That West Daggett photo a few posts above shows what some railroaders feel is a safety hazard. Because one double-unit eastbound signal is on a pole mast, and the other two two-unit eastbound signals are on the signal bridge a few hundred feet away, and the tracks to the left and outside the photo are on a sweeping curve, crews on eastbound nighttime trains see the mast signal lights appear to move across the tracks. Signals that move from one side of the tracks to the other side are subject to misinterpretation. The railroad may want to change that arrangement, and erect a new cantilevered signal bridge in place of the poled signal and put all eastbound signals visually in a row side by side. In that way, West Daggett signals would never appear to change positions, and thus would never be subject to misinterpretation.
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
......Enjoyed the new update photos.
Quentin
Daggett update:
Daggett, looking west. From left to right, new Track 3, old Tracks 2 and 1, and UP Track 1.
Daggett, looking east. UP Track 1 absolute signal.
Daggett, looking at UP junction signal arrangement.
Daggett, looking at east BNSF junction signals.
West Daggett. Absolute signals: Far left poled eastbound Track 1 signal, plus westbound UP Track 1 and BNSF Track 1 (on signal bridge from left to right). Intermediate signals on signal bridge: Tracks 2 and 3, both directions
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
Photos taken February 25, 2008
Summit
Silverwood
Cajon CP
Bridge RXR West of Cajon CP
...Warren, I too really appreciate to see the construction photos and allowing us, located at different areas to "see" how this project is really coming along.
Such beautiful track visible in most of your shots makes one realize this is railroading at the highest level. I suppose literally too.
So hear my thanks Warren, for taking the time to share the sites for us whom are interested, with your great photos.
Warren...
I've been following and enjoying this thread from the start, and appreciate all the great photos you have taken the time to post. What a great opportunity for a rail fan, to be able to work on a project like that!
I Just wanted to comment on the "Orphan" Tunnel portal in picture 3...kind of sums up the whole project, in an amusing sort of way!
Thanks again for the great posts...
Here's a shot with both tunnels visible ...
Here's an eastbound heading out of tunnel 1 with Summit in the distance ...
The slope at tunnel 2 is down to track level - soon will be shoofly time ...
The bridge at MP 65.15 is ready for concrete at the abutments ...
Warren
Several weeks ago a TWO track cantilever signal bridge (for tracks 1 and 2) was installed at the west end of "Cajon." A ONE track cantilever signal bridge was on the ground near the east end, and presumably for the west end to control the yet to be put down track 3. This past week, the new overhead TWO track signal bridge at the west end was taken down, and a THREE track signal bridge replacement erected!
...One couldn't ask for nicer group of photos of the construction project....Great composition on photos and such clarity.
So I give my thanks to Warren for taking the time to record them and post as well.
The cut slope at tunnel 2 is down to track level, so more sidewall is gone. Here's a UP crew member at the door taking photos ...
Snow on the hilltops, framed by the portals ...
Here's UP and a BNSF stack train heading up the hill together ...
Work continues on tunnel 1 ...
The new track is down from Summit to the tunnels ...
Here is some retaining wall South of Hwy. 138. The maintenance road is below the wall for this stretch ...
Sullivan's Curve and the trackbed North is wider now ...
The bridge at MP 64.1X is shaping up ...
Here is a view down at bridge 65.1 from an excavator operator's perspective ...
This is a retaining wall near the end of the project ...
A culvert widening at MP 68.2 ...
And the signal bridge at Keenbrook ...
I wont recognize the place today.
Very good photos!
jeaton wrote: WarrenGreat photos! It is fun to see the work progressing.Question. The first picture of the employee special shows the cut above the tunnel covered in a bluish material. Is it concrete? Other material?Jay
Great photos! It is fun to see the work progressing.
Question. The first picture of the employee special shows the cut above the tunnel covered in a bluish material. Is it concrete? Other material?
Jay
Jay:
The material on the face of the cut slope above the tunnels is shotcrete over woven wire mesh, supported by soil nails driven into the embankment. The differing colors are from successive applications from top to bottom - cure time ...
Here's a close up ...
....Awesome, awesome photos...!! Greatly appreciated Warren.
Had some rain through the Pass on Friday - snow on the peaks - but mud down below
Here are some shots of the "tunnel with a skylight" ...
The tunnel walls come up to locomotive height, and the double-stacks just clear the portals ...
We are monitoring tunnel 1 with eight prisms mounted near the arch on each side. You can see the front two as orange discs. Rob Greve is making today's measurements ...
BNSF's SoCal Employee's Christmas train heads through the tunnels ...
The bridge deck at 61.5X is in place ...
And pier caps are formed at bridge 64.1X ...
Here is the retaining wall at MP 62.5X. Cajon Creek is in the foregound with existing mainline 2. UP's tracks are just above existing M.L. 1 ...
The Christmas trains heads past Blue Cut with Santa on the point ...
Best Regards, Big John
Kiva Valley Railway- Freelanced road in central Arizona. Visit the link to see my MR forum thread on The Building of the Whitton Branch on the Kiva Valley Railway
.....What a great group of new photos Warren. Beautiful clear and discriptive photos showing very clearly what is being done and the progress of it.
That first pic. with the layers of mountain ranges in the background is something else.
Unbelievable amount of ground being moved to daylight the tunnels. No wonder they dug the bore in place of removing the cover when that line was put through there originally.
Such beautiful blue sky and sunshine sure indicates the good weather at this time of the year for such construction.
Appreciate the photo update.
Some update shots at the tunnels. The levels are coming down methodically. The stabilized slope needs a platform which the work is done - from the top down.
Here I am on top of tunnel #2:
This is the alignment of the future mainline at bridge 61.5X:
And the pier columns are coming up at bridge 64.1X:
Warren Smith
Warren Smith wrote: K. P. Harrier wrote: Warren:Please explain the bottom photo of your last post above. Is the train on the present (old) Track #2 at Silverwood? You captured a radical, unorthodox view of Cajon railroading. Great shot!K.P.K.P.As I mentioned, the shot was taken by Dave Toussaint. It is a great image taken from above the U.P. tracks looking easterly down the connector. The stack train is heading down current mainline #2, as mainline #1 is shut down for the switch work ...I will post some of my own update photos shortly. Just got back in, and the Santa Ana winds are kicking in pretty good. A few overturned big rigs - Interstate 15 is now closed through Cajon Pass (but the trains are running just fine) ...Warren
K. P. Harrier wrote: Warren:Please explain the bottom photo of your last post above. Is the train on the present (old) Track #2 at Silverwood? You captured a radical, unorthodox view of Cajon railroading. Great shot!K.P.
Warren:
Please explain the bottom photo of your last post above. Is the train on the present (old) Track #2 at Silverwood? You captured a radical, unorthodox view of Cajon railroading. Great shot!
K.P.
As I mentioned, the shot was taken by Dave Toussaint. It is a great image taken from above the U.P. tracks looking easterly down the connector. The stack train is heading down current mainline #2, as mainline #1 is shut down for the switch work ...
I will post some of my own update photos shortly. Just got back in, and the Santa Ana winds are kicking in pretty good. A few overturned big rigs - Interstate 15 is now closed through Cajon Pass (but the trains are running just fine) ...
Whoops. That is what I get for getting so mesmerized by Toussaint's photo that I didn't read the whole post!.
I enjoyed the pictures you posted later too.
Its great we have this forum to share photos. I haven't been to the pass since last month, and am surprised at the swiftness of the progress.
K. P.
A clarification, and a few questions:
First, the "SoCalRailfan" link that "daniel3197" provided below isn't for Cajon Pass area - instead, it is for the UP's (former SP) line from Colton north to Bakersfield.
Additionally, the link to the - yes, EXCELLENT and INFORMATIVE - map set for the Cajon Pass area is:
http://www.socalrailfan.com/subdivisions/bnsf_cajon_sub.html#overview
Next, the questions:
Is the UP contributing anything to the triple-tracking project ?
If so, how much - in either $ or % ?
Then, in return is UP getting any additional specific rights on either the new 3rd track, and/ or either of the existing 2 tracks ? What rights would those be ?
But if UP is NOT contributing to this project, will UP get any benefit from it ? Could BNSF exclude UP from the benefits, such as by limiting UP's usage to the previous 2 tracks only whenever they're available, and reserving the 3rd track for BNSF's sole and exclusive use ?
I'm sure there are other similar questions, and others who are more familiar with the intricacies of operations in this area -"wrong-side" mains, the flyovers and crossover junctions, etc., could think of many more and variations, etc.
In the end, if UP isn't contributing, and still isn't precluded from the operating benefits in some way, then where's any incentive for UP to contribute ? Better to lay back and let BNSF do all the work ? There must be a mechanism or arrangement of some kind in place under the master trackage rights agreement in place here to keep that from happening - anybody know what it is, and how that works ?
Just wondering. Thanks for any insights thatn anyone can provide.
- Paul D. North, Jr.
....Really great photos Warren. Interesting work around the tunnels.
Southwest Chief wrote: Great photos. Nice to see the progression. Reminiscent of the Santa Fe line relocation. The tunnel work looks to be slow and potentially dangerous. Be pretty bad if they accidentally collapse it Is the plan to day light both? Then double track through the day lighted tunnels? Sorry if this was explained earlier.
Great photos. Nice to see the progression. Reminiscent of the Santa Fe line relocation.
The tunnel work looks to be slow and potentially dangerous. Be pretty bad if they accidentally collapse it
Is the plan to day light both? Then double track through the day lighted tunnels? Sorry if this was explained earlier.
Matt:
Yep - both tunnels will be daylighted. Grading operations on tunnel #2 are nearly at the point where the methodology will be modified.
Once the dirt is brought down to finish grade, a 4000' shoofly will be placed around the tunnels. Trains will not be rerouted until the third mainline is brought down from Summit and up from Keenbrook. Then the tubes will be removed and the new track laid.
Matt from Anaheim, CA and Bayfield, COClick Here for my model train photo website
Abutments and pier caps are in place at bridge 61.5X
The rails and ties are installed on the subballast at Summit
The grading and slope protection makes progress at the tunnels
More rock removal down at Swarthout Canyon
And bringing the slope down at Blue Cut
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