General Discussion

Probably like the newest yard in Louisiana, whose name I can't remember now--the hump will be just a few feet tall, and the business side will be equipped with Dowty retarders.  I'm sure the plans are out there somewhere, but I haven't seen them, and this is just a guess on my part.  RWM, do you know more about this?

You're thinking of Livonia.  Dowty retarders appear to be the standard now, and equip the rebuilt Roseville Yard. 

These new humps are not at all like yards such as Clearing, which is like standing on top of a ski jump by comparison.

RWM

Railway Man wrote:

You're thinking of Livonia.  Dowty retarders appear to be the standard now, and equip the rebuilt Roseville Yard.  These new humps are not at all like yards such as Clearing, which is like standing on top of a ski jump by comparison. RWM

A while back on another discussion group a Roseville employee was complaining about the design of the re-built Roseville Yard, especially the hump.  I don't recall the details.

John Timm

Yep, Livonia's what I was thinking of.  For some reason, whenever I hear Livonia, I still think of Michigan.

By the way, RWM, congratulations on finally becoming a millennium poster!

Time for bed now--back to the ski-jump tomorrow!  No Dowty about it!

CShaveRR wrote:

Time for bed now--back to the ski-jump tomorrow!  No Dowty about it!

I hope you can hear me groaning from 1,800 miles away!

Desertdog:

Any new track laying developments out your way in Arizona?

Thanks.

K.P.

KP,

I have not been down to Maricopa or beyond for several weeks but will be heading to Tucson the week after next on business and will make sure to take the "scenic route." 

John T.

 

 

Update as of Monday, June 23, 2008:

At West Colton Yard, adjacent the Riverside Ave. overpass in Rialto, CA what is identified as Track 112 but is to become Main Track 2 has been freshly ballasted.   A new but unhooked up signal has been erected west of Riverside Ave. for that track.  Because of motorist traffic, a photo could not be taken.  Maybe another time ...

A note to desertdog:

Thanks for replying to the recent inquiry.  Sunset Route followers eagerly look forward to your enlightening report of your finding after you pass through Maricopa, AZ in the near future

if anyone would like to know the 2nd main track in arizona will go as follows: starting at the siding estrella the track will be laid on the south side of the current main track all the way through maricopa.  leaving the sidings of estrella, mobile, and enid untouched.  the siding of maricopa will be the new main.  just east of the amtrak depot the new main will change to the north side of the rail through the siding of bon and then change back to the south side through casa grande.  there will be an additional siding bon made for maricopa grain train parking.  after casagrande it changes once again to the north side through toltec siding and the north siding of picacho.  after picacho it changes back to the south side all the way to tucson.  eliminating sidings: wymola, naviska, rillito, and kino.  red rock will stay a siding due to it eventually being a 3rd track towards picacho from the hump yard that will be built in about a hundred more years. ha!  the east end of tucson is done to el paso and no plans on any work between vail and mescal on the #2 track because the state was going to foot the bill and they're to broke right now to worry about high wide semi's on the freeway not being able to fit under the underpass.  i apologize for my lack of punctuation but i am horrible on the keyboard

To ilikeplanes:

Thanks for you report ... and welcome to the forum.

Do you know if UP is laying track anywhere between Estrella and Tucson, AZ?

K.P.

  

 

A news release by the Arizona Department of Transportation that appeared in newspapers on Sunday, June 29th, indicates that the Union Pacific track realignment between Vail and Mescal to eliminate the Marsh Station / Interstate 10 bridge is still on, with a completion date of December 2010.

A local fiber optics contractor told me that they have been awarded a contract to move fiber optics cabling away from track #1 between Vail and Mescal to allow room for the second line.

 

As of Sunday, June 29, 2008:

West Colton Yard, from the Riverside Ave. overpass, Rialto, CA

View looks westward at un-activated new signal for the future Track 2.  Before West Colton Yard was built in 1973, there was only a single straight main without a jog.  A number of years ago Amtrak's Sunset Limited derailed at the jog as the rail turned over.  All the passenger cars remain upright 

See the train headlight in the distance?  Won't such approaching trains get a good view of the new signal?

Is this a new, covered-up pot signal to govern yard access to Track 2 (on right)?

Is this a base for a future cantilevered signal?  If so, why is there a new mast signal also?

last i heard they have yet to have any plans to start putting down track between estrella and tucson.  these rumors change on a daily basis so i honestly don't know.  i do know that the track that was placed there from a work train about 9 months ago has not moved so if one day it ends up on the newly graded side then i am sure ties and ballast are soon to follow. 

   as for the #2 track from vail to mescal,that was never much of a u.p. plan to straighten that out.  the state was complaining about the bridge being too low for overweight trucks to get through.  so the state was supposed to fund the project. i know nothing about what the states financial plans are at the moment other than they're not doing well. they may say they wnt the new track tommorrow or may say next year.  all i know is that according to the track guys there is no plans anytime soon and usually they have a good 3-6 month heads up on plans.   the re-route plan was posted in a newspaper here well over a year ago and a busload of surveyers and contractors flocked to the location only to let the plans collect dust ever since.  trust me i am not being opinionated .  i hate that stretch of track and would love to see it straight and speed kicked up but i would be surprized if it happens soon.  it would knock and hour off the trip.

cacole wrote:

A news release by the Arizona Department of Transportation that appeared in newspapers on Sunday, June 29th, indicates that the Union Pacific track realignment between Vail and Mescal to eliminate the Marsh Station / Interstate 10 bridge is still on, with a completion date of December 2010. A local fiber optics contractor told me that they have been awarded a contract to move fiber optics cabling away from track #1 between Vail and Mescal to allow room for the second line.

 

which strikes me as odd because the part of the 2 track that is to be straightend out is almost a mile apart from the #1 track.  even after the new track the two will not be close together seing as the new track will start at mp1013 and re-attatch at 1020.  both places are quite a distance from the #1.  could it be that he was mistaken?

From Maricopa east for several miles, crews have put down what appears to be finely crushed rock on top of the graded embankment for the second main.  No ballast, rail or ties are evident yet.  There are lengths of new rail lying on either side of the present main but they may be there to replace the existing rail.  I don't know this for sure; it's just conjecture on my part.

The embankment in largely in place from Maricopa to Casa Grande and all the culverts appear to be complete, including safety railings.  From Casa Grande east, there is some rough grading in progress as far as Eloy and some culverts and new bridges are complete.  East of there to Tucson, there are no signs of any new embankment and the culverts are in various stages of completion.

John Timm