The Texas Trip
October 4-7, 2012
Part 10
The Niland, CA Area
East past the Border Patrol stop on Highway 111, previously, large rocks (riprap) were shown, in good sized groupings. On this trip, however, riprap was laid out in long rows.
At Niland, on the east side of town, the Ames Construction, Inc. of Scottsdale, AZ, had more and more in its fenced construction yard.
Plenty of equipment:
Continued in Part 11
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
Part 11
East of Niland towards Iris, CA
In the vicinity of Nider and Flowing Wells Roads (both dirt), east of Niland, work is taking place to add another track bridge.
At the west switch of the Iris siding, at CP SP674 IRIS, a new graded road goes up to the CP box.
The above photo is shown as a location identifier. Just WEST of the Iris siding is a single-track railroad bridge. It is having the initial stages of being two-tracked.
Note the white crane on the other side (north) of the bridge.
Continued in Part 12
Part 12
A closer look at the crane.
Early parts.
A dirt road is in the river bed.
Continued in Part 13
Part 13
Something is Brewing in the Stanwix-Sentinel, AZ Area
Along I-10 in Arizona there has been a 12.4 mile stretch of two-tracks since the early to mid-2000’s between CP SP819 STANWIX (M.P. 818.8) and CP SP831 SENTINEL (M.P. 831.2)
For miles and miles old target signals have been in place for decades. However, dating from the above two-tracking, the west side advance intermediate signals (on a single mast) about a city block west of Spot Rd are color lights, in the M.P. 817 area.
Somewhere between M.P. 824 and 826 a NEW universal crossovers arrangement is being installed.
In the photo just above, the new Main 1 (right) west side eastbound signal had been erected. The Main 2 west side eastbound signal was lying on the ground and is not visible (left).
The east side westbound signals didn’t seem to be present yet, or at least K.P. didn’t see them where passing on I-8.
The mid-point between the two present end CP’s is M.P. 825, so the new CP is probably in the M.P. 825 vicinity.
There was a bunch of equipment and activity at the site.
There is no public road to the new CP site. But, there just happens to be freeway on and off ramps at Agua Caliente Rd. just east of M.P. 826, and westward telephotos were taken from there.
A strange sight trackside just west of Agua Caliente Rd.: An old un-placarded CP box, with equipment on either side of it.
Continued in Part 14
Part 14
The Example of CP SP841 PIEDRA
In the Idle of Nowhere, AZ
For miles and miles along I-8 the parallel Sunset Route has old target signals, such as at CP SP841 PIEDRA.
Continued in Part 15
Part 15
In the idle of Nowhere, AZ
The Piedra area is a flat desert-like area.
What is becoming a rarity now except for the remaining third to be two-tracked are lineside wires, and cables from those poles to the bungalows.
From New Mexico through eastern Arizona all the tracks do not have lineside wires anymore. One gets used to that. Then, suddenly a stretch of the Sunset Route has poles and wires. It almost looks abnormal after passing so much areas without poles!
With Positive Train Control looming, one has to wonder if all these target signals will be replaced with single-track color lights, or if color lights will arrive with the two-tracking of this stretch.
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Continued in … GROUP THREE: Thursday, October 25, 2012. The Casa Grande (AZ) Signal Dept. Area (16-18); Revisiting an Area of Much Industrial Trackage (19-22); A Bunch of Ties at the Toltec Staging Area (23); and The Eloy Industrial Track (24)
Part 16
The Casa Grande Signal Dept. Area
Casa Grande, AZ
From the Sacaton Rd. grade crossing, a heavy westward telephoto looking at CP SP917 / SP918 CASA GRANDE, with “Locals” activity taking place. The van crossing the tracks is at Thornton Rd.
Followers of this thread will undoubtedly remember all the Intermodal trailers parked just west of Sacaton Rd. a number of months ago (reshown photos).
All those trailers (likely related to the signals and track parts) are gone now!
Continued in Part 17
Part 17
Looking east from Sacaton Rd. one finds the Casa Grande fenced Signal Dept. yard basically empty, except for some odds and ends.
Another view of the empty fenced yard, from the north side of the now two-track line:
At the Sacaton Rd. grade crossing looking east: Note the green signal on the right (at Hermosilla St). Note also, the switch on the far lower right. The track of the switch leads to a little orange engine (more in a moment).
Continued in Part 18
Part 18
Followers of this thread may remember the following collection of new signal equipment at the Casa Grande Signal Dept. at Main Ave. (parallel to the tracks) and Florence St. (the grade crossing road).
A Google Maps aerial still shows that collection of masts. (If you go to the aerial link, make sure you arrow return to this page and not close it.)
LINK: Casa Grande Signals Aerial
On this trip, that collection was basically cleared out, only a few burial stands and some miscellaneous things were there now.
In the last photo above, in the background, is that Casa Grande Signal Dept. empty fenced yard.
Continued in Part 19
Part 19
Revisiting an Area of Much Industrial Trackage
Those signals again on the east side of and shot from Hermosilla St.
That cute industrial power is still serving a shipper (by the above signals).
Continued in Part 20
Part 20
Looking west, a continuation of the industrial track (left) has not been laid yet across Hermosilla St. (towards the camera).
That industrial track on the west (above photo, left) will eventually continue east on the south side of the two mains, for a long line of ties and rails are present heading east.
Such a future long south side industrial track with entrance signals (formerly known exit signals) will keep movements to service industrial customers off the mains. The below present in-service entrance signal (background) is east of Florence St. in a westward previously shown photo from Hermosilla St. It is a telephoto of the first photo’s view above.
Continued in Part 21
Part 21
That row of ties and rails from Hermosilla St. eastward ends at Trekell Road …
… where the future industrial track will go through the grade crossing, necessitating the relocation of the south side crossing gate …
… and connect to the present east side industrial track that currently has an entrance signal.
Continued in Part 22
Part 22
The south side industrial track continues eastward all the way to Peart Rd., and connects back to Main 2.
As seen in the above photo, the south side industrial trackage currently does not go through, and is a disjointed affair that can consume much mainline authority to service adjacent industries.
When connected all together, the south side industrial access track will end here (right) by Peart Road (bottom).
Having a south side through industrial track will keep all switching operations off the mainline, except to come from or go to the yard west of town, by Thornton Rd.
Continued in Part 23
Part 23
A Bunch of Ties at the Toltec Staging Area
Toltec, AZ
The Toltec staging area is alive and well. A selection of photos as evidence:
In the last photo above, there looks like silvery material on the photo’s upper right. Such has a striking resemblance to the mystery silvery material in Colton, CA, east of 9th Street, by the Colton Flyover being constructed there.
Continued in Part 24
Part 24
The Eloy Industrial Track
Eloy, AZ
Those at the forum probably remember this three-bulb entrance signal (left), with the two mains having block signals on the background center and right.
That industrial track continues and curves towards a complex in the photo background.
That industrial track is on an east-west alignment. The Sunset Route is more on a southeast-northwest alignment here.
The three-bulb entrance signal at first glance looks like a block signal from the side.
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Continued in … GROUP FOUR: Saturday, October 27, 2012. Mysteries, Truth, and Exceptions (Picacho, AZ) (25-27); The Wymola Staging Area (28); At the West End of the Red Rock Siding (29); Another Mystery and the Truth (30); and More on CP SP952 [EAST] RED ROCK (31)
Pending: The Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF in the City of Industry, CA) area was visited Sunday October 21, 2012, as well as the construction sites of the Milliken Ave. and Colton Flyovers, and reports on those are pending. The visit to the PHIMF facility inspired a second visit Wednesday, October 24, 2012 to pin down some loose ends, and the discovery was both surprising and not surprising.
Great to see what has transpired (or not) over the last few months since I last visited the Casa Grande area.
It would be interesting to learn how the addition of a second track has affected operations in terms of how long it takes for crews to get over the road from Tucson to Yuma these days compared to a couple of years ago. I also wonder if it has had any effect on Amtrak.
John Timm
They did re-time the Sunset Limited back in May, which I suspect was related to the double tracking. It's running in daylight on Tucson-LAUPT, which previously left here at o'dark thirty....
Part 25
Mysteries, Truth, and Exceptions
Picacho, AZ
In recent weeks there has been word that the new officially listed 40 M.P.H. mainline crossovers at both CP SP937 WEST PICACHO and CP SP936 EAST PICACHO had those crossovers now listed as 30 M.P.H. ones.
Below is an eastward previously shown March 21, 2012 photo of the CP SP938 EAST PICACHO single crossover.
This is what that crossover looked like on October 4, 2012, during K.P.’s travels.
So, the siding switch (again, lower left of both above photos), known to be of the 30 M.P.H. type AND the single crossover switches (again, centers of both above photos) both share the SAME identical diverging angle, in the March AND October photos! So, in other words, the crossover in reality NEVER was anything but 30 M.P.H.!
Interestingly, forumist CShaveRR on October 3, 2012 posted about “a different spiral on the curve” and that “new crossovers on the UP in Lombard also have No. 20 frogs, but are good for 50 on the diverging route.” So, while the probably No. 14 switches at WEST and EAST PICACHO are timetabled as 30 M.P.H., the switches themselves may have the capability of being safely traversed through the turnout route at 40 M.P.H.!
All the siding and mainline turnout at WEST and EAST PICACHO all have moveable point frogs.
Continued in Part 26
Part 26
With the official word that the Picacho crossovers are now 30 M.P.H., the following updated diagram is presented:
The photo evidence is that the east westbound signals do not all line up. Two views from two different south side angles:
Continued in Part 27
Part 27
The two EAST westbound signals at CP SP938 EAST PICACHO have lower four-bulb heads, as in this previously shown March 22, 2012 photo:
The next MAINLINE crossovers at CP SP937 WEST PICACHO are 30 M.P.H. ones, so a yellow over yellow here (above, EAST PICACHO) is normal. K.P. believes that, so trains won’t have to negotiate those 30 M.P.H. switches at 25 M.P.H. to insure the 25 M.P.H. junction crossover switches (an exception!) to the Phoenix are lined properly, a yellow over lunar is used in advance at EAST PICACHO for a Phoenix routing at WEST PICACHO. Yellow over lunar is normally used in advance of red over flashing red ahead, but this, if correct, appears to be an exception, a wise one at that!
Most of the universal crossers on the Sunset Route are of the invert or upside down “V” layout, with the point towards the north on an east-west schematic. That holds true at Picacho, AZ also. Typically, the crossovers are of the same speed, a rather uniform layout in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. However, near Los Angeles, CA, at LA&SL CP C011 BARTOLO, there is an exception, a weird arrangement with the west crossover (nearest the camera) reportedly at 40 M.P.H., whereas the east crossover is supposedly 30 M.P.H. Part of the inspiration for the difference may be because of the Los Nietos line (right) that junctions off, with the junction switch at 20 M.P.H.
Back to Picacho, AZ …
From the Highway 87 overpass looking semi-eastbound: An eastbound by the west signal of CP SP936 HIGHWAY 87.
Within feet of the above photo’s left signal is where the alignment shift takes place. In the below view, the power is in that jog in the tracks.
Finally, a heavy eastbound telephoto of where the Phoenix Line cuts in, at CP SP937 WEST PICACHO.
Continued in Part 28
Part 28
The Wymola Staging Area
Wymola, AZ
Heading east from CP SP938 EAST PICACHO we pass CP SP943 WYMOLA, and then pass the long standing staging area. It presently has a lot of old signals at it from several miles on each side.
Continued in Part 29
Part 29
At the West End of the Red Rock Siding
Red Rock, AZ
All the new signals at the west end of the Red Rock siding are up and running, and that old siding is as it has been for years.
The recent siding ‘reduction in length’ must be at the other end …
Continued in Part 30
Part 30
Another Mystery and the Truth
Forum contributor eolesen in recent times posted an excellent photo of the west signals at the east end of the Red Rock siding, at CP SP952 [EAST] RED ROCK.
Previous to this trip K.P. dropped in on a contact, and was shown a “General Order” for Red Rock, and that Main 2 was now in service between Wymola and Red Rock, and the Red Rock siding’s length was given. Then, a few weeks later, another of K.P.’s sources showed K.P. an updated “General Order,” this time showing a siding reduction of about 600 feet. Common sense dictates the newly erected and put in service signals were all relocated to the west. However, while actually at the site on the Texas trip K.P. found them (and photographed them, below) exactly where eolesen had photographed them at!
So, how could there be a reduction in siding length but nothing physically altered?
What happened was, when the railroad advised crews of the now two-track CP and new signal locations in a “General Order,” it inadvertently forgot about the siding length reduction and used the old siding length. When the powers that be discovered the mix-up, they put out an updated “General Order” with the correct siding length.
In this series, the Picacho (NOT Red Rock) siding’s west end had the east westbound mast signal west BEYOND the mainline signals that were on a cantilever structure. The same could have been done here at the east end of the Red Rock siding, but the railroad opted to group all the signals together instead.
The below photo assists one to discern where the old siding used to end. If one draws an imaginary line between the yellow equipment’s shovel and the lower right frog motor, where it crosses the top track is where the pot signal and insulated joints use to be at.
While the “General Order” said “East Red Rock” for this location, as I recall, the actual CP box says “RED ROCK.”
Continued in Part 31
Part 31
More on CP SP952 [EAST] RED ROCK
When at East Red Rock, this forumist was not of the mentality of photographing ALL the CP boxes in one photo that were there, which I’m sure was three, the present TWO new boxes, and the OLD but modern style one. These might be the two new ones:
Possibly the previous CP box and the CP’s new east signals:
An eastside westward view of the new signals: They were lit, but NO train was in the area.
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Continued in … GROUP FIVE: Monday, October 29, 2012:. Between Red Rock and Naviska (32); West of Marana Road (33); By Twin Peaks Road (34); From the Kino Ave. Overpass (Tucson, AZ) (35-36); Trains on the New Main 2 Reroute (by Marsh Station Rd.) (37-38); and The Old Main 2 and the Storage of Railcars (by Marsh Station Rd.) (39)
On Sunday, October 28, 2012 watch for a review of the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF) area in the City of Industry, CA, including a CP on the far eastern end of the project.
On Tuesday, October 30, 2012, a brief update on the Milliken Ave. and Colton Flyovers is planned.
Thanks for the update. Does anyone know if the plan to build a new Amtrak depot in Maricopa has moved forward? Supposedly, private money from the casino south of Phoenix was going to cover a good portion of the cost.
Update as of October 21, 2012
Western End Roundup
Part “A” (of A-L; Overall A-Q)
Getting the Signals Picture
The PHIMF Area
City of Industry, CA
This multi-post report deals with activity between the City of Industry and the Colton area of Southern California. The first group of posts …
In the City of Industry, the focus is on updating the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility’s (PHIMF) area trackage and surroundings, especially with regards the Workman Mill Rd. grade crossing at Los Angeles & Salt Lake (LA&SL) M.P. 13.92.
You may recall these items by the Workman Mill Rd. grade crossing back on May 25, 2012. At the time, it was not clear exactly what the limited concrete parts were for or if they were related to the signal bridging, possibly a cantilever structure.
It was evident, however, on the visit Sunday, October 21, 2012, that the parts had been moved around slightly, and that they were for, not cantilever signaling, but a full signal bridge that has a support on each side of the tracks.
Continued in Part “B”
Part “B” (of A-L; Overall A-Q)
A similar structure involved the “Diversion” in not too far away Pomona, at Humane Way. A new signal bridge had been erected there, but had to be taken down for some digging, and then was erected again. The concrete supports and burial items in the below reshown June 2010 photos bear a striking resemblance to the items at Workman Mill Rd.
Eventually, the Humane Way west side signal bridging was restored.
The burial items and support material over at Workman Mill Rd. in the City of Industry, then, are likely for a same type full signal bridge structure.
Continued in Part “C”
Part “C” (of A-L; Overall A-Q)
A close-up of the concrete items seen in the last photo of Part “A” which were photographed at Workman Mill Rd.:
The signal bridge presently on the ground by Workman Mill Rd. does NOT have the end bolt holes common with cantilever horizontal sections for attachment to a vertical portion.
Continued in Part “D”
Part “D” (of A-L; Overall A-Q)
The previously seen stacked I-beams east of Workman Mill Rd. were found to be in the ground now.
A group of tan metalwork was also east of Workman Mill Rd. The pole has the LA&SL M.P. 14 sign on it (half visible).
Continued in Part “E”
Part “E” (of A-L; Overall A-Q)
The LA&SL goes east, under the 60 Freeway, where Crossroads Parkway North straddles the rail line just a bit, and then turns away from the tracks. The following photos were taken near that curve, from a Jack in the Box fast food parking lot.
A westward view: North of the tracks is PHIMF related cement-work.
Up close:
An eastward view:
MAP LINK: LA&SL by Jack in the Box Parking Lot
Continued in Part “F”
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