So with a storm like this. It's pretty significant for southern Cal. Does UP and BNSF shut down their lines from Cajon Pass to LA, long Beach, San Diego, West Colton etc.? I can't imagine it would be safe even for track inspectors to be out running in front of trains to ensure no washouts etc. during the storm.
For the coast lines, TS Hilary wasn't as bad as some of the winter storms. On the coast, winds didn't really kick up until 5PM PDT, rainfall totals were around 2 inches. This was due to the eye of the storm traveling very close to the Coastal Range - had it been 50 miles west, the story would have been quite different. Some of the mountain weather stations were reporting 6 to 8 inches of rain.
I'd be interested in what Cajon Pass was like.
I'm curious too. I was seeing posts by UP of some washouts on their lines but not sure where in Cali it was.
Erik_MagFor the coast lines, TS Hilary wasn't as bad as some of the winter storms. On the coast, winds didn't really kick up until 5PM PDT, rainfall totals were around 2 inches. This was due to the eye of the storm traveling very close to the Coastal Range - had it been 50 miles west, the story would have been quite different. Some of the mountain weather stations were reporting 6 to 8 inches of rain. I'd be interested in what Cajon Pass was like.
Have always featured that high volumes of precipitation in the mountains created havoc as water seeks its level, raging down the streams and watersheds as rampages toward sea levels at the ocean.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Ahem,
In the Great Basin of the western US, the water doesn't flow into the ocean, but into lakes or sinks, e.g. Great Salt Lake or Carson sink. The water can still cause a lot of damage even when not flowing as witness Thistle on the D&RGW. The ultimate RR water problem in a basin was the S.P. versus the formation of the Salton Sea, where the original line went by the low point at 278 feet below sea level.
While Hilary gave the UP a run for its money in the Palm Springs area, the damage was minor compared to Hurricane Kathleen did to the SD&AE along with the town of Ocotillo in Sep 1976. The rain along the coast was heavier with Kathleen than it was with Hilary.
Erik_MagWhile Hilary gave the UP a run for its money in the Palm Springs area, the damage was minor compared to Hurricane Kathleen did to the SD&AE along with the town of Ocotillo in Sep 1976. The rain along the coast was heavier with Kathleen than it was with Hilary.
Yeah, it seemed like nobody in the print or video media even remembered Kathleen. When the water came rushing down from Mountain Springs towards Ocotillo, it took out a big chunk of the eastbound I-8 through violent erosion. Eastbound was the previous US-80 alignment and the washout took several months to replace. Another victim was the abandoned Shepard's bridge, a concrete bridge on the old alignment which was similar to, for instance, the Bixby Creek bridge on CAL-1 south of Carmel. Nothing was left of that landmark.
My own take is that the rain along the coastal areas was less than some of the storms we had last winter. One good thing, I would surmise, is that the fuel moisture in the back country is now way more than it usually is this time of year, so knock on wood, we may not have a bad fire season.
coopers So with a storm like this. It's pretty significant for southern Cal. Does UP and BNSF shut down their lines from Cajon Pass to LA, long Beach, San Diego, West Colton etc.? I can't imagine it would be safe even for track inspectors to be out running in front of trains to ensure no washouts etc. during the storm.
Here in SoCentral Kansas, rain has been minimal, only short bursts of showers,along with much high temps,and hot winds. Pretty typical of late summer.
Around here, BNSF seems to be going full throttle, construction of the line to our east, seems to have really boosted, not only the traffic, and its flow; I wonder what,it will be like when they lay ndown the new track on the road bed they have prepped in the last several months.(Rose Hill to Augusta) ?
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