A California-Texas Investigative …
… Trip like Few Others
Part II (of I-VI), Section A (of A-G)
The Colorado River Crossing and the …
… East of Yuma, AZ Fortuna Area
The two-tracks to the west and the two-tracks to the east of the Colorado River big 1923 built truss bridge crossing remains single-track.
It is believed MikeF90 suggested K.P. check out CP SP743 FORTUNA, the present end of about four miles of two-tracks from the east.
Looking eastbound:
A westward view:
The present CP box is a newer Southern Pacific type box, so upgrading to color light signals should be no problem, and argues against this section being two-tracked anytime soon.
Of course, two-tracking westward the short distance to Yuma would work nicely for all the trains making crew changes in Yuma.
According to the mapping services CP SP743 FORTUNA is outside of, but very nearby, to an incorporated city called Fortuna Foothills to the east.
The Avenue 9E grade crossing just west of CP SP743 FORTUNA, looking north, shows the area to a be semi-housing track / rural area.
Continued in Section B
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 II, Section B (of A-G)
The Aztec Area …
… Between Yuma and Tucson, AZ
A visit to the eastern end of the Aztec siding was not on the agenda, however, the location had so many ties stacked up a stop was made there nevertheless.
Looking westbound from the private grade crossing this area uses all wooden ties. The Aztec siding in itself has wide centered tracks, except for the east end with a bridge over a wash.
Continued in Section C
Part II, Section C (of A-G)
This whole area has modern Southern Pacific type CP boxes, so in K.P.’s opinion, will be left single-track for some years while Positive Train Control issue has precedence.
While onsite, a UP eastbound came along:
As above, this is all high speed, fast running territory that parallels the I-10 Freeway.
Thread readers undoubtedly will recall the east end of the Aztec siding has an old, steam engine era water tower (right). A pile of ballast is on the left.
Continued in Section D
Part II, Section D (of A-G)
The Marsh Station Road Area …
… Between Tucson and Benson, AZ
In a lowering sun situation we arrive in the Marsh Station Road overpass area east of Tucson, AZ.
Continued in Section E
Part II, Section E (of A-G)
The reason to pursuing the Marsh Station Road area was for K.P. to see for himself the report of power stored on the original, now severed Main 2. And, there it was, a very long string of stored power!
Continued in Section F
Part II, Section F (of A-G)
More …
Continued in Section G
Part II, Section G (of A-G)
From the next overpass to the east a few miles, Empirita Road, the east end of the string of stored power is seen.
The last photo above, on the lower left portion, a glimpse of the track swinging back to go under the I-10 Freeway is seen.
In very lowering light, the eastbound sign for Empirita Road was photo-taken to make any would-be visitors feel at home.
K.P. originally thought it questionable to store power out in the open and unfenced, especially in light of the severe problems UP encountered in West Colton Yard (Colton-Fontana, CA) with people even cutting the fence along the I-10 Freeway to gain access to copper valuables from the power. While unfenced in the Marsh Station Road area, there is NO easy access to the power, and that probably works to the railroad’s advantage as mentally deficient thieves likely would give up in there theft efforts. Time will tell, of course, but the railroad may have found a winning place to store power!
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Part III, 10 Sections (A-J), Sunday, April 17, 2016 by 9:00 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time: The New Santa Teresa, NM Facility (North). The material may be posted up to 12 hours early.
One has to wonder what affect the re-opening of the Panama Canal to larger ships will have on the railroads. I suspect it will slow things down a bit. It's all about the money and the cheapest way to ship manufactured goods.
Before I forget, thanks K.P. for keeping us well advised.
RickH
BarstowRick.com Model Railroading How To's
As info, a new Google Earth overhead (imagery date 02/20/16) shot of the UP line in the vacinity of Marsh Station Road appeared during the last day or so, and one can discern stored power from the picture.
The biggest ships that the container shipping industry is moving to are too large for the New Panama Canal.
Chinamax ships have a 65 meter beam (width), and those such as the CGA CGM Ben Franklin can carry 18,000 TEUs.
New Panamax ships that will fit the New Panama Canal locks have a 49 meter beam and carry 13,000 TEUs. They will also fit through the Suez Canal, as Suezmax ships can have a 50 meter beam.
In the original Panama Canal, a Panamax ship can have a maximum beam of 32.3 meters and carry approximately 5,000 TEUs.
So in the quest for faster turns of vessels with more containers, West Coast ports will still be big players in the intermodal shipping game as Chinamax ships will continue to call at West Coast ports because they cannot fit through either the Panama Canal or the Suez Canal.
Ben Franklin at Long Beach...
Some comparisons...
Ben Franklin at Seattle...
Ben Franklin at Oakland...
For everyone … and ccltrains (4-13):
On the way to Glamis (and ultimately El Paso), there were empty Intermodal cars in the Bertram siding (across from Salton Sea).
But, it just happened to be in the view in the above photo’s bottom, look at all those riprap boulders! I couldn’t help afterwards of thinking of the riprap boulders at Clyde.
K.P. is betting his boots that Cactus-Clyde is being two-tracked right now, or soon will be, in accord with the old CP boxes and wiring concept presented a few days ago about the Thermal area.
It is unknown if the sand dunes near Glamis would cause a problem or not, but the right-of-way doesn’t seem to have trees …
… like the area east of Palm Springs does (which is known for blinding sand storms, hence, the right-of-way is lined with thick, high treeing).
As for the percentage of the Sunset Route left to be two-tracked, I thought MikeF90 did a superb job in listing what is left to do. However, in mathematically figuring the percentage, the numbers glaringly did NOT look right.
I took CP AL482 UP YUMA JCT (M.P. 482.8) on the west and CP S1294 ICE HOUSE (M.P. 1293.5) on the east, and figured 810.7 miles between those two spots (without equation adjustments, such as the Marsh Station Road reroute in Arizona), and subtracted 130.3 miles based on MikeF90’s figure of two-tracking remaining … BUT I got hung up with percentages that obviously weren’t right. The problem was traced to seemingly both MikeF90 and K.P. forgetting the Alhambra Sub between Los Angeles and Colton. Once one of us figures that out, a percentage figure can be posted.
Take care,
K.P.
billio As info, a new Google Earth overhead (imagery date 02/20/16) shot of the UP line in the vacinity of Marsh Station Road appeared during the last day or so, and one can discern stored power from the picture.
Indeed, one can see two groups on the old south line and a security truck at the end of the eastern string.
A10
K. P. HarrierThe problem was traced to seemingly both MikeF90 and K.P. forgetting the Alhambra Sub between Los Angeles and Colton.
Actually I purposely left out the Alhambra sub mileage. The last two UP 'Sunset Corridor' presentations I've seen don't mention mileage west of Colton, probably due to the defacto 'paired track' arrangement with the parallel LA sub. For comparison my calculation is 130 / 759 = 18% single track remaining.
Speaking of the Al sub, I just came across this great video made about 2012 before the current trench construction. It offers very good views of the landmarks between LAUS and Pomona.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu1p_DnQRsA
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! ***
Part III (of I-VI), Section A (of A-J)
The New Santa Teresa Facility (North)
Santa Teresa, NM
Upon reaching the new Santa Teresa Facility (North), a counterclockwise going all around the facility was decided upon. A north side roadway first gets close to the tracks by CP S1280 TARMAC, the WEST side signal bridge of which is pictured below. Camera is positioned on the east side of the signal bridge looking westbound.
Now, on the west side of the west signals:
Just above, the far left signal only has one head as there are no routing options. The switches for this CP are No. 20’s, good for 40 M.P.H.
Part III, Section B (of A-J)
A bunch of south side Intermodal contains are stacked up. Note the dirt road, now NOT going through as it did previously.
Activity and power:
A gray ‘complex’ unit … More on this later.
Part III, Section C (of A-J)
Just a little ways west is CP S1277 EAST STRAUSS. View looks westbound.
Above, in the background right, is a signal bridge with this CP’s west side eastbound signals. It is unorthodox as it has both eastbound and westbound signals on it, i.e., eastbound movements must get an other than red indication to enter and also to exit the CP.
A telephoto: Note the barely seen mast signals across the view of the fuel facility.
Part III, Section D (of A-J)
A CP box for CP S1277 EAST STRAUSS:
A westward view with the public Airport Road going away from the tracks:
Soon storage tanks are come upon, presumably for diesel fuel. There numbers are from left to right, 2002 and 2001.
Part III, Section E (of A-J)
The last photo in the above post blown-up a bit.
Next are the offices, and also signals of the east fueling.
Part III, Section F (of A-J)
The place is fenced.
One informative sign:
And light green signs are at several locations.
And, of course, plenty of these are present too!
A police squad vehicle came by, and a police officer and I talked briefly. I got the very real sense we BOTH knew what we could do and where we could go, and neither of us were going to infringe on the other’s rights.
Going west, the pavement ends, but straddles the tracks for a while, then turned northish for quite a bit. It came to a north=south dirt road, and crossed the tracks.
Part III, Section G (of A-J)
The grade crossing the previous post mentioned.
K.P. on past visits to the area approached the grade crossing from the south side (background). This was his first approach from the north side.
The side dirt road on the left was how the area was visited BY K.P. previously.
An unusual track numbering is seen from the north side looking south.
Above, for those that can’t see the track markings, from front to back, Track 7, Track 1, Track 2, and “INTERMODAL LEAD UPPR TRK 1.” Unusual, but that is the way it is.
Continued in Section H
Part III, Section H (of A-J)
The north side looking eastbound … Note the open gate.
That above box is placarded ‘LA UNION ROAD’ at M.P. 1272.49.
A closeR view of the open gate:
Looking westbound:
Continued in Section I
Part III, Section I (of A-J)
Telephotos looking west:
The above photo is more significant than first meets the eye. A blow-up of it will be in the next posting.
A pubic dirt road sort of follows the track west on the south side.
On the south side, looking eastbound, this time a closed gate is present.
Continued in Section J
Part III, Section J (of A-J)
Not far away, is a dirt-ballast mixture that acts as sort of a bumper post.
On La Union Road still, from the north side of the tracks, an eastward telephoto view:
Since when is the C&NW in New Mexico?
While at the La Union Road grade crossing a westward telephoto was taken, and is the first photo in the post above this one. Highly blowing that photo up reveals the two south east side westbound masts have three heads each!
K.P. kicks himself for not going over there and getting photos, but at the time it looked typical from a great distance. That CP only has a single crossover. Interestingly, the next signals west are only about three miles distance, and there is a universal crossover arrangement there.
At least one of the three headed mast signals has the lowest head with only one lamp, which in K.P.’s opinion is inconsistent with Sunset Route operations, and is sort of in the C&NW league. When K.P. gets that figured out he will post the matter.
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Part IV, 8 Sections (A-H), Tuesday, April 19, 2016 by 9:00 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time: The New Santa Teresa, NM Facility (Southwest)
Awesome shots. I'm with you a three headed signal mast? I'm sure there's a reason or will soon be a reason for it.
Interesting comments about the ships that ply the pond and the big lakes.
Re: K.P.'s A California-Texas Investigative …… Trip like Few Others Part II, Section G (of A-G) The Marsh Station Road Area …… Between Tucson and Benson, AZ
This past Sunday afternoon my daughter texted me about seeing the stored UP locomotives on her way to/ from the Tucson area last weekend. It was fun to text her back that the several of you had already posted here about that. As I said, "Better than spies !" She thought that was pretty funny.
Thanks once again to K.P. for an astounding series of photographs, and the other commentators for adding information and insight. By far the best thread on this Forum ! Like the Energizer Bunny, it justs keeps going and going and going . . .
- Paul North.
Part IV (of I-VI), Section A (of A-G)
The New Santa Teresa Facility
Now, fully on the south side, heading back east, the three WEST side eastbound signals of CP S1273 WEST STRAUSS are come across (left).
Above, the lone mast signal on the right is to (left single unit head for eastbounds, rightward) the Intermodal section, whereas the right heads are for westbound traffic..
That interlocking is some distance from the parallel dirt road.
The east side of that interlocking involves the WEST fueling, with seven signaled tracks.
That west fueling area has its own fuel (and or whatever) storage tanks (right).
Part IV, Section B (of A-G)
On the south side, that Intermodal track lowers, and another strange light gray SD40-2 beast is seen.
However, we are close enough to telephoto decaling: “IN-TERMINAL SERVICES.”
It is not known exactly what these light gray units are for, but West Colton Yard in Southern California was known in the past to have a light gray unit as standby in case of an electrical power outage. In such a case, the unit was cranked up and all the yard floodlights came back on …
The cab area:
Part IV, Section C (of A-G)
That south side dirt road curve southeastward (semi-rightward) as the Santa Teresa facility gets wider.
In the above view, make a mental note of the gate on the far left and also the right.
Looking back west, a signal bridge is seen with absolute signals on it facing both directions.
The west fueling:
Part IV, Section D (of A-G)
A microwave tower is by the west end tracks.
Now, we get closer to the curve in the dirt road, and look back at the seven signals, and lowering Intermodal tracks.
There is that gray unit again, on a separate setout-like track.
From this angle, the unit doesn’t seem to have any hookup cable connections to emergency light up the facility.
Part IV, Section E (of A-G)
A shack of some sort is by that row of seven mast signals.
Above, on the lower left, note the funneling cement-work, assumedly for water drainage.
Another view with that both directions signal bridge in view:
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