I noticed that the rails have been pulled up on the former Kaiser Steel Eagle Mountain Railroad in the CA desert. Apparently the plan to use the mine for a trash dump for LA never went through.
The trash dump plan was killed years ago due to enviromentalist opposition and waste reduction (recycling) initiatives. While there still is plenty of iron at EM, it is not economically viable at current prices.
Was by the abandoned Eagle Mountain pulled up track where it goes under the I-10 Freeway back on September 17, 2017 and took some photos.
The Eagle Mountain line had become old hat for me and when westbound on I-10 on the above date just went over the bridge and was surprised the tracks were pulled up. Had to go all the way to the next off ramp and come back to the rail line for photos.
An office colleague was with me that day and took photos as well. He inquired of TRAINS if they were interested in a photo of that significant news development, but they weren’t interested in it. He no longer believes TRAINS’ slogan that it is ‘the magazine of railroading.’ Of course, they can’t mention every track being pulled up, but everybody and his uncle (at least in southern California) knows of THAT abandoned line, and it would have been a tremendous credit to TRAINS if they would have visually alerted everyone about it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
I first heard about the line in Stienhimer's Backwoods Railroads of the West. Later I heard the line was OS, but had not heard it was ripped up. Thanks for posting.
They started taking it up last year -- I had the time and energy to document the dismanteling of it here in my blog: https://grgardner.livejournal.com/106103.html
K. P. Harrier An office colleague was with me that day and took photos as well. He inquired of TRAINS if they were interested in a photo of that significant news development, but they weren’t interested in it. He no longer believes TRAINS’ slogan that it is ‘the magazine of railroading.’ Of course, they can’t mention every track being pulled up, but everybody and his uncle (at least in southern California) knows of THAT abandoned line, and it would have been a tremendous credit to TRAINS if they would have visually alerted everyone about it.
The railroad hadn't operated a revenue train since 1986. The news of it being pulled up wasn't that significant, or suprising.
An "expensive model collector"
GARY R GARDNER They started taking it up last year -- I had the time and energy to document the dismanteling of it here in my blog: https://grgardner.livejournal.com/106103.html
Gary,
Thanks for providing the link. A very interesting history that filled in some gaps in my knowledge of the line. I've crossed it numerous times going back and forth on I-10, always wondering whether or not it would ever see use again. I guess we now have the answer.
John Timm
n012944 (3-14):
The Eagle Mountain Railroad track being pulled up surprised both me and obviously this thread’s original poster. Here in California sometimes tracks are few and far between. Take for example between the Phoenix-Buckeye, AZ area to the Eagle Mountain Railroad abandoned line, there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 miles. And, perhaps there are 40 more miles more to Indio, CA. It is unknown if in Arkansas where I guess you are at if abandoned railroads are everywhere or not. But, they are sure not here.
Just thought about Warren Buffet and the BNSF … Can you imagine the horror in railfandom if the ‘beam me Scotty’ technology came true, and all the tracks in Cajon Pass were abandoned, and after 30 years the rails and ties therein were finally pulled up! THAT would mean something to me, and I would bet to the original poster of this thread as well. Would you, n012944, post that that was not that significant?
At least we can all laugh about this, can’t we? But know that if we ever see Scotty trackside, we would all be in trouble!
K.P.
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