An Overview Report on the Milliken Ave. Flyover
Ontario, CA
Part J (of A-K)
The North-South Industrial Track
From Airport Drive., two views looking north:
The Airport Drive grade crossing: The above two views are towards the right in the below photo.
Continued in Part K
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 K (of A-K)
A wide angle southward view:
A telephoto southward view.
The yellow track equipment on the industrial track was a surprise for this photographer.
The spur on the left with a freight car on it may be the only location on this north-south industrial track with an active customer. Note that the switch above was left locked in reverse!
It is unknown if this track will be done away with or not, but if it is to remain, obviously where it curves unto the Sunset Route, that trackage will need to be relocated westward alongside the south side of the flyover.
The photos in the previous Part J and this Part K were taken on November 10, 2011, in early evening, and under overcast skies. The yellow track machine in the last photo above was NOT present a few days ago on K.P.'s last visit to the area.
On Another Matter
A few days ago, a construction worker that happened to cross Milliken Ave. indicated that the Main 2 flyover will be completed sometime in February or March of next year, 2012, just three to four months away! If that report holds true, that could mean trains will be operating over the flyover in just three to four more months! Then, the north side Main 1 flyover construction can be started! Two-tracks through here MAY be as little as a year and a half away!
But, for such a near finish of the present construction in three to four months, on both the east end industrial track and the west side north-south industrial track connections, SOMETHING at both ends has to happen real, real soon! These are the areas for us at the forum to now watch ...
K. P. Harrier An Overview Report on the Milliken Ave. Flyover Ontario, CA Part H (of A-K) The Western Slope That deceptively located purple disk for the derail that protects the mainline (seen) from the industrial track (unseen). Note the heavy duty vertical I-beams in the ground on the right. In the above photo, the rails on the photo bottom are ribbon rails that are just lying on the right-of-way. The old switch stand ... and an old SP style silver 'something' pertaining to the switch ... The north-south industrial track and its connection to the east-west mainline was put in before the SP-UP merger, hence, the old style switch equipment. Continued in Part I
Part H (of A-K)
The Western Slope
That deceptively located purple disk for the derail that protects the mainline (seen) from the industrial track (unseen). Note the heavy duty vertical I-beams in the ground on the right.
In the above photo, the rails on the photo bottom are ribbon rails that are just lying on the right-of-way.
The old switch stand ... and an old SP style silver 'something' pertaining to the switch ...
The north-south industrial track and its connection to the east-west mainline was put in before the SP-UP merger, hence, the old style switch equipment.
Continued in Part I
K.P.,
To me that silver "something" looks to be a phone box, used to obtain permission from the DS to enter the main.
John Timm
A Brief Follow-Up on the New Signal Erections at LA&SL's Montclair Siding
Ontario-Montclair, CA
After my friend's visit to the Kaiser medical facility in Fontana (see the first post of the "An Overview Report on the Milliken Ave. Flyover" series), we had lunch at a somewhat historic restaurant in Ontario. It was too tempting not to get photos of the new, not activated yet color light signals of LA&SL's Montclair siding on the alternate Sunset Route. The final mast had finally been erected, and all the new masts had the heads installed now.
That final installed east side westbound signal at the east end of the Montclair siding, at C036 MONTCLAIR (not to be confused with the SP side North Montclair siding):
In the above photo, a "C" plate on the old mast is present. Such allows Metrolink commuter trains to pass a 30 M.P.H. yellow signal at high speed. Undoubtedly, such will be attached to the new color light signal when activated.
Photos of the west side eastbound cantilevered signals at the east end of the Montclair siding were previously posted by MikeF90 and K.P.
The west CP switch's east side westbound signals:
In the 1990's the Montclair siding was extended westward a few thousand feet in conjunction with the putting in of the then new Montclair Yard, but K.P. had never understood the logic in UP installing short mast signals at the west end back then (above). UP's current high mast signals being installed apparently supersede that unknown logic.
The west switch's west side eastbound signal: Usually the CP box is between signals, but this is one of the few locations K.P. has ever seen when a CP box is partially beyond the signals.
This section of track (between but not including CP C033 WO TOWER in Pomona and CP C039 BON VIEW in Ontario is the last vestige of old, historic target searchlight signals in this immediate area on both the SP and LA&SL lines. The area to the east, around Loma Linda, is the only other area nearby that presently has old signals, but that will probably change in conjunction with the building of the Colton Crossing Flyover and the not started yet Hunts Lane overpass a few miles east of that now beginning of construction flyover.
Long range plans call for two-tracking the LA&SL stretch through the Montclair / Ontario area. But, in light of the fact that the Milliken Ave. two-track bridging project is now being built one flyover bridge at a time, the SP side Sunset Route will probably be two-tracked before this LA&SL gap ever is.
desertdog K. P. Harrier: An Overview Report on the Milliken Ave. Flyover Ontario, CA Part H (of A-K) The Western Slope That deceptively located purple disk for the derail that protects the mainline (seen) from the industrial track (unseen). Note the heavy duty vertical I-beams in the ground on the right. In the above photo, the rails on the photo bottom are ribbon rails that are just lying on the right-of-way. The old switch stand ... and an old SP style silver 'something' pertaining to the switch ... The north-south industrial track and its connection to the east-west mainline was put in before the SP-UP merger, hence, the old style switch equipment. Continued in Part I K.P., To me that silver "something" looks to be a phone box, used to obtain permission from the DS to enter the main. John Timm
K. P. Harrier: An Overview Report on the Milliken Ave. Flyover Ontario, CA Part H (of A-K) The Western Slope That deceptively located purple disk for the derail that protects the mainline (seen) from the industrial track (unseen). Note the heavy duty vertical I-beams in the ground on the right. In the above photo, the rails on the photo bottom are ribbon rails that are just lying on the right-of-way. The old switch stand ... and an old SP style silver 'something' pertaining to the switch ... The north-south industrial track and its connection to the east-west mainline was put in before the SP-UP merger, hence, the old style switch equipment. Continued in Part I
That silver "something" is an electric lock for the switch. To be able to line the switch you have to operate the release. It shunts the signal system and depending on conditions it may release immediately or "run time" before it releases. Electric locks can be used instead of a leaving signal on spurs/sidings equipped with hand operated switches.
Jeff
K. P. Harrier An Overview Report on the Milliken Ave. Flyover Ontario, CA Part C (of A-K) The East Side of Milliken Ave. Looking east from the west side of Milliken Ave: Note the forms on the photo right.
Part C (of A-K)
The East Side of Milliken Ave.
Looking east from the west side of Milliken Ave: Note the forms on the photo right.
The likely explanation of the unbalanced height of the walls of the flyover is that the high side includes a "guard rail" of sorts (wall that is above the track level as a form of protection against objects falling off the flyover. There is no need for a similar guard on the low side because the flyover is being built one track at a time. Once the second track walls are started, I would expect a similar high wall on the other permanent outside wall of the flyover. The current low wall of the flyover will likely get almost buried by the fill for the second track. (Of course, this is just speculation on my part.)
Jeff,
Ah, yes. I recall something similar on the C&NW in Wisconsin years ago. Thanks.
jeffhergert (11-26):
As with desertdog, I say thanks for authoritatively identifying what that "something" is, an electric lock stand.
Personally, Jeff, even as a non-railroader I must confess that non-electrically locked mainline switches absolutely terrify me to no end. And the railroad is converting electrically locked switches that go towards uncontrolled sidings and spurs more and more to just the 'entrance signal' protected type, those signals most often called leaving or exit signals by longtime railroaders. The safest arrangement, I believe, is an entrance signal / dispatcher electrically locked switch combination.
Based on my many, many years of person friendship with railroaders and from the knowledge of the industry they've kindly given me, presuming a non-electrically locked switch is in fact a non-electrically locked switch, in my opinion, the situation is one that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Congress, and the Senate could ("could") eventually have to weigh in on very, very forcefully, and electric locks then make a big comeback. In the meantime, there may be more of a reason than first meets the eye and ear for the anti-passenger train stance some railroads seem to take, which stance supposedly is because of the congestion interference that passenger trains create for the railroad's bread and butter freight trains ...
Stay safe, Jeff, and to all trainmen I urge, very much watch both the many approaching uncontrolled siding and spur switch positions ahead, especially the head-on ones, EVEN in ABS and CTC territories!
Rader Sidetrack (11-26):
With the 'evolving' Milliken Ave. Flyover in Ontario, CA, I think you have discerned correctly the logic in building one side of the flyover walling higher than the other side.
Best,
K.P.
I should point out that these electric locks aren't controlled by the dispatcher. The electric locks or signals are found mostly in CTC territory and are needed to comply with rules about where trains and engines can clear a CTC controlled track at a hand operated switch. We have a few switches in our CTC territory that don't have either one. Probably because it wasn't felt that a train would ever need to (or physically could) clear the main track at those locations.
With either one, to enter the main track you first must have verbal authority from the dispatcher. Once obtained you either operate the lock release or throw the switch. If the lock releases immediately or the signal gives a proceed indication, you can go without any further waiting required. I think the preference for signals over electric locks is because of any possible failure. If the signal stays red, you wait 5 minutes and then can go. If the electric lock fails to release after it has timed out, you may need a signal maintainer before being able to work the switch. (There are different types of electric locks, the ones I'm familiar with do have an emergency release feature. Once operated, it requires a signal mainainer to reset it.) Places where a signal would be impractical, hand throw crossover between main tracks come to mind, electric locks are still used.
Update as of Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Rancho Ave. / Colton Crossing Area
Colton, CA
Part I (of I-IV)
A Bizarre Tidbit Follow-Up
about When UP 844 Came
Through a Few Weeks Ago
Way back on June 6, 2009, nearly two and a half years ago, the following photo was taken from the Rancho Ave. overpass in Colton, which photo looked east. Note the position of the old target signals on the left track (Main 1). They are in a row and in a straight alignment. It had been that way for nearly a quarter of a century, since the time of the failed Southern Pacific-Santa Fe (SPSF) merger!
Then, in mid-2010, color light signals were erected at Colton Crossing. It took nearly a year till mid-2011 for them to finally be activated.
On Thursday, November 17, 2011, steamer UP 844 headed west from Yuma, Arizona to West Colton Yard. A reshown view from the Rancho Ave. overpass of the three hour late UP 844 when it finally came through Colton:
It was noticed during the long wait that some kind of signaling modification activity around Colton Crossing was taking place.
The signal hanging from a small boom crane seemed to have been repositioned farther from the track, AND WAS LIT RED WHILE HANGING! K.P. has absolutely no explanation as to how that could occur.
Continued in Part II
Part II (of I-IV)
K.P. returned to the area on the above post title date to specifically check on the seemingly relocated signal, and to see if other signals had been relocated. The signal had been returned to its former position.
Exactly what had transpired over 10 days earlier and why is unknown to K.P.
Continued in Part III
Part III (of I-IV)
When first arriving in the area for the revisit, by 3rd Street and the Sunset Route, at CP SP538 RANCHO, it was noticed that a bunch of whitish barricades were present ...
... and those barricades were individually being transported to various sites nearby, as with the below three sequential examples.
In the 'crossing the tracks' photo below note that a new, paved UP roadway now crosses the tracks.
This particular barricade (in the dark shadow of the Rancho Ave. overpass) was being transported over to an orange vested worker (far left) by the east westbound signal of CP SP937 BYPASS.
Continued in Part IV
Part IV (of I- IV)
When K.P. walked up on the Rancho Ave. overpass to shoot the photo in Part II, it became readily apparent what the barricades were all about.
As seen in the above photo, the barricades were being placed as protective shields so signals would not be struck and knocked down during the huge two and a half year Colton Flyover construction project just starting.
The Palmdale Cutoff Bridge over I-10 is visible on the upper left of that photo above.
Newly dropped off barricades are also present in the photo of Part II.
The new road across the tracks within CP SP538 RANCHO was itself soon barricaded, undoubtedly to keep the local residents (upper right) across the adjacent alleyway from using it. (Didn't curiosity kill that cat?)
Finally, another eastward view from Rancho Ave. Many Sunset Route trains transition to or from the LA&SL (upper right / southeast quadrant) via the BNSF while many LA&SL trains are routed over the SP Sunset Route (and use the northwest quadrant) as below.
The reason why the seemingly off topic photo above is shown is because those background signals (left of upper center) discussed in Parts I and II are confirmed to again be in a straight line.
A Reply Memo to jeffhergert (11-27):
It is always enlightening to read reply posts from actual trainmen such as yourself, Jeff.
My thinking on locks may have been influenced by an observation some forty years ago when visiting a towerman. His tower had remotely controlled spur switch locks. The involved signals wouldn't clear if locks were in an electrically unlocked state by the towerman's doing. That observation may have influenced my current thinking posted earlier.
On a related matter, a funny occurrence happened many, many years ago. A bigwig had forgotten his switch key, and because a switch had to be thrown, said he was going to break the lock. I guess back then when one was a boss one could do all kinds of things ...
Switch locks are much different today, and the ones I've seen of late seem to be as strong as the metal switch stands they are attacked to. So, electric locks at spur switches may not be needed now per se. But, it would seem trainmen would feel more comfortable in knowing a switch had protective redundancies that would severely discourage tampering from trespassers.
Take care, Jeff, and all,
Why does UP (or SP) have the short offset in the track? Is this an artifact resulting from using a telephoto lens? It seems that the offset would cause a slow run through the offset.
ccltrains Why does UP (or SP) have the short offset in the track? Is this an artifact resulting from using a telephoto lens? It seems that the offset would cause a slow run through the offset.
If you are referring to the siding track having a "S" curve near the switch my understanding was it was for wide loads to give clearance to main line trains. If you are referring to the double track off set at Colton I do not know the engineering requirements for that.
I was referring to the double track offset as shown in the picture with the double stack train coming on to the main in front of the offset. I doe not make any sense to me also. Uncle Pete works in strange ways.
K. P. Harrier Update as of Tuesday, November 29, 2011 The Rancho Ave. / Colton Crossing Area Colton, CA Part IV (of I- IV) [snipped] Finally, another eastward view from Rancho Ave. Many Sunset Route trains transition to or from the LA&SL (upper right / southeast quadrant) via the BNSF while many LA&SL trains are routed over the SP Sunset Route (and use the northwest quadrant) as below.
Part IV (of I- IV) [snipped]
I believe that's because the buildings to the left of the tracks - between the S. La Cadena Drive underpass to the west, and N. 9th St. stub to the east, at about these Lat./ Long. coords.: N 34.06494 W 117.32357 - which are partially hidden by the trees above the train are or were either a former station or industry that was and still is pretty close to the tracks, and/ or had its own siding.
As a result, to go straight through would be pretty close to the building. Alternatively, if that siding was still being used when the 2nd main was added, they just had to dodge around it. See the northwards-looking "Bird's-eye" / oblique angle aerial view from Bing Maps that I attempted to link below, which shows that former sidetrack: http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/#/s7mdlt0dlxc7yd7z
In any event, either the railroad now doesn't own rights to the land to be able to go any closer to the building, wouldn't be able to achieve the horizontal clearances that it would want, or else just doesn't want to incur the time and expense to realign the track to remove a couple of what are really minor curves, etc.
- Paul North.
I wonder if it is an artifact of the construction of the S. La Cadena underpass. Maybe they built the bridge in phases shifting the alignment and never straightened it.
The current street view of that building shows it in poor shape.
http://g.co/maps/z4c6f
Robert
Thanks for that link ! It sure looks like a former RR station (though the site now appears to be fenced off/ enclosed). Anybody know for sure ? (The sign at the top of the front roof's gable peak says "CAL WAL Gypsum Supply".)
I can't find the definitive post, but K.P. has posted many times about the old SP depot and the reason for the track jog. Here's one link.
The Colton Crossing web site project documents reiterate that the old depot buildings contain asbestos and lead paint. They WILL be demolished, their toxic remains will be removed and the future flyover route will be nice and straight.
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! ***
Thanks, Mike - I was pretty sure we'd discussed that before, but I was too lazy to go back and look for it.
The Questions Have Available Answers!
Colton CA
Part A (of A-C)
On Thursday, December 1, 2011 ccltrains posted a question about zigzagging track, or an alignment shift, just EAST of Colton Crossing (where the two BNSF cross-tracks appear on the below photo's bottom) in Colton, CA. Others weighed in on the matter, raising even more questions. This post series will provide some very specific answers ...
PHOTO #1:
This is a telephoto looking east from Rancho Ave. Just the other side of BNSF's Transcon two-track crossing (on the photo bottom) the Sunset Route tracks jog, or alignment shifts.
Draw a mental straight line from the bottom LEFT track up to the above center area's LEFT track, and continue it to the very top RIGHT track. That unbroken mental line is the straight alignment of the original circa 1875 east-west Sunset Route! Back then there were NO jogs in the track.
On the upper right of the above Photo #1 is a cleared land area. That was the site of the old Colton Yard, a facility that existed way before the six miles long West Colton Classification Yard to the west ever came along.
There is also a cleared land area partially seen on the photo's upper left, between the photo center track jog and the top jog. That cleared land is instrumental in answering the initial question. First though ...
PHOTO #2:
This is the old center track-running Ninth St., looking north. The Sunset Route and the I-10 Freeway is seen in the background.
Close to the beginning of the previous century, in the early 1900's, a north-south Pacific Electric trolley-freight line crossed the Sunset Route and yard tracks, probably five to seven tracks total, which must have made for a very noisy trolley crossing. Below is a Google aerial link of that area (lower left).
Ninth St. / Colton Ave. Curve
While those diamonds are now all long gone, if you look at the above linked aerial's upper right you can see the diagonal Colton Ave. with a present day concrete walkway / bike path over the old rail line right-of-way. Even though the area is built over, one can mentally visualize it where the walkway / bike path presently ends and thereafter curves to the Ninth St. Sunset Route crossing.
In that aerial, about a block east (rightward) of Ninth St., one can see a north-south semi-pathway that southwardly goes under I-10 and sharply curves to the aerial's right, to that NORTH cleared land.
I believe it was in the early 1940's that that relatively short north-south track was put in. Probably at that time a Pacific Electric freight yard was put in on that north cleared land. Suppose a switching lead track headed straight west from that north side yard. The Colton Depot would be in the way! So, they alignment shifted the Sunset Route one track southward so the switching lead could pass south of the depot. That switching lead also did double duty as an interchange track with the Santa Fe, via the NORTHEAST quadrant of the Colton Crossing. So, THAT IS WHY the tracks alignment shift jog in Photo 1.
Continued in Part B
Part B (of A-C)
PHOTO #3:
Reference the TOP jog in Photo 1 (NOT the bottom or middle jog, but the very top one) ... Forty years ago it wasn't that way, and there was NO jog on that WEST side of the Santa Ana River crossing. However, on the EAST side of the river the long Loma Linda siding was present, divided into back-to-back west and east parts, with a double crossover between the west and east ends, at CP SP542 LOMA LINDA. And eastward view of that CP:
So, diagram-wise, the WEST end went from this at the Santa Ana River ...
... to this circa 1976:
Continued in Part C
Part C (of A-C)
PHOTOS #4 AND #5:
The two Ice Deck siding tracks ... and on one a yellow rail detector ...
... are believed to have gone all the way west to the river and gone straight over the Santa Ana River on a separate southern, paralleling two-track truss bridge, but that aspect is not clear to K.P.
PHOTO #6:
A reshown westward view from Mountain View Ave. in the Bryn Mawn area several miles to the east looks back at that previously discussed area in the background. The east Loma Linda siding ended just this side of the roadway overpass, where single-track (left) headed east towards the camera.
As a side note, in the basic jog area just east of Colton Crossing (see Photo 1), years and years ago the track was slightly a bit more interesting, as diagramed below:
* Signal BETWEEN switches and NOT before them
The northwest quadrant transition track today is used quite often, but years ago as diagrammed above, it was hardly ever used. Matter of fact, it didn't even transition to a then Santa Fe mainline, but only to the West Pass, along Mains 1 and 2. The only time K.P. knows of that it was used was to transition the westbound Union Pacific City of Los Angeles over to the Southern Pacific to detour it to Los Angeles in February 1969. It had rained almost nonstop for a month, and water was over the rails everywhere. K.P. can remember that train was led by UP E-8 No. 926. It is strange that some things are never forgotten, even engine numbers.
So, it is hoped the above answers all the questions and reply thoughts related to what forum contributor ccltrains first asked, about the jog just east of Colton Crossing.
For the Nostalgia Nuts amongst Us
PHOTO #7:
In the last decade the Colton Crossing southeast quadrant's mildly swooping transition track (foreground) was cut in.
To do so the sideways "L" shaped meeting of Sixth and "K" Streets was closed and ripped out.
Southeast Quadrant / Sixth & K
But, before that transition track was put it, Sixth and "K" Streets was occasionally used by local motorists. For years and years UP had a very sharply curved track there to access the SP Colton Yard.
One day, for whatever reason, some crew ran one of the double-engine, four-axil trucked DD35 variant units over the super sharp curve. Needless to say, it derailed. UP personnel spent quite a few hours re-railing it and limping back around the curve to more easily ran over track!
Whoever the "nut" was that attempted the impossible ended up putting on a great show for some railfan "nuts" ... including K.P.
Update as of Saturday, December 3, 2011
The Milliken Ave. Flyover
This news update will be presented on an east to west basis.
In a strong telephoto that looks east from Milliken Ave., orange construction fencing has now been put up by the flyover's abrupt premature east end and the industrial switch.
The east side of Milliken Ave. form metal-work has been removed and the now dry concrete has an appealing appearance.
The forms have also been removed from the center support (right).
The closeness of the yet to be started north side second flyover is readily comprehended from the extending rods.
A straight east view:
The west side of Milliken Ave. still has the braced forms on it
On the braces' anchors, rusted and shiny bolting parts.
The right-by-the-street west side form-work has an impressive look to it.
Part IV (of I-IV)
The west side of the flyover is again getting higher.
The commonness of the below view is whoppingly more significant than it first appears to one's eyes.
K.P. didn't even notice it when actually in that area, but in greatly enlarging the view (and related ones), it was seen that the CP AL525 GUASTI's right east side westbound signal's lower head was TURNED ASIDE! In other words, the Guasti siding is now out of service! Or, at least the east end of it is.
So, relocating the industrial track (center left of the above photo) that has been holding up further flyover west slope construction may be imminent. And, IF the Guasti siding (the future Main 2) is out of service, when the flyover is in service (reportedly in three to four months from now), where will the alignment shift take place to the present Main, the future Main 1? This is definitely one location to now watch!
A Visiting Daughter, the
Guasti Siding's East Signals,
and the Twilight Zone
My out of state visiting daughter called, and invited me for lunch with her husband and kids at a favorite restaurant in Ontario, CA. Ontario ... Hmmm ... The Millliken Ave Flyover and the Guasti signal in Ontario immediately came to mind.
After lunch, I checked out very briefly the Guasti turned aside signal. It was NOT turned aside!
In fact, when I first arrived at the site, the signal was red over red.
Had they restored the siding to service? Had the lower head previously merely gotten windblown out of proper alignment? (You can see what the winds have done to the poles.) Had K.P. momentarily entered the Twilight Zone?
So, assumedly, the Guasti siding is in service.
Update as of Saturday, December 10, 2011
Part I (of I-V)
On the LA&SL
The Magnolia Ave. Underpass
Riverside, CA
Both southbound and northbound roadway lanes are now paved and vehicles using them. The newer northbound lanes (center background) oddly have a double-yellow striping down its path.
Don't mind the sun glare spot, the below photo was almost looking into the sun. It is hard to believe that the roadway use to be on or by the foreground dirt.
Harder to believe is that 50 years ago Magnolia Ave. used to have a Pacific Electric line down the center of the wide roadway, and actually crossed the LA&SL with an angled diamond! Now, the Pacific Electric is long gone, and there is an almost finished underpass there. A previously shown before the underpass view from the north:
Looking west: New tarp-rap covers new concrete, and a lamp is lit right of photo center.
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