Good News ... Bad News
West Colton Yard Area
Riverside Ave.
Rialto, CA
Part II (of I-III)
A westward view of the Sunset Route: Before this trackage was upgraded to "two-track" status a few years ago, the left track was the un-signaled Track 112. The Bowl is on the background upper left, whereas the Sunset Route ever-paralleling I-10 is on the upper right.
Now, some bad news, involving the photo above: With the advent of the new freeway bridge, the enduring old bridge the above photo was shot from has had the roadway restriped. There are now three northbound lanes (rightward, unseen), and two southbound lanes (leftward, between the yellow striping and the walling). Southbound (leftward) vehicle traffic is RIGHT NEXT TO the west walling. So, railfans no longer have a wide, relatively safe pathway to walk on and take pictures from on the west side of Riverside Ave.
The southwest quadrant corner-work of the freeway off ramp and Riverside Ave. no longer has a sidewalk platform to take photos from either. Vehicles, like big 18-wheelers, could sideswipe the new walling (lower left) and likewise with the guard rails (lower center and right), making such an area totally inadvisable to take photos from!
The above new guard railing already has much black tire-sideswipe markings on it.
For months, even before Riverside Ave. was closed for six months, the mentioned southwest quadrant was barricaded for construction purposes. K.P. had been waiting for the day when he could photograph down unto the new switch and reportedly a pot signal for the turnout route at CP AL935 RIVERSIDE AVE. But now, to do such, a Plan B attempt will have to be figured out, if it is even possible at all ...
If only K.P. could sprout wings and fly like these two 'trespassing' lovebirds can do on the east side of Riverside Avenue ...
Oh, with wings, imagine the photo views of that inaccessible switch that could be had!
Imagine, too, the views that could be had of the inaccessible areas of the current two-tracking around Picacho in Arizona where the Phoenix line branches off!
Wishful thinking at best ...
Continued in Part III
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 III (of I-III)
An eastward view of the intermediate / absolute signaled CP location of those lovebirds by Riverside Ave.:
In the above view, note the new 'tan' onramp vertical walling on the left.
Back on the Riverside Ave. freeway bridge itself with a lens poking through that normal sized chain link fencing ... An eastbound telephoto looking towards Pepper Ave. and the Departure Yard. Note the two new 'small' type tote boards by Pepper Ave. (center bridge support).
The freeway eastbound on ramp: Two fencings ... and vertical walling.
Over the yard itself, a bit of old east side roadway white striping keeps traffic away from the sidewalk, so photography from the east side is still rather safe here.
Overall, it definitely can be said the new Riverside Ave. bridging over I-10 and its approaches in Rialto has both good news and bad news for railfans and those interested in the Sunset Route with cameras.
---------------
A "Second Section" follows.
Second Section
You may remember this July 2011 posted photo of a pool power Ferromex GE unit at Eloy, AZ (west of Picacho) in Sunset Route two-tracking ballast train service.
K.P. has not personally seen any further off-line power on any Sunset Route two-tracking effort, though that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. But, while on the Riverside Ave. overpass, it was noted that sister Ferromex unit, No. 4623, was by the West Colton Yard shop area.
It was noted also that UP SD70M number 4617 was nearby. Quite a numerical similarity coincidence ...
Pool power is eye catching anytime on the Sunset Route, such as in this previously posted east of Colton Crossing photo taken at Colton, CA months ago.
(The Signal Dept. trailers above are used to cart signals and related equipment to work sites, as occasionally seen in this thread.)
It should be interesting to see if the pool power photograph from Eloy, AZ will come to be a two-tracking collector's item, or if pool power will gravitate occasionally to other Sunset Route two-tracking ballast trains.
A few replies are pending for posting in a day or two.
I received some inside info that the new track alignment between Mescal and Cienga Creek for Track 2 is now in service.
The new track speed has been upgraded to 40MPH all the way to Mescal, with the exception of 25MPH at the curve where the new alignment turns away from the old.
And I'm not completely sure about the meaning of this (maybe someone can explain) but the new MP equation is MP1017.3 = 1019.0 Tk 2.
Enjoy
--Robert
cabcar And I'm not completely sure about the meaning of this (maybe someone can explain) but the new MP equation is MP1017.3 = 1019.0 Tk 2. Enjoy --Robert
The new stretch of track is 3.5 miles long, so those MP equations don't sound quite right.
A person who checked out the area on Sunday, January 15th, said that the track was not yet connected at the west (Cienega Creek) end, so if it is in service today they must have worked really fast.
Replies ...
MikeF90 (1-14):
Got your point, Mike! I'm finding diagraming is quite challenging, and it is not done often enough to get proficient at it.
By next October at the latest, we should have some idea of the track arrangement springing forth from the Milliken Ave. Flyover, possibly ("possibly") all the way east to CP AL533 SIERRA too.
Mountaineer405 (1-14):
Mountaineer405 That "weird" signal is a (once) fairly common Union Switch & Signal two light Style "N-2" dwarf signal on a pedestal with a protective screen over it. Otherwise it's not weird at all. Three light version are more unusually, but even those are rather often found on eBay.
That "weird" signal is a (once) fairly common Union Switch & Signal two light Style "N-2" dwarf signal on a pedestal with a protective screen over it. Otherwise it's not weird at all. Three light version are more unusually, but even those are rather often found on eBay.
Welcome to the forum, Mountaineer405.
I think your post was inspired by and referred to the two-bulb signal photos in the June 6, 2011 post on Page 113 of this thread, two photos of which are reproduced here:
The Los Angeles to Riverside LA&SL line had Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) installed circa 1950, with the dispatcher and CTC machine in the East Los Angeles Depot building.
So, the US&S signals you referred to likely date from at least that time.
Because I personally don't recall ever seeing any other two-bulb signals like what you, Mountaineer405, called "N-2" type in the Los Angeles Basin, nor on the line to Las Vegas, I question if the pictured unit first came circa 1950. There may have been some type of tower at the LA&SL / SP crossing in Ontario before CTC, and the SP Ontario Branch signals under the tower's governance were kept while all the LA&SL line got new CTC target signals some 60 plus or minus years ago. Thus, the one of two "N-2" signals at CP C038 ONTARIO may ("may") be getting close to, or perhaps actually are, 70-90 years old! The LA&SL line was put in service in 1905, but Sunset Route trains started being alternatively routed over it less than 10 years ago, several years after the SP-UP merger.
Stay cheery MikeF90 and Mountainer405,
K.P.
I confirmed on Tuesday morning, January 17th, 2012, that the new Union Pacific 3.5 mile track realignment east of Tucson, Arizona alongside Interstate Highway 10 between Cienega Creek and Empirita Road is now in service.
An eastbound train of autoracks was traveling at restricted speed because there were sizeable UP work crews present at both ends of the project site.
Here are 3 photos taken around 10:00 - 10:30 a.m. of the autorack train:
Photo 1 is the train approaching the new Marsh Station Road overpass from a distance.
Photo 2 is the train closer to the Marsh Station Road highway overpass.
Photo 3 was taken from the other side of the roadway of the receding train.
cabcar (1-16):
Thanks for sharing the "inside info" with the forum about the reroute by Marsh Station Rd. in the Cienega Creek area a number of miles east of Tucson, AZ.
The meaning of the equation M.P. 1017.3 = 1019.0 is as illustrated below:
Without the overall technical details, the big bridge at M.P. 1008.49 (west side of) is diagram plotted as a reference point.
From the Cienega Creek Bridge, one can milepost-follow both new and old routes to the east end of the reroute, at the magical point of the equation (see above diagram). So, the route to El Paso, TX has been reduce in length, but the railroad is not going to change the milepost markers all the way to El Paso, so the railroad just timetable advises trainmen of where the point of difference is at, the point of equation, M.P. 1017.3 = M.P. 1019.0.
cacole (1-16/17):
Thanks so much for taking the time to visit the reroute area again and then advising the forum that the reroute was in fact now in service.
The reroute equation you said that didn't look quite right may in fact be correct. With a little ("little," meaning just that) surveying experience in my background and basic layout knowledge of the trackage in that area, I saw a basic triangle, and I applied very elementary surveying math (Pythagorean Theorem) to the general track layout. My calculations WITHOUT curves very, very loosely approximated the equation cabcar advised of.
So, to everyone else I say, "Hats off to both cabcar and cacole!"
Casa Grande - Tucson, Arizona, January 19, 2011.
On Thursday, we made a one-day round trip to Tucson for lunch with friends, giving us an opportunity to catch up with construction activity from Casa Grande east to Stockham where the existing two-track operation into Tucson and beyond begins. Rather surprisingly, the scene at Hermosilla Street in downtown Casa Grande remains the same as in this photo that K.P. posted back on November 17, 2011.
The piles of new wooden crossties and strings of welded rail for the new industrial siding that were there at the time of the photo are still awaiting installation alongside what is now a fully-operational track #2.
However, just past Trekell Rd., the anticipated industrial siding does finally begin, complete with an entrance signal and derail. The three tracks continue up to the Cargill feed and fertilizer plant at Peart Rd. where the siding reconnects to track #2. It will be interesting to see when (and if) the siding is extended west from Trekell Rd. to Hermosilla Street. It is probably not a priority at this time.
Alongside Jimmy Kerr Boulevard and just east of the I-10 underpass at the end of the alignment shift (MP 924), the maintenance-of-way set out track is nearing completion. Conforming to what is apparently general practice, there is no entrance signal.
Its work done for the day, A UP ballast train was parked opposite the gate to the Robson Ranch retirement community, across from the Toltec universal crossings at CP SP927, which remains the end of two-track operation for now. Just to the east, there was a ballast regulator, also parked.
From here to the SR 87 overpass at Picacho, the second main appears to be complete except for some additonal ballast and grooming in places.
Meanwhile, the former Bush Agriculture siding at Toltec (MP 929)--used up until now for unloading construction supplies--has been permanently disconnected. A very short, isolated, stretch remains, with several pieces of light MOW equipment parked on it at the moment.
John Timm
The biggest surprise of the day awaited approximately half-a-mile to the west of the SR 87 overpass, across from the pecan groves. K.P. showed us pics of the area on 11/17/11, and pointed out that there were three signal bases waiting to be installed at that location. Note that there are now three equally-spaced signal masts, indicating that a third track will extend alongside tracks #1 and #2 west from Picacho at least as far as this point. Because it was on railroad property without any means of easy access, I was unable to observe whether or not a third track has actually been laid at this time.
As K.P. can attest, getting a photo of the junction at Picacho from the SR 87 bridge is difficult at best. It’s on a blind curve and the speed limit is 55 mph. There is no room to park and walking onto it is risky for lack of a pedestrian sidewalk. Nonetheless, Susan took this shot out the car window on the fly. There was a truck approaching fast from behind, so she did the best she could under the circumstances.
Note, if you can, the little “wiggle” in the west leg of the wye. I believe it confirms my theory that the curvature of the wye will be increased slightly at that point to match up with track #1 which will sit further to the north (photo left) than does the present track. For a clearer picture of the scene and the surrounding area, go to the Gila Sub map link that Mike F90 has provided:
http://maps.google.com/maps/mshl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=109582888455570950754.000492b00cbabae768dc4&ll=33.211116,-112.324219&spn=4.025535,6.49292&z=7
As a side note, since our last visit in late October, many of the surrounding buildings in Picacho have been torn down and the surrounding land graded as if in preparation for some kind of major building project. Whether this is railroad-related remains to be seen.
As seen in the previous photo from the SR 87 overpass, the hand-throw switch is still in place and the second main does not yet continue through the junction at Pichaco.
Likewise, the original signals remain in place, although not for long as their replacements stand ready to take over.
Towards Tucson from Picacho, two-track operation resumes as far as Wymola (CP SP 945), with the old US&S signals turned aside and the new ones in full operation up to the crossovers. From there east, there are a couple more of the new signals in operation, albeit guarding the original single track.
Ribbon rail for track #2 has been dropped onto the roadbed from Wymola all the way to Pinal Airpark Rd. (approximately SP 957). The Red Rock siding (CP SP 952), which is situated within this stretch, has been upgraded with concrete ties. New CP and crossing signal boxes have now been distributed along the roadbed all the way to Stockham, and there are several piles of gravel at every crossing and future control point.
KP, that makes sense, thanks for the explanation. So it looks like the new alignment is 1.7 miles shorter than the old.
John Timm, great pics, thanks for the update.
quote K.P. Harrier
I've been meaning to ask about this... a 1-lamp signal? What's the story here?
Update as of Thursday, January 19, 2012
The Milliken Ave. Flyover
Ontario, CA
Part I (of I-III)
An unexpected visit to the Milliken Ave. Flyover construction site was made, and it was observed that much progress had taken place.
From the north side, looking west: The dirt ramp is gone, but an unfinished step structuring is now present:
The east's NORTH walling has been put in all the way to the east side of Milliken Ave. Note that the walling (photo center) by Milliken Ave. (right) is a light shade and of smooth architecture as the overall structure is.
The east SOUTH walling, however, right by Milliken Ave., has a darker and more molded design.
Continued in Part II
As seen below, the Flyover's west side current ending (left) has trenching dug down (in the shadows) the short distance to Milliken Ave. (unseen on right)
Equipment by the trenching:
A view looking east from Milliken Ave. on the flyover's south side: Make a mental note of the wide railroad right-of-way.
You may remember the following three views from several months ago, of the flyover's south grounds area looking west.
The flyover's south east (last photo of Part II), the north east (second photo in Part I), and the north west side (first photo in Part I) all do NOT have concrete-work buried, only the south west side has it.
The likely logic in that is the right-of-way is narrow with industrial buildings very close by, and such concrete-work theoretically would stabilize the flyover.
A narrow dirt road is now right on top of all that concrete-work.
The flyover looks like it has reached its full height.
----------------
A "Second Section" follows ...
Towards the evening of Friday, January 20, 2012 after the sun set, K.P. passed by the Colton Signal Dept. in Colton, CA. A grade crossing box was in the background, labeled "Streeter Avenue Reroute." Later, when a computer was finally reached, an Internet search was made, and it was discovered that an underpass is scheduled to start construction in the 4th quarter of 2012, in the vicinity of Los Angeles & Salt Lake (LA&SL) M.P. 53-54, a mile or so west of the Magnolia Ave. construction site often mentioned previously in this thread.
The two file photos from August 5, 2011 below are of the future underpass site, the intersection of Streeter and Dewey Avenues:
Exactly what is meant by "reroute" is unclear, as the area is basically wall to wall housing. K.P. sees a possible 'reroute' by moving the tracks southward, and rerouting Streeter Ave. west to Rhonda Rd., and then back to Streeter Ave. via Beatty Drive. A Google map link is provided.
An aerial of the reroute area
Compounding matters, as seen in the first photo above, Streeter Ave. is the site of intermediate signals. Erecting such on a reroute curve is questionable, so new, temporary masts could be placed elsewhere ... or temporary elimination of those signals altogether, as the two-tracks in this area is only three miles long.
The City of Riverside's website has info on the Streeter Ave. project (the diagram is untraditional with north to the right and NOT on top), and others as well. Select Streeter Ave (on left list).
http://www.riversideca.gov/gs/
This LA&SL section was two-tracked in 1992-3, sometime before the SP-UP merger and subsequent rerouting of numerous Sunset Routes train via this trackage.
K.P. on the Prowl
On the above mentioned January 20, 2012, a visit to the Salton Sea area of Southern California was made. The second-track grading in that area is progressing nicely. An afternoon photo endeavor took place. A findings report to the forum will be compiled, and it should be ready to share with everyone sometime in the next three days.
And Some Upcoming Comments on desertdog's Arizona Findings
Admittedly, K.P. was rather stunned at desertdog's recent Arizona travel findings and fine report on it. It has taken a day for K.P. to digest, interpret, and understand it, and to form an opinion on certain things as to what is happening in the Eloy-Picacho area, at least in part anyway. A reply will take a day or two before it is ready. I hope desertdog will pass along to his wife, Susan, that K.P. really liked her Picacho west leg of the wye photo shot from up on Highway 87!
A Reply ...
Jovet (1-22[23]):
Though K.P. doesn't recall having seen the signal you asked about actually in operation, Jovet, that ONE bulb signal head displays lunar (stop and stay stopped) or flashing lunar (proceed), if it is like similar ones at West Colton Yard. It protects all the ladder switches at the west end of the Receiving Yard. Those switches are very fast acting and air powered. Observers often hear a fast thump sort of sound, and then that short mast signal might start flashing. It acts similar to the flashing of a tote board.
Best,
Welcome back, John (desertdog) and thanks for the pictoral update.
Those three signal masts at the new CP west of Picacho are most intriguing. I can surmise that UP might want a short siding/staging track connecting to the west leg of the wye, but would it even fit under the current SR 87 overcrossing? Hmmm ....
BTW on another site a poster noted that the leveling of Picacho is in preparation for widening / relocating I-10 (link). Perhaps a new SR 87 overcrossing is in the works .....
Tip for track layout posters - all I do is create the layout using a fixed font in my text editor of choice, then copy and paste it into the post. Just in case, I'll set the Font family here to Courier New at the start of the 'paste'.
- Mike
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! ***
desertdog (1-20):
The following east of Eloy, AZ photo was in your excellent report, John:
desertdog
Aerials presently show grading for a CP at the above location, but also grading for a short third track on the south side (far left signal). My guess is that that short track will be used for westbound Main 2 setouts, much like the floodlighted part of the west end of the north side Picacho siding is being use for.
That possible new south side Picacho-Eloy area setout track will probably have an absolute automatic two-bulb entrance signal at the west end connection to the future Main 2.
However, desertdog, I see an issue. In your three mast signal top photo above, the leftmost signal is ON A MAST. That would work if the single-crossover between the future Mains 1 and 2 is of the 30 M.P.H. type, which K.P. finds hard to believe will be the case. If, on the other hand, the switches are for a traditional 50 M.P.H. single crossover and that short third-track utilizes a 30 M.P.H. turnout, then the third-track mast signal (left in first photo) is non-conforming, and may need to be changed out to a pot signal just as the small yard's new tall signal in Casa Grande was replaced with a dwarf unit.
You, desertdog, also mentioned that the new, second-track between the east end of the old Picacho siding and new Wymola area CP is now in service. Did you by any chance happen to notice what speed the new crossover(s) was at Picacho, by the Picacho Blvd. grade crossing, 30 M.P.H. or 50 M.P.H.?
Thanks again for the Arizona update, John, and to Mrs. Timm for the camerawork!
John - Welcome to Trains.com!
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
K.P., Cabcar, MikeF90,
Susan appreciated the kudos. She’s always been supportive of my railfanning--as long as some shopping along the way is included, of course.
I did not think to check the speed of the crossovers, but John Kluender’s informative posting leads me to believe that the full mast signal west of SR 87 is there to stay.
Aside from possibly serving as a setout track, the third track could perhaps also serve to route trains around any switching activity at the junction.
Anyway, with all that is going on, I guess I need to get back down Picacho way sooner than later....
Update as of Friday, January 20, 2012
A Salton Sea Area Report
Part A (of A-J)
Traveling westward in the late afternoon from the Niland, CA area, on Highway 111 right alongside and paralleling the Sunset Route, one has to go through the Border Patrol check station, which is just south of the east switch of the Rogoza siding (formerly named Frink), at M.P. 656.1. The west switch is at M.P. 654.4. The first glaring sign of two-tracking activity was in the M.P. 654 area, where bridging vertical I-beams were found.
About a mile west is the Hot Springs Road grade crossing, just a few hundred feet west of the M.P. 653 marker.
From that road, a view of that just above crane photo's area is had. Note the double-target signal in the background, at the west switch of the Rogoza siding at CP SP656 ROGOZA.
From Hot Springs Road looking westbound, early grading for this area is evident now.
Continued in Part B
Part B (of A-J)
At M.P. 651.99, bridging for the second Main is being constructed.
Workers and I-beams are at the site.
Continued in Part C
Part C (of A-J)
A Significant Location
At the present east switch of the Bertram siding, at CP SP648 BERTRAM (M.P. 647.8), accumulative things has caused K.P. to conclude this is a significant location that presently almost borders on the Twilight Zone side.
A pile of riprap (large rocks) has been staged just east of the east switch of the present Bertram siding.
What especially caught K.P.'s eye was a dirt road grade crossing (photo right side, roadway slope on left). A private vehicle with a female driver even crossed over it! So, when K.P. has more time to investigate this, it is hoped photos can be taken of the elusive second-track NORTH side grading!
EAST of that dirt road, named Range Road, is a long, wide graded area, typical of CP locations in this stretch.
The east end of that long EAST grading:
A culvert is within the wide EAST grading.
Continued in Part D
Part D (of A-J)
What is strange is that there is an equally long, wide graded area WEST (left) of Range Road.
And, the WEST high embanked flat area was being watered.
The water truck present when K.P. was on site was constantly turning around and going back and forth.
A belted piece of equipment came by.
So, in analyzing the TWO CP width graded areas, K.P. has concluded one wide width is for a CP universal crossovers location, the other probably for a maintenance-of-way setout track location.
In a future visit, K.P. hopes to get photos from Range Road of each wide area grading.
Continued in Part E
Part E (of A-J)
Further west, at M.P. 644.70, the culvert construction (left) by an intermediate signal (right) is well along.
A closer view of the culvert construction:
An even closer view:
It is unknown why the south of the track culvert width is so wide. The second main will be laid on the far side, so the wide width might be for an access road, or possibly a set out track of some sort.
Continued in Part F
Part F (of A-J)
A new, eye-catching phenomenon was spotted, first manifesting itself with a sole real of cable mysteriously sitting all by itself and unattended along Highway 111.
Continued in Part G
Part G (of A-J)
Then K.P. drove a mile or two west, and spotted another real, on a trailer, and this time humans and a vehicle were by it.
In that area was another group of activity
Then, a bit future west still, one of the cable spools on burying equipment was observed:
Continued in Part H
Part H (of A-J)
The second-track's big bridge east of CP SP641 FERRUM may ("may") be complete, as no workers were observed around it. When K.P. arrived at the location, a white hatted person was observed walking to around the back side of the bridge's east end.
A fat armed type crane was on the back side, likely where the supervisor was heading to.
The staging area on the west side didn't have as many vehicles in it as previously seen.
Continued in Part I
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