The Texas Trip
October 4-7, 2012
Part 47
The Willcox Area
Willcox, AZ
The town is rather quaint, and has a charming old depot. View looks westbound.
Looking the other way (east), a local park is seen (upper left). The shadow on the bottom is from Malay St. grade crossing flasher on a cantilevered structure.
The depot and intermediate signals:
In the just above photo, did you see that old, yellowish human carriage railcar on the far right?
Continued in Part 48
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 48
The west flashers and the depot:
There’s that nice park again … of interest to railfans traveling with family children.
The tracks in the above photo are on the upper right.
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Continued in … GROUP SEVEN: Friday, November 2, 2012. Eastward up Another Hill (49-50); Peculiar Tracks by a Rest Stop (51-52); CP S1207 DEMING JCT (53-54); A Roundabout Route (Highway 549 in New Mexico) (55)
KP the top picture of Willcox in part 47 shows a concrete tube structure in what appears to be a switchman's / crossing guard shanty. we had several of those on my Southern RR line. Do you know if that was its function in Willcox ?
K.P.: If I had known you were going to be through Benson recently, I would have invited you to notice markings on the sides of the rail near the road crossings, which read, "UPRR MAIN 1" and "UPRR MAIN 2." These markings are apparently for the benefit of maintenance crews since the track numbers are reversed from normal practice here.
That fenced in area at Willcox is a track and signal maintenance yard for the Willcox district, and the UP uses part the old depot as their offices. There is a similar fenced in maintenance yard in Benson, and one in Vail.
Part 49
Eastward up Another Hill
Karro to Alkaline Flats, AZ
Eastward out from the 50 M.P.H. crossovers at CP S1109 KARRO (M.P. 1109.3), the first intermediates a couple of miles to the EAST is this pair that has east side lower westbound heads. This location, as with so many others, has the electrical box away from the signals.
A set of intermediates to the east were the round disked, tri-light type that came about under the two-tracking by Southern Pacific during the Anschutz era. This is the Cochise Rd. grade crossing at M.P. 1114.16
Further east to M.P. 1116.21 is the Indian Springs Rd. grade crossing. A westward view:
The graded crossings look so similar the views have a redundancy about them.
Continued in Part 50
Part 50
Eastward up Another Hill to Steins
Looking east from Indian Springs Rd. (M.P. 116.21) one gets the sense of climbing.
The CP crossovers in this area appear to be 30 M.P.H. Even though I-10 straddles the tracks rather closely, access to the tracks and crossovers are blocked by the lack of roads and are inaccessible.
CP S1130 STEINS (M.P. 1129.7) is the last of the 30 M.P.H. non-movable frog crossovers, but the first such east into the State of New Mexico.
CP S1139 ALKALI FLATS further east starts the 50 M.P.H. universal crossovers layout again … moveable frogs and accompanied by the traditional warning signs for such.
Continued in Part 51
Part 51
Peculiar Trackage by a Rest Stop
Somewhere in New Mexico
Somewhere in New Mexico … like by Exit 62 on I-10 (when traveling westbound), is a rest stop that is most memorable, not only for the rest stop’s design and grounds layout, but for the trackage there.
What looks like setout tracks are short siding-like tracks (about 500 feet long) to both the north and south of the two-track line, and all four switches have an entrance signal. Just to the west of those short sidings are intermediate signals for the Mains.
Link: I-10 Westbound Mile Marker 62 Vicinity Rest Stop Aerial
The short siding’s east end eastbound absolute automatic entrance (to the mainline) signals.
The counterpart westbound signals at the west end:
The two intermediate signals just west of the two short tracks:
Continued in Part 52
Part 52
A general overview of the signals' relation to each other:
The rest stop’s scattered picnic structures are in sight of the tracks, making for a nice place to have a packed lunch.
An eastbound truck passes on I-10
A more comprehensive view of the rest stop: The walkways are a nice place to limber up … all with the tracks and any passing trains in view.
It is a sprawling picnic and rest stop area in a most interesting railroad environment of very short sidings.
The above such track layout was one of three that K.P. saw in New Mexico. It is unknown if such arrangements are peculiar to the State, but K.P. saw no such arrangements outside of New Mexico.
Continued in Part 53
Part 53
CP S1207 DEMING JCT
Deming, NM
On the west end of town is CP S1207 DEMING JCT., of which the west eastbound signal appears below.
The east end’s westbound signals at a junction:
Continued in Part 54
Part 54
The railroad must have a problem here. It is wondered if the message’s intended recipients get the point. Aren’t telephoto lenses just wonderful?
(UPDATE: On Thursday, November 1, 2012, K.P. was in the Pomona-Ontario area of California, and again saw such stenciling on rails. So, apparently this is a new system wide tactic to keep unwanted people off UP tracks.)
An interesting set of trackside items:
Continued in Part 55
Part 55
A Roundabout Route
Highway 549, New Mexico
After the tracks leave Deming, NM eastward, they straddle I-10 for a bit, then branch away southeastwardly to cut across to El Paso, TX. East of I-10, looking westbound:
LINK: I-10 / Highway 549 West Aerial
Highway 549 for a bit follows the Sunset Route, but eventually cuts back to I-10
Where it heads back to I-10 (northeastwardly), it goes over the tracks. The area is so secluded and devoid of vehicle traffic K.P. felt comfortable stopping on the bridge for a few shots from inside the car, through the windshield. A westward view: I-10 is seen in the background.
Eastward:
As seen above, when this area was two-tracked in the last decade, the new track (Main 2) was laid with concrete ties. Main 1 remains to this day with wooden ties.
The Highway 549 bridging is so archaic, K.P. just had to get a westbound telephoto of its narrowness. Check out that primitive, crude yellow striping!
It is not believed that two eighteen wheels could meet on that overpass! Even two cars are questionable …
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Continued in … GROUP EIGHT: Sunday, November 4, 2012. The Block Swap Facility (Santa Teresa, NM) (56-68)
I noticed about a week ago main track rail just east of our yard office parking lot that's stencilled "no tresspassing." I don't know how long it's been that way. It's on a path that people use as a short cut to one of Boone's grocery stores. I'm sure it's cut down the number of people crossing there.
Jeff
RE: the "tubular object" at the Wilcox depot, I don't know the official name, but it's basically a concrete phone shanty. They used to be numerous along the Sunset, but are redundant in the modern era of radio communication. Up until maybe three years ago, there was one lying on the ground in the vicinity of the former Bon Siding between Casa Grande and Maricopa.
They have to weigh at least a ton and would make a nice one-man tornado shelter.
John Timm
K.P.: That "interesting set of trackside items" shown in part 54 is an Automatic Equipment Identification tag reader that takes an inventory of the train's makeup as it passes. There is also one very near the Mescal Road crossing west of Benson, Arizona.
I haven't noticed the 'No Trespassing' stenciled on rail in my immediate area, but the UP has completely fenced in and posted numerous 'No Trespassing' signs at the Cienega Creek high bridge area where one main line crosses over the other, which has completely shut out photographers. This area is within a Pima County nature preserve, which requires a permit to enter, which further hinders any chances of photography.
** TUCSON UPDATE **
Just heard on the radio that the grade crossing at Ina Road (adjacent to the west side of CP Kino) will be closed next week from Thursday evening until Sunday for installation of a second track.
http://www.maranaweeklynews.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=4011
Of the major crossings that will need to be done, this is probably the busiest, followed closely by Cortaro Road 2 miles further west.
Ruthrauff, Massingale, and Tangerine also will require closures at some stage, as they're all single track right now.
What I've just noticed is that CP Kino will likely be reconfigured if the siding is planned to remain as we've seen at Red Rock, Naviska, and what appears to be the case at Rillito.East of Kino, a new bridge is already in place over the Rillito River, and subgrading is in place all the way to CP Stockham. Just past the beginning, there's a two-track span over Orange Grove Road. This underpass is new enough that they likely would have made it wide enough for the triple track if Kino were to remain in place.
Centered at Kino, a two-track bridge crosses over the Canada Del Oro wash, and here it is less clear as to what the final alignment will be -- the subgrade for the new main stops 3800' after Ina, and just short of the bridge.
West of Kino and Ina Road, subgrading for the new main continues on on the north side, and stays there past CP's Sabino and Rillito...
Will be interesting to see what the final outcome is, and that's going to hopefully be more apparent once the crossing at Ina is completed.
YUMA SUB UPDATE (as seen on latest Google Maps aerial photos)
Unexpectedly, west of CP Mesquite (MP 696.8, near Glamis) the ROW has been prepped extensively with wide grading and new, improved, longer culverts seen to about MP 687.0 (west of Acolita siding). A wider grading spot about MP 689.2 (within Acolita siding) may be a new universal crossover location.
The aerials also confirm the extent of work previously reported by K.P.H east of MP 637 (new CP Salton). New grading and improved culverts are seen as far east as the west switch of Wister siding, MP 659.8.
EDIT for @ccltrains request below: Sunset Route single track mileage
Total 'milepost' miles (Los Angeles MP 483 to El Paso MP 1298) = 815Remaining single track, mileposts are rounded, priorities are SWAGs* based on forum on-site observers:- CP Alhambra MP 488 to CP Spadra MP 510X (low priority, parallel LA sub 2MT) = 22 miles- CP Spadra MP 510X to CP Sierra MP 533 (medium priority) = 23 miles- CP Thermal MP 620 to CP Cactus MP 715 (high priority) = 95 miles- CP Araz MP 724 to CP Araz Jct MP 726 (low priority, unknown issue) = 2 miles- CP Colorado MP 732 to CP Yuma MP 733 (low priority, expensive new bridge) = 1 mile- CP East Yard MP 738 to CP Fortuna MP 743 (medium priority) = 5 miles- CP Blaisdell MP 747 to CP Dome MP 753 (medium priority) = 6 miles- CP Wellton MP 771 to CP Stanwix MP 819 (medium priority) = 48 miles- CP Sentinel MP 831 to CP Estrella MP 876 (medium priority) = 45 miles- CP Marana MP 961 to CP Stockham MP 979 (high priority) = 18 milesEstimated single track remaining = 265 milesPercent remaining = 33%
I don't think UP is going to make their '70% complete' estimate by year end 2012, unless they figure quite differently.
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! ***
P- Hate to keep doing this to you (3rd time) but could you give an update on what remains to be done to complete the double tracking to El Paso for those of us who live 1,000 miles to the east who have a difficult time piecing all of the work together.
Thanks a million.
W R Watkins
Gun Barrel City, TX
What remains? That's a great question. I'm sorta lost as well at times.
There's 25 miles between CP Red Rock and CP Stockham, all of that pretty much in the Northwest Tucson area.
When that's complete, it will be double track all the way from CP Estrella (SP876) into El Paso (SP1295).
East of Estrella, there's 250 miles of "I have no idea" until you get to Thermal, at which point it appears to already be double tracked into the LA area...
Short story, the double tracking is at least 65% done.
Further Report on the Colton Flyover and Nearby Activity to the East
Colton-Loma Linda-Bryn Mawr, CA
Part AA (of AA-JJ)
On the afternoon of Sunday, October 28, 2012 K.P. again was in the Colton Flyover area, and files this update with the forum.
On a west side pier set of the Colton Flyover construction, wood and I-beam temporary framing surrounds the new cement-work.
Another view of the piers with the temporary framing, with the south (left) of the Sunset Route two piers … The BNSF Transcon is across the bottom.
A strangely colored lifting device with a cage (right).
Continued in Part BB
Part BB (of AA-JJ)
You may remember the follow two August 29, 2012 photos where the flyover side tops had an uneven higher and lower block pieces appearance.
However, now …
Continued in Part CC
Part CC (of AA-JJ)
From La Cadena Dr. east to almost the far eastern end, the side walling seems complete, and the top is even all across its length of sloping.
Westbound UP 7793 came along and conveniently stopped so a flyover height comparison could be made with the locomotive.
The flyover at this point is still climbing westward (left), and between three and four city blocks to go before going over the BNSF Transcon.
Continued in Part DD
Part DD (of AA-JJ)
The flyover west of La Cadena Dr. has the uneven higher and lower pieces still being worked on. The parallel old bridge protective railings (bottom) will remain.
UP’s “Private Property” Signal Dept. sign is visible … BNSF’s cross Transcon goes between the far left pier and the photo’s left edge.
BNSF has jurisdiction over signals at Colton Crossing. Their CP boxes are highly reflective, especially in lowering sunlight conditions. A Colton Crossing flyover pier structure is on the right.
The flyover walling is getting higher between La Cadena Dr. and the BNSF. These UP signals are the east westbound Colton Crossing ones, and are controlled by the BNSF. A signal casts a large ‘lowering sun’ shadow on the right.
The above signals were photographed from the pubic street south of the Sunset Route, by the Colton Signal Dept.
Continued in Part EE
Part EE (of AA-JJ)
The Colton Signal Dept. area (from the street) was a gem of a place to visit this time. A bunch of new signal masts had been stacked up. It is unknown exactly where these are destined for, possibly down by Salton Sea, but that is questionable. Tehachapi is a possibility.
In the above photo, a bunch of rails are seen for installation as insulated joint sections. They are by a bunch signal ladder sections.
Those insulated joints are color coded light blue and stenciled as 136 pounds per yard rail. The Sunset Route (and the LA&SL) has been using white color coded 141 pounds per yard rail, so it is unknown exactly where these are destined for.
A bunch of old target mast signals are now stacked up at the site, WITHOUT number plates. They are recognized as a unique type from the Palmdale Cutoff, which meets the Sunset Route on the east side of West Colton Yard. Many of the trains to or from Tehachapi use the Palmdale Cutoff.
A signal dept. blue truck trailer was also on site (above, third photo’s top).
Continued in Part FF
Part FF (of AA-JJ)
CP SP542 LOMA LINDA was visited. A westward view from the Waterman Ave. overpass:
On the east side of that CP, new signal masts have arrived.
On the just above photo, the target signal on the left utilizes a new mast typically used for color light signals. Previously, there was an old target signal mast between the tracks. When it was changed to a left signal, a whole different, taller signal replaced it
The new vertical cantilever signal structure still has not had the horizontal section attached yet.
Continued in Part GG
Part GG (of AA-JJ)
K.P. was treated to a sight he hasn’t seen for twenty years, maybe even 30 years … a train (westbound, going away from the camera) crossing over at CP SP542 LOMA LINDA.
K.P. is uncertain of the speed limit through these crossovers, but likely they are 30 M.P.H. They have been fully UP- ized as they have spring frogs.
A closer view of the vertical part of the cantilever signal (left), with the sand train parked for the evening.
Please make a mental note of the last above photo … especially the Hunts Lane grade crossing on the bottom of the photo. It will be referred to shortly.
Of course, there are tracks to the east as well. But, this eastward shot is special, and was taken the week before, on Sunday, October 21, 2012. The windmill train has just passed, with a DPU pushing on the rear. Can those wide loads meet another train?
Continued in Part HH
Part HH (of AA-JJ)
To the east of the Loma Linda crossovers are presently absolute holding signals, but with the future new color lights that location appears to be just intermediates. More on that later …
To the east a few miles up Beaumont Hill is a set of older new intermediates, the short kind that was put in about a decade ago. Two-tracking here was by Southern Pacific, circa 1976.
So, BETWEEN Colton Crossing and these intermediates on a curve (above), NEW signals are presently going in.
About a block west of the above photo is the Whittier Ave. grade crossing, at M.P. 544.5. It is in a highly residential area with a quiet zone and trains don’t blow their horns.
To the west, the Sunset Route snakes through the area a bit:
Continued in Part II
Part II (of AA-JJ)
While at the Whittier Ave grade crossing, the south intermediate signal came alive!
A westbound came along shortly afterward.
One thing K.P. has noticed of late is that UP on new signal installations have been relocating signals that are on curves to straighter track.
Continued in Part JJ
Part JJ (of AA-JJ)
The Significance of All This
So, from the east side of the Santa Ana River, where a new cantilever signal is going in (a reshown recent past photo) …
… there is the south side 1.2 mile Ice Deck siding (hardly usable in today’s 8000-foot double-stack environment) … that ends by Hunts Lane west of the present CP SP542 LOMA LINDA … (Reshown within this post series)
That Hunts Lane presently is having a low profile overpass built there, which will be just dandy for eastbound trains being able to see the new cantilever signals about a block away!
Then there are the present 1.8 mile east holding signals that are being replaced …
... and finally the old new intermediates just east of Whittier Ave., 1.5 miles further east.
The spacing sequence is old and odd. K.P. unofficially believes once Hunts Lane is closed for overpass construction, the Ice Deck siding will be extended eastward to a new CP SP542 LOMA LINDA exactly midway between the Santa Ana Rivers and Whittier Ave., with 2.25 miles on each side of it. That would allow long Intermodals to be able to use the siding.
More trains are likely to go straight through to the Palmdale Cutoff, and such a long siding would allow for a location for crew changes without blocking other traffic.
Also, in the future, the southeast quadrant’s transition track will not be able to be used for crew changes as it is today. The current BNSF old “East Pass” (partial, the present transition track on the BNSF side) will be utilized in three-tracking their line south of Colton Crossing.
Time will tell on all this. But, it should be remembered the Sunset Route between Los Angeles and Colton (Alhambra Sub) had NEW, color light signals put in just last year. All of those new signals between Pomona and Fontana will have to come down with the two-tracking of that segment, which appears imminent!
Finally, the below eastward photo from Rancho Ave. was very recently shown.
In a time quirk, K.P. happened to have several hours of free time Thursday, November 1, 2012, and a few hours of it was spent on the Rancho Ave. overpass. WHAT YOU SEE JUST ABOVE IS NOT HOW THINGS ARE NOW! In just the past few days a massive alteration has taken place! Only a few graders, earthmovers, and surveyors attacked the Rancho Ave. area big time! All those vertical I-beans now make more sense. All this will be shared with the forum, hopefully, in a few days … And, there is a bunch of activity in the Pomona-Ontario area too to report … and an unmistakable two-tracking indicator of things to come …
MikeF90 YUMA SUB UPDATE (as seen on latest Google Maps aerial photos) Unexpectedly, west of CP Mesquite (MP 696.8, near Glamis) the ROW has been prepped extensively with wide grading and new, improved, longer culverts seen to about MP 687.0 (west of Acolita siding). A wider grading spot about MP 689.2 (within Acolita siding) may be a new universal crossover location. The aerials also confirm the extent of work previously reported by K.P.H east of MP 637 (new CP Salton). New grading and improved culverts are seen as far east as the west switch of Wister siding, MP 659.8. EDIT for @ccltrains request below: Sunset Route single track mileage Total 'milepost' miles (Los Angeles MP 483 to El Paso MP 1298) = 815Remaining single track, mileposts are rounded, priorities are SWAGs* based on forum on-site observers:- CP Alhambra MP 488 to CP Spadra MP 510X (low priority, parallel LA sub 2MT) = 22 miles- CP Spadra MP 510X to CP Sierra MP 533 (medium priority) = 23 miles- CP Thermal MP 620 to CP Cactus MP 715 (high priority) = 95 miles- CP Araz MP 724 to CP Araz Jct MP 726 (low priority, unknown issue) = 2 miles- CP Colorado MP 732 to CP Yuma MP 733 (low priority, expensive new bridge) = 1 mile- CP East Yard MP 738 to CP Fortuna MP 743 (medium priority) = 5 miles- CP Blaisdell MP 747 to CP Dome MP 753 (medium priority) = 6 miles- CP Wellton MP 771 to CP Stanwix MP 819 (medium priority) = 48 miles- CP Sentinel MP 831 to CP Estrella MP 876 (medium priority) = 45 miles- CP Marana MP 961 to CP Stockham MP 979 (high priority) = 18 milesEstimated single track remaining = 265 milesPercent remaining = 33% I don't think UP is going to make their '70% complete' estimate by year end 2012, unless they figure quite differently.
Thanks for the summary above -- it fills in the vast unknown of eastern CA and western AZ.
A slight correction on the CP Marana to CP Stockham -- trackwork is mostly complete between Red Rock SP952 and Naviska SP959, but there is an alignment shift required at SP954 which has not been done yet.
There's rail on the ground between SP959 and the defect detector at Marana SP961, but there's nothing done just yet.
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