The fire occurred on a very short bridge over a irrigation canal. The bridge is located on the Phoenix Subdivision, which sees maybe 4-6 trains per day, connecting Phoenix to the Sunset Route at Picacho, AZ (west of Tucson). It should only take a few days to reopen the line. Traffic that can't hold for that long can be routed into town via the BNSF. The Gila Subdivision is the Sunset Route mainline running south of Phoenix. It has never been closed. I think you are referring to the west end of the Phoenix Sub that was closed around the time of the UP/SP merger. I doubt it will reopen, but anything is possible.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/gilbert/breaking/2015/08/16/gilbert-train-trestle-arson-investigation/31824149/
"The trestle, which crosses the canal near Elliot and Warner, will need to be completely replaced before normal train traffic can resume, according to Director of Corporate Relations and Media for Union Pacific Francisco J. Castillo Jr.
Union Pacific arson investigators were on scene Saturday night and Sunday morning, and the investigation is ongoing, according to Castillo.
Union Pacific expects to be able to reopen the trestle by 7 p.m. Sunday, Castillo said."
While not directly related to the two-tracking project, the UP has lost its only major unit train coal customer along the Sunset Route in Arizona, Tucson Electric Power, now known as TEPCO. The only other coal customer I know of is Southwestern Portland Cement at Rillito, but the amount they receive is far less than TEPCO and never in unit trains. A sign of the times.
http://www.abc15.com/news/region-central-southern-az/tucson/tucson-electric-power-pulls-back-from-coal-burning
John Timm
What about the large Apache Generating Station near Cochise? I believe they get a unit train of coal from the BNSF at Deming for movement across the Sunset Route.
On the Prowl …
Have You Gotten Your Ph.D. on the Philosophy …
… of UP Signaling from the …
… Arizona Railroad University?
Thus, the new two-tracking between Colfred and a new Mohawk is now officially in service! And, there is more in that above photo than first meets the eye.
As you can tell, K.P. was in Yuma, AZ and nearby this past weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, August 15 and 16, 2015, and his visit is best described as weird, from strange activations of signals to the severe Louisiana-like non-Arizona-type weather he encountered in Yuma. And, in taking 325 photos, much, much sweat was involved, not because of the heat, but because of the humidity!
As some of you know, forum contributor desertdog (John Timm) is a very learned man, even having a Ph.D. to his name, but my guess is that he and I both scratch our heads about some UP signal situations. Would you believe this photo was taken BETWEEN signals with BOTH tracks (Mains 1 [left signal] and 2 [right]) in service? Believe it! At least officially so!
An upcoming post series will cover the current situation in the Yuma area, plus in the Mohawk area. At this point it is unknown when the posting will begin, but a week may be a safe bet.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
Hi, BNSF6400,
The Deming Subdivision has been in the hands of the Southwestern Railroad for several years now. My guess is that the BNSF hands over the unit train to Southwestern at Rincon, NM off the "Horny Toad" (El Paso Sub). I looked into the Cochise facility. It claims to be capable of burning either coal or natural gas. That means, like a lot of other coal fired plants, that the days of rail delivered coal may be numbered.
I suspect that the trains use run-through power. The Southwestern units I've seen are all 4-axle units (and look immaculate, at least from I-10 at 70 mph.).
As the UP was putting the finishing touches on the two-tracking project in the area of Casa Grande, Arizona, they began to add a long switching lead from Florence Street on the west to Peart Road at the east edge of the city. Along with serving Arizona Grain, it would serve an existing Fertizona plant and, eventually, a new Cargill elevator near Peart Rd.
After completing a short portion on the east, complete with entrance signals, and a revised lead into Arizona Grain, the middle portion of the project remains mostly uncompleted. Here's a shot from Hermosilla Rd. looking east. You can see the end of the ballast, the unsupported rails and beyond that, stacks of ties in the distance.
Here's a look into Arizona Grain. The end of the unfinished switching lead is visible on the left. Of greater interest, perhaps, is the 44-ton GE center cab switcher inside the fence, resurrected from a museum in the 1990's and still serving (although I've been in Casa Grande dozens of times and never seen it in use!). Sorry for the midday sun photo.
This is the east end of the switching lead, showing the Fertizona plant and the new (in the last few years) Cargill facility. Both account for a lot of local traffic and surely figured into the reasoning for adding a third track in the area.
The surprise of the day was found at Keeling Road, to the west of Cargill. The area has been graded for some kind of industry or transload, with a spur into the property and a short storage siding installed alongside the switching lead. It will likely take more activity like this for the lead to eventually be completed from end to end.
One more shot from the Casa Grande area. The Cargill elevator uses a rather interesting form of "locomotion" to move cars in and out the the unloading area.
BNSF’s CP WEST RIVERSIDE and …
… a Radical Development about …
… the LA&SL Bridge over the 91 Freeway
Riverside, CA
Much big piles of ballast have ‘disappeared’ at BNSF’s CP WEST RIVERSIDE, making K.P. conclude the track layout likely will not change thereat, at least for a while.
The unorthodox, radical development is that the new LA&SL not in service yet permanent bridge over the 91 Freeway seems to be being painted a light tan color.
To paint bridges is very uncommon these days, but this one for some unknown reason is being painted.
More Radicalism … and the Arizona Series
On the late evening of Thursday, August 20, 2015, K.P. was thrown into an unexpected overnight dispatch. Near Perris, he was able to get about three hours of shuteye. By 4:15 A.M. Friday he was on the road again. By 5:00 P.M. Friday, he was safely back at base. Saturday, more unanticipated travel will be forced upon him. These circumstances may delay slightly the Arizona posting series
Tentative Basic Outline (Not a Schedule) …
… for the Upcoming “California-Arizona-California” …
… Posting Series
First Group: Six posts (A-F)
The Mohawk Grade Two-Tracking
Second Group: Six Posts (G-L)
Reviewing the New Two-Tracking West of Yuma, AZ
Third Group: Six Posts (M-R)
The Colorado River Crossing
Fourth Group: Six Posts (S-X)
The Old Colorado River Crossing Route
From a Rather Different Perspective on the Present River Crossing
On the Way Back to Base: Niland and Mortmar
Fifth Group: Three Posts (Y-AA)
On the Way Back to Base: The Beaumont Signal Dept.
A Broad Review of the Newer UP Signaling
Yuma, AZ; Mojave (near Tehachapi), CA; Gibbon, NE
Status information:
Groups likely will be posts on five successive days.
The time-consuming photo prep stage is about to be embarked upon.
Take care all,
K.P.
The paint color on the new LA&SL bridge looks to be about the same shade as that used on freeway bridges in Arizona. Perhaps an attempt to make it a bit more environmentally compatible?
Schedule for “California-Arizona-California” Series
First Group: Six posts (A-F).
Tuesday, August 25, 2015: Between 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. P.D.T.*
Wednesday, August 26, 2015: Between 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. P.D.T.
Thursday, August 27, 2015: Between 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. P.D.T.
Friday, August 28, 2015: Between 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. P.D.T.
Saturday, August 29, 2015: Between 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. P.D.T.
---------
* P.D.T. = Pacific Daylight Time
Update as of Friday, August 21, 2015
Headway #1 (of 1-2)
The Riverside Ave. Underpass (LA&SL)
The big piles of dirt have been removed, and it now looks like an underpass.
The ‘fat’ northeast walling is now being work on with gusto.
Just above, is that a surveying instrument on a tripod?
Continued in Headway #2
Headway #2 (of 1-2)
The Painting of the 91 Freeway LA&SL Bridge
From the north, the west side’s end:
The east side:
Above, looking south, Panorama Road is seen on the upper right, and the under construction Ivy Street freeway widening replacement bridge is on the upper left.
The teaser view from a few days ago of an overview:
It has been said that the other new bridge, the shoofly bridge, over the 91 Freeway will be torn down when the one being painted is in service. Two things will leave no doubt about destiny: (1) if the shoofly bridge is paint also, or (2) it is started to be torn down and left unpainted.
A Twilight Zone situation seems to have arisen. It appears the bridge has had a hole cut in it! The below photo was highly blown up to the extreme, and cropped in that state.
Anyone have any ideas about this?
This will end the brief posting.
------
Railroad east of that 91 Freeway LA&SL Bridge is Cridge Street. K.P. dropped by there the next day. There is semi-information on the big piles of ballast to report. Also, a new development about the same relatively new LA&SL signals may be a sign of things to come. A photo report will be posted in a day or two.
The California-Arizona-California Report
Saturday-Sunday, August 15-16, 2015
Part “A” (of A-F, Overall A-AA)
We will present this discussion in reverse, Sunday first, then Saturday.
The single-track Sunset Route eastwardly progresses to the west switch of the Colfred siding, but before reaching the siding is an intermediate signal a few miles in advance. Note that the lower head has two lights. The sun had arisen just a little bit before, but was blocked by the mountainous area.
The number plates on the new signals are now facing trains.
Continued in Part B
Part “B” (of A-F, Overall A-AA)
We next come to the west switch of the Colfred siding, by a UP fenced equipment staging yard. Note the lit west side eastbound signal.
The east side westbound signals of CP SP783 COLFRED (M.P. 783.1): The center signal is the siding signal.
The far right signal in the view above is the left signal in the photo below, the signal by that fences yard.
Continued in Part C
Part “C” (of A-F, Overall A-AA)
The EAST end of the Colfred siding is where the two-tracking eastward starts.
(DURING posting of this Part C, it was uncovered again that the trainsmag.com website STILL has compatibility problems within itself, so this Part C is being divided into three posts, Part C, C-2, and C-3.)
Continued in Part C-2
Part “C-2” (of A-F, Overall A-AA)
You may recall forum contributor Clyde Acolita in recent months posted a diagram of the PROJECTED east switch of Colfred, at a new universal crossover, similar to the below K.P. diagram.
.
DIAGRAM OF PROJECTED EAST COLFRED SIDING AREA
Siding > ---------------- / \ / \ / > \ < M1------ -------------------------- / \ / \ Main / \ M2---------------------------------------- > < Future Main 2----------------
(It was further uncovered that TWO diagrams cannot be posted in the same post, so yet another “C” is being added, Part C-4. But C-3 is next.)
Continued in Part C-3
Part “C-3” (of A-F, Overall A-AA)
On this trip’s inspection, the situation was found to be at variance with Clyde’s diagram. The present situation:
> ------ / \ / \ / \ < M1---------------- --------------- / \ / \ Main / \ M2---------------------------------------- > <
As seen just above, the fourth switch of the universal crossover is missing. But, what we may be dealing with is a stream of time situation where everybody is right but at the moment of time they are thinking about (and diagraming about).
Notice, too, that the stream of time aspect in the diagram just above AND the top photo (Part C) is seen, because by the tall RIGHT mast signal is bridging over a wash, and that bridging is only for two track positions, the Main and the siding!
So, in the stream of time, in the future, we can expect a modification of that bridging, so THREE tracks can go over the wash.
Continued in Part C-4
Part “C-4” (of A-F, Overall A-AA)
That present wash bridging is an old arrangement, as seen on the lower left of the below westward view:
Also significant is the moveable point frog sign near the west side eastbound mast signal on the photo far right.
So, the siding’s future bridging will be on the NORTH side. Any alignment shift, as mentioned by Clyde Acolita, will have to take place WEST of that culvert wash bridging.
Continued in Part D
Part “D” (of A-F, Overall A-AA)
We now go back in time a few months, to May 31, 2015, on the east side of the east switch of the Colfred siding, a highly blown-up telephoto looking west:
Above, on the right, TWO mast signals are seen, seemingly for the same track. The situation was TWO left positioned signals, one for the future Main 1, the other for the Colfred siding. Apparently, the situation was so confusing that the future Main 1 signal was taken down and the base has orange cones by it.
Continued in Part E
Part “E” (of A-F, Overall A-AA)
Other eastward perspectives from near the west side of the CP:
Another view of the siding (foreground track) and the Main to Main 2 and branching off Main 1:
Lastly, a westward photo was an overview:
Continued in Part F
Part “F” (of A-F, Overall A-AA)
Heading east, we arrive at the first intermediate signal set east of the Colfred interlocking.
Main 1’s first intermediate signals are turned aside. Such a situation is in a skippity hop fashion where every other intermediate for Main 1 (the new track) is not activated. So, in reality, or maybe in theory, these Main 1 blocks presently are in the neighborhood of four miles each! Is Main 1 really in service?
From those turned aside signals the next intermediate set to the east can be seen, in a rising, rollercoaster upward view:
-----------
Continued with the Second Group, Parts G-L, to be posted Wednesday, August 26, 2015 between 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time
K.P., I may be wrong, but it sort of looks like that dark area is actually some type of fence posts or such on the top of the retaining wall in front of the tan bridge, and not a hole in the bridge itself. Just one perspective on the perspective.
K. P. Harrier The California-Arizona-California Report Saturday-Sunday, August 15-16, 2015 Part “A” (of A-F, Overall A-AA) The Mohawk Grade Two-Tracking We will present this discussion in reverse, Sunday first, then Saturday. The single-track Sunset Route eastwardly progresses to the west switch of the Colfred siding, but before reaching the siding is an intermediate signal a few miles in advance. Note that the lower head has two lights. The sun had arisen just a little bit before, but was blocked by the mountainous area. The number plates on the new signals are now facing trains. Continued in Part B
K.P.,
During the earlier phases of construction (mid-late 2000s), I don't recall any instance of replacing the SP searchlights with UP "Darth Vader-style" signals on single track. I'm thinking now that it has to do with PTC.
kgbw49K.P., I may be wrong, but it sort of looks like that dark area is actually some type of fence posts or such on the top of the retaining wall in front of the tan bridge, and not a hole in the bridge itself. Just one perspective on the perspective.
Likewise to me, it looks like rebar is sticking out of the top/side of that incomplete retaining wall and obstructing our vision.
Back to Arizona, the ATCSMon layout for the Gila sub has not yet been updated. This has been a good indicator when track segment changes are put into service. OTOH, the old Noel Coward song could be badly paraphrased:
Mad dogs and ATCS field monitors don't go out in the (Arizona summertime) midday sun.
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! ***
KP if you are refering to the dark brown area by the end of the bridge, that's rebar sticking up from the stem wall adjacent to the bridge. Also there is a small catwalk with a railing along the face of the stem wall.
Part “G” (of G-L, Overall A-AA)
We reach those intermediate signals (see last photo, Part F) on that rising rollercoaster approach to the top on the hill.
Both masts have number plates facing approaching trains.
Continued in Part H
Part “H” (of G-L, Overall A-AA)
Now we approach the next intermediate signals to the east, and Main 1’s heads (left) are turn aside, and not in service.
Just a little bit to the east of those intermediates is the old west switch of the Mohawk siding, and the old two head west side eastbound signal that is now dead, but still standing.
Finally, we go eastward to almost under the I-8 Freeway, and see the new intermediate signals.
Continued in Part I
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