Arizona's Two and a Half Sunset Route Tracks
The Phoenix Line -- WEST
Part "C" (of A-J)
From here on the photos were shot on January 20, 2012.
The first significant public grade crossing is at 33rd E. It is unusual in that the road dips greatly just north of the track.
A view looking west:
A westward telephoto:
Continued in Part "D"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 "D" (of A-J)
Looking east:
A telephoto looking east:
The grade crossing (which does have crossing gates) is located by a cattle binned area.
It is a very similar environment as the Cowtown cattle area in Maricopa, AZ.
Continued in Part "E"
Part "E" (of A-J)
Eastward, there are a few private, inaccessible grade crossings and curves. Then, the line is seen at an accessible curve right by the public Roll Rd. (which north-south aligns with Ave. 36 E).
The above is a westbound view.
Looking eastbound, there is a stunning, very humungous and long truss bridge.
A side view in the dry river area.
Continued in Part "F"
It is great to see that someone--especially K.P.--is finally documenting this interesting but little-known subdivision.
Before the current recession, the UP began some rehabilitation work on bridges and washouts, but stopped as the economy worsened. The local rumor among railfans and employees alike was that the line would be re-opened for freight service only and would be operated from east to west, meaning that the daily West Colton-Phoenix manifest (MWCPX) would travel to Picacho as it does now, and return to West Colton through Wellton. Likewise, the Tucson-Phoenix manifest (MTUPX) would make the same circuit. Several miles of jointed rail east of Phoenix were replaced with CWR in the last year. However, the entire west end of the sub remains jointed rail.
This year, the railroad is said to be replacing around 62,000 ties from Arlington (MP 859) and Phoenix. There also has been a lot of activity in the area of Buckeye, west of Phoenix, where another large grain facility is under construction. Whether the two are related is unknown to me, although it seems likely.
A large, new yard is also under consideration for the Buckeye area to service the growing industrial and warehousing base in the West Valley area.
The feedlot operation at Wellton is indeed similar to the one at Cowtown (Maricopa). At one time, they were under common ownership. It is now owned by JBS, a Brazilian holding company that also owns the Monfort feedlots in Colorado. Like Cowtown, Wellton receives 105-car shuttle trains from Iowa on a regular basis.
As to Amtrak, there has been continual speculation about its return to the Phoenix Sub. Clearly, local government and rail passenger activists are in favor. While I do not know the official UP position, the railroad has been involved in talks for some time regarding commuter service from the West Valley into Phoenix. Although the economy in Arizona is making modest progress out of the recession, the question of where the money for this would come from remains. Meanwhile, Maricopa is talking seriously about building a permanent Amtrak station, which presents a further complication.
John Timm
Fontana Area Alhambra Subdivision Double Tracking Update
There isn't much to report for the week on this subject. Early in the week, the Union Pacific was dumping fill on the south side of the tracks between SIERRA and SOUTH FONTANA. Grading this section has continued all week with obvious grading work remaining. The Union Pacific has dumped what looks like short sections of rail at a couple of locations in this section. This isn't continuous welded rail, but looks like small piles of 39 foot rail sections. The reason for this is unknown.
WEST END OF PHOENIX SUB
While the west end of the Phoenix Sub is a desolate, lightly trafficed (one local a week?) line...I remember a winter in the 1990's when heavy flooding on the Gila River cut off the community of Roll from the Wellton area. The normally 10 mile or so drive would be a 80 mile trip via the "back roads". Many people where walking around that thru-truss bridge in the above photos to cars parked on either side. The Southern Pacific's solution, in cooperation with the State of Arizona, was to run a short passenger train to bridge the gap. A single Amtrak F40 with two Amfleet coaches, two SP boxcars and an SP caboose on the rear shuttled back and forth between the cattle feed lot and the community of Roll. It make a round trip per hour from about 8am to 6pm with no trip at 1pm to get the crew a lunch break. The train operated in reverse, caboose first on the westbound trip since no wyes are present at either end. This lasted for about three or four weeks and was free (the boxcars were used to transport groceries and such). What an unique operation...I was lucky to be able to ride three round trips one day.
Vanishing Act!
As this series was about midway through the posting process, near midnight, the local Verizon phone lines and DSL Internet system went haywire (read went dead) and contact with the TRAINS website was lost, and was that way for about 11 hours. K.P.'s connection just recently came back up. So, to continue where the posting left off ...
Part "F" (of A-J)
Another side view.
By just looking at the structure, one senses it is long.
Continued in Part G
Part "G" (of A-J)
The far eastern bridging section is wood.
Then the line goes over a high embankment with riprap on its sides.
The highly trafficked (believe it or not) Ave. 37 E grade crossing WITHOUT warning bells, flashers, or gates is next.
The grade crossing has a 'no trains have been by for a while' look to it.
Continued in Part "H"
Part "H" (of A-J)
From Ave. 37 E, two views looking westbound.
Looking eastbound from Ave. 37 E:
Continued in Part "I"
Part "I" (of A-J)
Now, from County 6th Street, looking westbound:
Above, a slight mirage effect is visible below the background truss bridge.
Unlike Ave. 37 E, County 6th Street has flashers and gates.
Continued in Part "J"
Part "J" (of A-J)
Railheads are dull and show a lack of rail traffic.
From County 6th St., looking east:
This will conclude the "WEST" section of the Phoenix line, but a freakish operating tidbit that you may or may not have thought of follows in "Second Section."
Second Section
In Part "F" the below photo was posted. If you look real good, there seems to be NO walkway for trainmen needing to walk their train.
In Part "E" this view was shown:
The old Southern Pacific truss bridge DOES have a walkway with thin wires acting as hand railing, if a trainman can brave that. Many such bridges in the nation, however, do NOT have a walkway! In those cases, it is just straight down and a trainman cannot walk their train! Many of the actual Sunset Route's old short wood bridges are that way.
Hypothetically, let's say this huge truss bridge was totally without a walkway. Amtrak #1 is detouring westbound on the Phoenix Line, and goes over the big bridge. An air hose disconnects, and the passenger train comes to a screeching halt. The engineer, neither any of the rest of the crew, nor any passengers can get off. What does the train crew do? Does someone cellphone call 9-1-1 and ask for a helicopter to rescue them?
As K.P. understands it, the locomotives' "independent brakes" can be utilized, so while the rest of the train's brakes are hopelessly clamped tight, the engines' brakes can be released, and the power can slowly force-drag the disabled train (with sliding wheels) off the bridge to a location where the hoses can be reached and reconnected.
Problem solved!
(K.P. doesn't know what happens when an engine or car derails in the above passenger train scenario and no one can get to the train, off or on it ... One can hope the diner is fully stocked ...)
I was out in Arizona back on January 7th, and there was a pair of ballast trains at Red Rocks, one loaded and one empty. They both had a solid set of ballast hoppers with SI reporting marks, and the empties were headed east, while the loads were parked. On the 12th I caught an empty train of Herzog ballast hoppers westbound at Shawmut. As an aside, is there a way to figure out a symbol based on the cars it had?
Hey John (@desertdog), has there been any recent discussion of the proposed West Valley cutoff (link)? It sounds like a practical alternative to rehabbing the Phoenix sub west of the Palo Verde spur.
As for Maricopa building a 'permanent' Amtrak station, the County Sheriff needs to find out what the city gov't employees are smoking! The city would be better served planning for a commuter rail connection to West Chandler / Tempe using the proposed new SR-347 alignment that you mentioned. The future of Amtrak LD trains is looking very shaky right now.
Slightly OT but Maricopa related - the city Really, Really needs to attract critical traveler services (motels, rental car, etc) to it. Several times I've considered riding the Sunset Ltd to the Phoenix area but Maricopa is still a bedroom community with Zero connections to anything! Sheesh.
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! ***
K. P.-
I hope I am reading the thread on the Phoenix sub correctly. I assume this is the line from Welton to Phoenix. The SPV map has the line abandoned from Roll to the Palo Verde spur. I am glad the line is little used or out of service rather than abandoned. It would be great for Amtrak to again go to the biggest city in the state.
ANDY117 - Welcome to Trains.com!
Darren (BLHS & CRRM Lifetime Member)
Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum (DHVM), Railroad Adventures (RRAdventures)
My Blog
MikeF90,
I have not heard or seen anything more about the cutoff since first reading the study that you have linked.
For what it’s worth, I don’t see the point of building a cutoff for a number of reasons. First of all, the existing right-of-way is certainly capable of rehabilitation. Although a portion is dormant, none of it is abandoned.
Secondly, construction would require land acquisition as well as environmental permits from both the state and the federal governments. That could take years--look, for example, at what has happened with the Tongue River Railroad project in Montana. Someone, somewhere is going to find an endangered critter or two, and since the line has to cross the Gila River, that is certainly within the realm of possibility.
Finally, with the increased potential for freight traffic to the west of Phoenix, at some point the UP will want to reactivate the line. It will be hard-pressed to resist an offer from the state or federal government to help pay for bringing it up to passenger train standards--assuming that such money is eventually available.
Regarding Maricopa, a Holiday Inn Express hotel has been approved there, so at least there will soon be a place for you to rest your head before catching the Sunset in the wee hours of the morning.
Incidentally, the SR 347 alignment happens to be the path of the original Maricopa-Phoenix branch of the SP before the Phoenix Sub was constructed, so if they were ever to build a commuter rail line as you suggest, it would be history repeating itself.
K.P., I'll bite on your disaster-on-the-bridge scenario:
If you take measurements, you'll find just about as much distance outside the rails as there is between them. Let's say 4 1/2 feet, conservatively. The most any car is going to overhang is three feet outside the gauge, on straight track. So that gives one a foot and a half of "wiggle room", which isn't going to keep a problem-solver stuck inside the train. Passenger cars, being longer, are also slightly narrower (I don't have the stats on a Superliner's wheelbase, so I can't tell you just how much narrower...possibly a few more inches on each side). So the burst air hose is not going to be a problem for long. A derailment is another story, but I think ways to evacuate the train would be found in such a case.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
The Technical Status of the Phoenix Line
The February 4, 2012 post by ccltrains caused K.P. to investigate technical aspects of the Phoenix Line and consult sources. One source familiar with the current official timetable on the Phoenix Line was extremely enlightening, and explained very, very easily misinterpreted aspects of the timetable. (K.P. even had been fooled!)
The OLD Phoenix Line from M.P. 770.7 (Wellton, the WEST connection to the Sunset Route) to M.P. 802.8 ...
... (two BETWEEN those points examples are above) is now timetable listed as the ROLL INDUSTRIAL LEAD, and IS in service! Can you imagine a "Lead" that is actually automatic block signal (ABS) equipped? That ABS is working, as per Federal law! Regardless of signal aspects, though, trains are limited to 20 M.P.H. After all, it is now a "Lead."
That "Lead" is protected from anything somehow undesirably escaping it by derails ...
... at M.P. 771.0 (just above photo, lower left) and M.P. 777.0 (not shown). Those derails are left open (and locked), thus shunting the affected signals and causing them to display red.
M.P. 802.8 to 854.0 (51.2 miles) is officially out-of-service. Any train using it is limited to 25 M.P.H., and such a movement(s) is under the authority and dictates of, NOT the Dispatcher, but, the Maintenance-of-Way Department, which will have to physically inspect the line before the train (or fleet of trains) can use it.
From M.P. 854.0 eastward through Phoenix to Picacho, the track is in service. Picacho is at both M.P. 979.7 (the longer Phoenix Line) and M.P. 936.7 (Gila Sub, the actual Sunset Route, the Phoenix Line's EAST connection).
Replies ...
Part I (of I-II)
MikeF90 (2-2):
You mentioned 'Right-of-Way work' between LA&SL CP C019 BARTOLO and CP C019 PUENTE JCT. I wonder if the third-track (most likely a siding) for the western end that will be PHIMF related is being worked on.
That was a good synopsis of remaining Sunset Route to be two-tracked. The high priority 95-miles you speculated between M.P. 620 (Thermal) and M.P. 715 (Cactus) IS having reported at least 40 miles of that two-tracked presently.
I personally find a 'gap' similarity WEST of where they started eastward a few miles EAST of the Mortmar siding ...
... and the 'unknown issue' gap between Araz and Araz Jct. west of Yuma, AZ.
Both areas need costly, heavy grading for a second main. The costliest parts traditionally seem to be done last. The very costly spanning of the Colorado River in Yuma ...
... as well as the nearby east of Blaisdell area ...
... will probably be done last as well.
Continued in Part II
Part II (of I-II)
desertdog (2-4):
That was an excellent report on the Phoenix Line and the new customer related work at Buckeye.
As far as Amtrak Nos. 1 and 2 ever going through Phoenix again, while UP might in some ways like that, an odd economic situation has surfaced. Amtrak, I think, LIKES the present shorter and fast route that misses Phoenix! To go via Phoenix again would be way more costly, in time, fuel, and crew-wise. If UP hates passenger trains clogging their mainlines as much as I understand it, UP may have been its own worst enemy in closing part of the Phoenix Line years ago!
BNSF 6400 (2-4):
That was surprising UP was offloading JOINTED rail between Sierra and South Fontana in Fontana, CA. Obviously, a fourth track, a switching type lead, wouldn't need super good rail. Maybe ("maybe") those 39-foot rails came from the Phoenix Line and the rail replacement there that desertdog reported! I wonder, too, if once in place, the 39-foot rails will all be welded together as insulated joint sections are welded into continuous welded rail (CWR) at grade crossing and signal locations!
The shuttle passenger train on the Phoenix Line east of Wellton was a fascinating story.
ANDY117 (2-4):
Thanks for your input.
Those "SI" reporting marks on ballast cars by Red Rock, AZ, I believe, are for Spokane International, a railroad the UP gobbled up way, way back when.
Such SI ballast cars are common, and were photographed here in California at Colton Crossing back on October 18, 2010 and previously posted about.
The Herzog ones you saw at Shawmut, AZ was a surprise. I wonder if the recently posted December 27, 2011 photos about Herzog cars on the East Leg of the Wye by West Colton Yard and heading north (leftward) up the Palmdale Cutoff came from Arizona!
UP certainly know how to make money, and what they do (see the jointed rail reply to BNSF6400 above) and where they get supplies (like ballast) would make for an enlightening education in itself.
Stay safe everyone,
K.P.
The Red Rock Yard at Picacho Peak is to be a major component of the Sunset Route improvement project. Surfing around, I came upon this site: http://pinalcountyaz.gov/ed/pages/unionpacific.aspx
Among other items, you will find a map of the proposed yard, something I had not seen previously. You will also find some of the history behind the proposal and an economic justification.
As a bonus, there's a nice video profile of the Copper Basin Railway at the main site.
Enjoy.
Not much to report on Alhambra Subdivision Double Tracking west of West Colton Yard. The Union Pacific continues dumping fill dirt at various locations between SIERRA and SOUTH FONTANA and then bulldozing it flat. From a closer look at some of the rail dropped in this area, it appears that each rail is about 150 feet in length or so. I would say its a safe bet that this rail will be welded together once it is in place on the crossties.
It also appears that at the Union Pacific may have cleared, not graded, but cleared the right-of-way north of the tracks along the length of the SOUTH FONTANA siding. This maybe in preparation for additional work or simply a housekeeping task as the weeds were getting bad in that area.
I also noticed significant gathering of UP employees one day just east of the Cherry Avenue overpass (located at the west end of the SOUTH FONTANA siding). On possible explanation is this is the location of the future CP KAISER...but this is just speculation.
While I can't see specific work in the Receving Yard at West Colton, work continued all week with both a concrete tie work train and a ballast train always on scene and working.
Will post again as things development.
Nice article on the Yuma bridge across the Colorado river.
http://www.yumasun.com/articles/yuma-67979-crossing-river.html
Robert
On the Prowl
K.P. spent Saturday, February 11, 2012 prowling around parts of San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties, from Colton to Ontario to the City of Industry to Pomona to Ontario again. That second visit to Ontario was in the quickly darkening evening. It had been hoped to arrive before darkness, because K.P. knew the new LA&SL signals in the Montclair-Ontario area had been activated.
In the above rainy photo, the lights in the background are at UP's Ontario Signal Dept. facility on Campus Ave.
That above activated new signal has eliminated the need for the odd TWO westbound signals in a row in the same CP at CP C039 BON VIEW, which has been in that odd jerry-rigged state for nearly twenty-years! The second heads in a row (right targets) are now turned aside.
The Ontario area with have to wait for another time for more thorough documentation in daylight hours
About the trip's postings ... At this point in time, it looks like a three post series will be composed, (1) the Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMP) area in the City of Industry, (2) the Milliken Ave. Flyover (and partially filling the west side gap by Milliken Ave.), and (3) the Colton Flyover effort.
Reference the first area, in the City of Industry, MikeF90 had reported a noticeable increase in radio chatter between LA&SL CP's C011 BARTOLO and C019 PUENTE JCT. K.P. had an idea of what that chatter was about, and, sure enough, a new signals location was found.
NO activity was observed about laying a second-track on the 'Up and Over' in the City of Industry. The below photo of that structure from the east end (by California Ave.) looking westbound was shot months ago and is reposted.
You might remember wood ties previously were placed over the structure (view looks eastbound from Puente Ave.) ...
... but they were taken up and transported elsewhere months ago. The second-track path continues to remain tieless.
Nor was anything brewing in the Diversion in Pomona.
Activity in the West Colton Yard area continues, but because of limited time, K.P. passed on that for now. BNSF6400 has been nicely covering that part of the Sunset Route.
The three in-depth posting reports (mentioned midway above) will start in a day or two.
Update as of Saturday, February 11, 2012
Part "A" (of A-C), Section 1 (of 1-8)
The PHIMF Area
City of Industry, CA
Things pertaining to the multi-building Puente Hills Intermodal Facility (PHIMF) effort are progressing. Three views of the project AWAY from the tracks, including a passageway below ground / below roadway level (last photo). The chain link fencing is where the internal access road tunnels under the public street.
Continued in Section 2
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is making the original contractor who graded, filled, and seeded the 3.5 mile long Union Pacific track realighment site east of Tucson, Arizona along Interstate Highway 10 between Cienega Creek and Empirita Road rebuild and replant the embankments that had been severely eroded by last summer's seasonal rains.
The contractor has been working at the site for at least two weeks, and ADOT inspectors are keeping a close watch over the project.
On a side note, a train of loaded ballast cars passed through the area heading east on Monday, 13 February. The only place I can think of that they may be hauling ballast to would be the new refueling facility being built in New Mexico west of El Paso, Texas. What's unusual about this movement is that all the ballast used at the Cienega Creek area came from the east.
Part "A", Section 2 (of 1-8)
Looking the opposite way towards the tracks reveals an important wide passageway. Note the background dark area.
That dark area is a temporary structuring that is in place for what looks like a future shoefly so that a bridge can be built over the below ground level passageway. That passageway will go to the PHIMF trash train loading complex off the road called Pellissier Place.
At the north-south Workman Mill Rd. grade crossing: Two each-side-of-the-tracks views looking westbound. The big PHIMF mound of dirt is in the upper background.
Continued in Section 3
Part "A", Section 3 (of 1-8)
Two views looking eastbound from Workman Mill Rd., and the NEW power line structures.
Previously posted, old, interfering, awkwardly placed power line towers were trackside.
Continued in Section 4
Part "A", Section 4 (of 1-8)
MikeF90 had mentioned railroad radio chatter between LA&SL CP's C011 BARTOLO and C019 PUENTE JCT. This view from Turnbull Canyon Rd. looks east, with CP C019 PUENTE JCT in the background. Puente Jct. is where the old SP trains (which had trackage right) transitioned to the SP City of Industry Yard.
Looking westbound from that Turnbull Canyon Rd. in another telephoto, the first of three intermediate signals is seen, this one on a cantilever structure.
This trackage was two-tracked in 1992-1993. The original straight, single-track main is the left track on the foreground left in the above photo, and the middle-track in the background.
But, that cantilevered signal bridge is on borrowed time, for look what was found on the west side of the Turnbull Canyon Rd. grade crossing:
Continued in Section 5
Part "A", Section 5 (of 1 to 8)
Another view:
A westward, closer view of an industrial track (right) as it junctions into Main 1: This may or may not be where the PHIMF industrial track will end.
A bunch of contracted non-UP work vehicles were on site. On each mast at this location, the lower heads are of differing manufacturing types (upper right).
Continued in Section 6
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.