PeteM3The link to your Southern Transcon map does not appear to be working.
Looks like the Google child devs have finally turned off the g.co shortcut service. Now need to check all my other links. Gaahh.
Here's the long mymaps link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/view?mid=1VRnODytoJvQobOqykJUwAH2FU4w&ll=36.368083242851135%2C-102.51324895000002&z=5
Maintaining the map markers isn't bad at all if you build it a little at a time ....
samfp1943: I haven't noticed what I call 'fleeting' through Wichita yet. However the UP 'land barges' look like doubled up shorter trains so that kinda counts . The BNSF DS sometimes holds off multiple UP trains on the Enid sub and then at a break in traffic lets them rip; looks like higher speeds than they would be allowed on UP trackage ....
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
MikeF90:
The link to your Southern Transcon map does not appear to be working. I keep getting "Invalid Dynamic Link - Blocked" and "We could not match param 'http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=216728125071071537994.0004a8eb6afe6797ac375&msa=0&ll=38.891033,-97.250977&spn=24.111771,35.595703' with whitelisted URL patterns in this Google project". There is a logo at the bottom of the page that says "Firebase". I tried it with Firefox and Chrome. No luck. All the other maps are workng.
BTW, have always appreciated your maps,certainly a lot of work.
Pete
MikeF90 Per a KS local frequent poster on The Other railfan site, BNSF contractors are actually grading near El Dorado for the 2MT project. No word on the Augusta to Mulvane single track section yet. Meanwhile they seem to be working all along the ROW between Bazaar and Aikman including both highway and RR bridges. Hard to tell when specific blocks will be completed and cut over. On the nearby Wichita railcam traffic patterns look pretty wild to me. I've seen both northbound (RR east) and southbound trains held and passed by higher priority ones in the same direction!
Per a KS local frequent poster on The Other railfan site, BNSF contractors are actually grading near El Dorado for the 2MT project. No word on the Augusta to Mulvane single track section yet.
Meanwhile they seem to be working all along the ROW between Bazaar and Aikman including both highway and RR bridges. Hard to tell when specific blocks will be completed and cut over.
On the nearby Wichita railcam traffic patterns look pretty wild to me. I've seen both northbound (RR east) and southbound trains held and passed by higher priority ones in the same direction!
Traffic onto Mulvane (East) is mostly, Double stacks, with a couple of daily TOFC and mixed COPFC's ... Along with one, maybe two(?) mixed merchandisers, and solid grain trains, and an occasional soild tank train, (Empty or loaded?) These can run in either direction, and seem to be fleeted' by direction; again in either direction ... Makes for some interesting watching, at times.
kgbw49 There is a heck of a lot of property acquisition going on for this project per the City of San Bernardino document.
There is a heck of a lot of property acquisition going on for this project per the City of San Bernardino document.
I was thinking the same thing.
if you look at the BNSF strategy as a whole, they really invest big bucks on an annual basis to improving traffic flow, well above and beyond just long sidings liike the rest of the PSR universe seems to be doing.
Major examples include but are not limited to:
Reopening Stampede Pass
Double tracking The Funnel
Second bridge over Lake Pend O'Reille
Double tracking much of the Great Northern route in North Dakota
Buyng back the Northern Pacific across Montana
Triple track on Cajon and much of the route to Hobart Yard in Southern CA.
Much of the double track on Tehachapi where they run the majority of trains as tenant
Double tracking Abo Canyon
Triple or quadruple track into and out of Belen NM
Triple or quadruple track into and out of Needles CA
Truxton Flyover
Triple tracking at Amarillo
Double tracking major bridges on the Southern Transcon to close single track gaps
Double tracking the Flint Hills
Again, not a comprehensive list.
But they make steady investments to try - try - to keep trains moving.
(If, in this period of history, they have the crews to run them.)
If you look in the document on page 22 you can see the blue ROW expanded limit and the red line is the c/l of the new track.
As I read the 1869 N J Street photo it appears to be unrelated to BNSF but is part of the modification for the passenger station along the Redlands line tracks.
In searching the SB City Council site for more information, I found this item from the 6/1/2022 regular meeting.
8. Resolution Approving Street Vacation of a Portion of I Street (Ward 3) p. 277
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution 2022-103 of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report (State Clearinghouse No. 2021030193), adopting the findings of fact and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program under the California Environmental Quality Act, and approving the vacation of a portion of “I” Street between Spruce Street and Olive Street, and a portion of “J” Street at its intersection with 17th Street and 21st Street and reservation of utilities therein.
Found this document as well.
https://sbcity.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=30184
BNSF is adding 4.3 miles of fourth main track near the San Bernardino Intermodal Facility to relieve congestion.
From the news release it sounds like it all is in the City of San Bernardino proper.
https://www.bnsf.com/news-media/news-releases/newsrelease.page?relId=bnsf-railway-advances-track-efficiency-improvements-in-san-bernardino
From the looks of it they are really going to be shoe-horning the track in there from this overpass all the way down to the San Bernardino Intermodal Facility
https://www.google.com/maps/place/N+State+St,+San+Bernardino,+CA/@34.1261037,-117.3033996,186m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x80c3523f3ce6f94f:0xee70c673a312aa8d!8m2!3d34.1514907!4d-117.3354683
Read an article in another trade publication related to MOW budgets of various railroad and transit agencies for 2022.
The two big BNSF projects for multi-track included the continuing double track project in Kansas, and approximately 30 miles of triple track from the current end of triple track west of Needles to Goff in California.
https://www.bnsf.com/news-media/railtalk/service/emporia.html
The second bridge over Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho also continues, which will extend double track over the lake and through the town to the junction between the ex-GN and ex-NP.
https://keepsandpointrolling.com/
Two interesting documents from the US Coast Guard site.
In thsee documents there is reference to the new bridge being planned for the Missouri River between Bismarck and Mandan being capable of two main tracks.
There is also reference to the design of a new bridge at Sibley, Missouri with 400-foot trusses.
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/BNSF%20FAQ%2017OCT%202019_Redacted.pdf
https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/BNSF%20Design%20Concept%20Explanation_6NOV2019%20FINAL%20Version_Redacted.pdf
kgbw49Buying back its former Northern Pacific for approximately $2 billion gives BNSF effectively paired main tracks or double track all the way from Galesburg to Seattle.
That sounds like a relative bargain price. I may start a map that shows MRL points of interest and future possible construction.
I'm still puzzled by the lack of action on existing bottlenecks. Many sidings between Sandpoint and Whitefish are ridiculously short and surprisingly no hints of improvement. However the new Pend Oreille bridge work seems to be moving right along.
Likewise, the Emporia sub 2MT upgrade seems to be going quite slowly given the 'relative' flatness of eastern Kansas. I often see stopped eastbound traffic on the Wichita VR webcam just waiting for that new MT .
Buying back its former Northern Pacific for approximately $2 billion gives BNSF effectively paired main tracks or double track all the way from Galesburg to Seattle.
I would not be surprised if they took out an intercompany loan from Berkshire Hathaway, utilizing the enormous BH cash balance, which they will then repay to BH with interest.
With MRL no longer controlling capital investment of the line, BNSF will be able to add more or extend sidings into long passing sidings on the former NP and perhaps add PTC, which will definitely give it optionality and capacity.
It will be interesting to see how many trains per day they will be able to add to that route. In the long run, it is probably the most cost-effective way to add capacity back to the Northern Transcon. I am sure their planners ran all the numbers.
A contractor just layed out some storm drainage for the 3MT at Goffs Hill.
Probably where UP operates between Daggett and Riverside
Cajon to Barstow has long been rumored, but one can't rull,out some of the tougher grades such as Ash Hill.
(34.5684713, -117.3154966)
Here are the Google Maps coordinates for the bridge at Victorville.
David1005I see where BNSF announced today that they will be putting more triple track in California in 2022. Can someone identify where this will be?
No doubt more details will appear soon, but the only active 3MT project I know of is the stretch just west of Needles. There are other possibilities (mostly SoCal) but we'll have to wait and see.
I see where BNSF announced today that they will be putting more triple track in California in 2022. Can someone identify where this will be? Is this from Summit to Barstow, or may west of Riverside? I cannot see it up the valley or anywhere else in Northern California.
Per another poster elsewhere, on the southern transcon work is closing in on construction of the second track from E Bazar/Flint to Gladstone. The big new RR bridge across Hwy 177 is finished so the Aikman-Matfield Green segment looks on schedule for completion late this year.
Advance grading work is starting near E Matfield Green as there is a major amount of fill to be removed by next year. This should be helpful to the upgrade west of Augusta as it appears that the ROW is the highest terrain there.
MidlandMikeIs that all the way from Barstow to the Bay Area? Is the UP planning on double tracking Tehachapi?
Previous projects on Tehachapi (UP Mojave sub) have been put on hold before. Based on my periodic views of the webcams, I don't see UP or BNSF having enough traffic for major upgrades. I would vote for the single track Caliente - Bealville segment first; the DS does an impressive job on the single/double track Woodford to Cable. IMO further upgrades to very steep and twisty Bealville-Woodford-Walong-Cable need a very long, expensive tunnel that UP would never pay for; previous upgrades were funded by BNSF and I think Caltrans.
An extra track on BNSF between Stockton and Turlock (Google map) would probably be built first due to planned commuter service. Not too hard :), joining a bunch of sidings that aren't too far apart. Surprised that they aren't using the underutilized UP instead.
Another old project to add a third track to the Cajon sub east of Summit seems to be deferred. I'm guessing that PSR is the culprit - they run a lot of long trains between Barstow and the LA basin.
In a Trains NewsWire article today, BNSF talked about double tracking the Bakersfield and Stockton subdivisions in the next decade .Is that all the way from Barstow to the Bay Area? Is the UP planning on double tracking Tehachapi?
https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/tunnel-project-underscores-bnsfs-battle-with-nature-in-2021/
MikeF90 Thanks for the update Dan! I wonder if there is a public planning doc that shows how the second track will be shoehorned between US95 north to Sandpoint Jct, looks like somethings got to move ....
Thanks for the update Dan! I wonder if there is a public planning doc that shows how the second track will be shoehorned between US95 north to Sandpoint Jct, looks like somethings got to move ....
There probably is such a document in the public record as part of the permitting process, but the short answer is that it's the Amtrak platform that has to move. The station building can stay where it is, but the platform won't fit between building and tracks. It will have to be offset. 15' track centers through this area.
There will be a universal crossover between the big bridge and the Amtrak building. By the time you get to Amtrak, there will be one track for the MRL and one for BNSF. Fortunately, the station is on the BNSF side!
Dan
(I am a BNSF employee but the opinions expressed are strictly my own. I am not speaking for BNSF.)
Per a post on The Other site the latest completion schedule-of-the-month for the Emporia sub upgrade is: West Gladstone to East Bazar - end of Feb 2022, Aikman to Matfield Green - summer 2022, Bazar to Matfield Green - summer 2023, balance (Chelsea to Mulvane) late 2024.
blue streak 1 Very interesting photos. BNSF is using for the most part same number of 6 pilings per bent but they appear larger diameter. Noted that the spans are going to be longer but all do not seem to be the same length ? Any way probably will have a much higher cooper rating ?
Very interesting photos. BNSF is using for the most part same number of 6 pilings per bent but they appear larger diameter. Noted that the spans are going to be longer but all do not seem to be the same length ? Any way probably will have a much higher cooper rating ?
Note that the 6-pile bents on the existing bridge are not original; I believe they were installed this century when that end of the bridge was reconstructed under traffic. As such they were probably spaced as much for constructability as anything.
The new bridge has longer spans just because it's more economical that way. The tradeoff between longer beams versus more bents has changed since the original bridge was constructed.
The new bridge will be built to BNSF's current standards, which at the moment call for an E-80 design load. (I believe some other roads use E-90 instead.) I don't know what the condition-based Cooper rating is for the existing bridge but obviously it's adequate to handle anything that moves today on either the hi line or the MRL.
(I am a BNSF employee but the opinions expressed are strictly my own - I am not speaking for BNSF.)
MikeF90 Over on the northern transcon BNSF and its contractors worked through December; the bridge superstructure is being finished. The lake drawdown in winter may help construction but recent PNW storms may have had an impact. Perhaps our occasional local poster BK has more info.
Over on the northern transcon BNSF and its contractors worked through December; the bridge superstructure is being finished. The lake drawdown in winter may help construction but recent PNW storms may have had an impact. Perhaps our occasional local poster BK has more info.
Basically: all the piling on the long bridge have now been driven, and most of the bents are done as well (i.e. pier caps and cross-bracing installed). A small number of spans have been installed as well. In 2022, work will consist mostly of setting beams and pouring concrete decks. Track construction is still scheduled for 2023.
There are actually two other shorter bridges required for the project. The first is over Bridge St., and that one is complete. The second, as Bruce noted, is over Sand Creek. That one is under construction as well and coming along fairly well. The causeway that leads up to the existing bridge on the north (railroad East) end is not being widened to accommodate the second track. The new bridge will be considerably longer than the existing bridge and will span the whole existing waterway, with the new north (RR east) abutment approximately in line with the US-95 abutment.
While not completely current (publishing lag time), there is an article in the latest Trains on that very subject.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Thanks for the update Mike.
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