have previously been posted in the "Sunset Route Two-Tracking Updates" thread, kind of a hodgepodge of two-tracking news events on the Sunset Route.  If I hear anything concrete in the future about the Colton Flyover, at that time I'll try to link this thread with the Sunset thread.

Best,

K.P.

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Search Reference:  2-6936

K. P. Harrier

  [snip] PHOTO #3:

Second, note the UP Sunset Route as viewed eastwardly from the Rancho Ave. overpass: 

Official webpage diagrams have changed, so it is inconclusive what approach the flyover construction will actually take.  The easiest would be building the flyover to the north (left in Photo #3), but that has greater long term operating costs than a straight-line approach.  But, the latter would require a shoefly of unknown design and problems.  [snip] 

  Considering all of the 'jogs' that the UP line in the above photo already has (I count 3, with 6 short curves altogether), one more - or maybe even one less, depending on how it's ultimately aligned - would not be a big deal.  Like K.P., my superficial observation is that the left side would be easier and better, particularly if the industry lead on the right will be retained.  It could even be used as part of a temporary 'shoo-fly' arrangement if the left track needs to be taken out of service for the construction of the fly-over. 

What's the gray building on the left, a couple hundred yards past the BNSF line ?  It seems to be sacrosanct, since all of the UP tracks appear to jog to the right to avoid it ?  Will that affect the fly-over's location or construction ?  (A bridge span could probably go right over it . . .    ). 

Link to the official website, which is out-of-date or incomplete in many aspects: 

http://www.coltoncrossing.com/index.htm 

I believe "CONCEPT/ ALTERNATIVE 2 - Union Pacific Flyover Crossing Existing BNSF Tracks" was selected.  Link to a JPG plan view depiction (only 54 KB in size - the PDF version is 16 MB, and I don't see where it has much more info):  http://www.coltoncrossing.com/images/alternative2.jpg 

Meantime, while we're worrying about legal access to the site, here's a telling question and response from about the middle of the FAQ page on this website, at: http://www.coltoncrossing.com/faqs.htm

"Many students in Colton use Colton Crossing as a walking path to and from school. What is being done to address this safety issue?

Railroad safety is of utmost concern and is one of the criteria being evaluated.

Currently, the City of Colton and Operation Lifesaver representatives are working to bring railroad safety education into the community. Operation Lifesaver is a non-profit, continuing public education program first established in 1972 to end collisions, deaths, and injuries at places where roadways cross train tracks, and on railroad rights-of-way. The program delivers a safety message and reinforces the need for people to follow safe pedestrian paths."

- Paul North. 

Enjoy seeing the updated views of Colton Crossing.

I like the old views, with the Colton Tower present,

as seen on Charles Smiley Presents,

 Santa Fe Vintage West.

Paul D. North Jr. (2-21):

About that gray building ...

PHOTO "A":

... on the other side of the diamonds, on the left, partially behind the trees ... 

Immediately past the diamonds is the north-south line alignment (NOT the roadway) of Sixth Street.  The La Cadena Dr. (Eighth Street) underpass is just this side of the building in question, which building is part of a now abandoned business between La Cadena Dr. and Ninth Street, i.e., the old Colton Depot's complex.

PHOTO "B":

From Ninth Street, looking west at the old Colton Depot: 

PHOTO "C":

The old Colton depot from the northeast:  That building behind the tree (Photo "A") is the tin and frame structure to the right of the depot.

PHOTO "D":

From the depot area east: 

So, Paul, that gray building and ex-Colton Depot are now abandoned, so can be torn down, and won't be in the way of the Flyover and won't even be an issue.

Originally, the Main (the FOREGROUND left track in Photo "A") went straight and was right in front of the Colton Depot (Photo "B"), and continued on a straight alignment (to the far BACKGROUND right track again in Photo "A").

Many, many years ago the 'right in front of the depot' Main was moved southward a track width, and the ex-Main was used as a switching lead for the old Pacific Electric yard and interchange track to the AT&SF in the northeast quadrant of the Colton Crossing diamonds.

So, all this, Paul, would account for all the zigzag alignments you commented on.  That interchange / transition track was eventually torn out sometime after the advent of West Colton Yard a mile or two to the west (behind the camera in Photo "A").

PHOTO "E":

A couple of last thoughts, though.  The mention was made of a Flyover possibly being slightly curve-built north of the present east-west Sunset Route (the left side of Photo "A").  If such was built on the north, it would have no problem new-flyover bridging over La Cadena Dr. (Eighth St.). 

In the above Photo "E" the Sunset Route Mains are toward the far, background side of the rail bridging over the underpass.

A MapQuest photo-link is provided below: 

http://mapq.st/htOnTJ

In the above link, the building by the tree in Photo "A" is the long, narrow building just left of the depot.

The Colton Crossing itself is a couple of blocks toward the west, or left, if you care to move the map physically rightward.

If a shoefly was built, it would have to go over the bridging over the La Cadena underpass SOUTH of the present mains; it could NOT go to the NORTH because there is little real bridging for it.

GP39 (2-21):

Oh, yes, the old Colton Tower!

It has been gone for many years now, being torn down circa 1976.

I use to live in the area as a kid in the 1960's, and visited the friendly tower operators there many times.

What a different world that was!

Take care all,

K.P.