Update as of Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Colton to Ontario, CA
Part VII (of I-VII)
The Milliken Ave. Flyover
Ontario, CA
While the arm was away from the track, K.P. got a few shots of the dirt transfer equipment, one such photo is below.
As a last photo of this update ... a north side view looking west.
In all this report ... things are hopping now from Colton to Ontario.
Other areas of activity are in the Salton Sea area of California, and the Picacho area of Arizona. K.P. has no idea when he can get to either of those areas. But, this report update should partially satisfy our curiosity for a while ...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
MikeF90 K.P., your CP Kaiser speculation is, to paraphrase billio, the way I would run my railroad!
K.P., your CP Kaiser speculation is, to paraphrase billio, the way I would run my railroad!
MikeF90, I'm not sure if being paraphrased is necessarily good, but I'll take it as a nice complement!
I'd have replied earlier, but a few months ago I bought a new computer, and I've had an impossible time getting the thing to talk to this website -- until very recently.
Incidentally, regarding the Marsh Station Road line change, I noted on Arizone DOT website that "UPRR HAS COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION OF NEW TRACK ON NEW ALIGNMENT AND WILL BEGIN TESTING FOR 90 DAYS." One is at a loss to know what the 'crats at ADOT mean by "testing" here, but the fact that trains are now running over the new alignment means that it UP must be testing the heck out of it. Also, elsewhere in the ADOT website is buried the note that the railway bridge spanning I-10 is now scheduled to be removed in late summer 2012 (one must be careful to specify years when reporting on projects with public involvement), versus early 2012. So the rest of the project is dragging a bit. But hey! the new segment has been cut over, and UP is reaping the cost fruits of its labors.
Cheers!
The ADOT web site is hopelessly out of date. The new UP track between Cienega Creek and Empirita Road has been in use since mid-January. I posted pictures on this forum on January 17th, shortly after it became operational.
Most recently, ADOT is making the original landscaping contractor re-do their work on the severely eroded embankments, possibly as a result of complaints from UP that the erosion is getting too close to their track.
K. P. Harrier,
Your pictures showing the progress on the double tracking of the Sunset route have been great.
Is the game plan to double track the Sunset route all the way from LAX to El Paso? This question probably has been answered elsewhere, but I don't remember seeing it.
With the opening of the improved Panama Canal some of the container ships that drop their cargo in California will go through the canal to eastern ports, thereby taking some cross country traffic off the railroad. What impact will this have on the UP and BNSF? Presumably the UP has factored this into their planning and believe that the second track is still a must.
Replies: Part A (of A-E)
jeffhergert (2-17):
The Evolution of a Turnout Area
jeffhergert Not that unusual. The crew probably read off their list that they were going to pull X number of cars but experience told them only Y number of cars fit between the switch and signal. They call the dispatcher to get the head room. He lines them up all the way through the control point, even if they are only going to go past the signal a few cars. That explains why it looks like they are lined out and through a crossover, at that time that was either the best route or maybe the only route available to get them a signal. The cars in the picture seem like short covered hoppers so today X fit into Y with room to spare. They make their move and notify the dispatcher that they didn't need the extra room after all and were done with the signal. The dispatcher takes it back and lines everything back normal. You may not see it every day, but it does happen. Jeff
Not that unusual. The crew probably read off their list that they were going to pull X number of cars but experience told them only Y number of cars fit between the switch and signal. They call the dispatcher to get the head room. He lines them up all the way through the control point, even if they are only going to go past the signal a few cars. That explains why it looks like they are lined out and through a crossover, at that time that was either the best route or maybe the only route available to get them a signal.
The cars in the picture seem like short covered hoppers so today X fit into Y with room to spare. They make their move and notify the dispatcher that they didn't need the extra room after all and were done with the signal. The dispatcher takes it back and lines everything back normal. You may not see it every day, but it does happen.
Jeff
Concerning your post and comments about the switch at CP SP538 RANCHO (so a train can get onto or off of the two-track mainline) being in reverse and the derail closed for passage ...
... reference a switching movement between West Colton Yard's Departure Yard and Rancho Ave, which movement did NOT use the switch ...
... what you said does happen, for sure. But, after pondering the situation, I've concluded the switch was most likely in reverse and derail lined for passage because of a PREVIOUS movement, probably for a westbound, possibly that had come down from Salt Lake City, that was routed at the CP to the SOUTH side of the yard to avoid construction in the Receiving Yard on the western end (between Cedar and Sierra Avenues). -- See "Update as of Wednesday, February 22, 2012," Part III, "Rebuilding West Colton's Receiving Yard."
In the last photo above (looking westward), the train consists of, probably not grain cars, but rather CEMENT cars, and does NOT go all the way back to Pepper Ave. (background overpass) where the Departure Yard ladder tracks are at. That switching move obviously (to locals, anyway) involved the cement plant out of view on the far left by the landmark "Cement Mountain" (locals use that term) just south of the wyes off the Palmdale Cutoff. That mountain is in the background of the below previously posted southward photo.
Continued in Part B
Replies: Part B (of A-E)
The Evolution of a Turnout Area (Continued)
Your post, Jeff, created questions in my mind, and thus an onsite inspection was pursued. The below photos are resultant ground level views shot Wednesday, looking westward.
Note in the above photos that there is NO purple disked derail sign.
Continued in Part C
Replies: Part C (of A-E)
Early on in K.P.'s documenting the Sunset Route two-tracking, the following May 17, 2008 photo was posted:
As seen above, the situation was only an automatic absolute "Exit" (the spur or whatever) signal, now timetabled as an "Entrance" (to the mainline) signal. There was not even a derail!
In the below April 22, 2009 photo looking east from the Rancho Ave. overpass, the old CP SP538 RANCHO interlocking plant was farther east, and did NOT encompass the discussed switch (far right).
Then, the situation had evolved to a purple disked derail (lower right) by the entrance signal, and new signals that had not been activated yet.
Continued in Part D
Replies: Part D (of A-E)
By June 6, 2009, an un-activated yet power derail had replaced the previous protection.
On June 8 the new signals and derail were found to have been activated. Four days later, on June 12, the below photos were shot.
Anyway, Jeff, the point in all this background is the logic for my belief that the switches in reverse (and derail closed) that you originally replied about, as stated in Part A, were probably in those positions because of a westbound from Salt Lake City. The fact that the crossovers were in reverse (top switch below) ...
... seems to give even more reason to believe that Salt Lake City train idea. Of course, Jeff, the scenario your came up with is definitely a possibility too ...
Replies continued in Part E
Replies: Part E (of A-E)
billio (2-25):
Concerning the Main 2 reroute in the Marsh Station Rd. area east of Tucson, AZ, the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT) "testing" for 90 days terminology is somewhat strange. Government often does things in different ways compared to the way private industry does. Perhaps ("Perhaps") the testing is to make sure everything is OK on the reroute before AZDOT destroys the old bridge over I-10. If AZDOT had destroyed the old bridge immediately after the reroute opened and a problem was found on the reroute that required the railroad to go back to the old route, AZDOT would be in a real dandy of a mess! Testing to make sure the reroute is in fact viable may be the way Arizona does things.
cacole (2-25):
If I was correct in the reply to billio above, I wonder how many trains UP ran (or are running) westbound on the normally eastbound biased Main 2 so everybody would be comfortable that there was in fact no problem with the AZDOT reroute before the I-10 railroad bridge would be torn down.
I don't know how many trains run against the biases in the Cienega Creek / Marsh Station Rd. area, but biases on the triple-track line in Nebraska are pretty firm. In the below photos looking east in Kearney ...
... while all three tracks are signaled bi-directionally, Main 1 (left) is westbound biased (towards the camera), and Main 3 (right) is eastbound biased. The lesser used Main 2 (center track) doesn't seem to have a bias. In a number of visits to Kearney in the last 10 years, only a few eastbound trains have ever personally been seen on Main 1 (left) by K.P. Absolutely NO westbound trains have ever been seen on Main 3 (right).
If "testing" has or is still happening on the reroute in Arizona, a westbound lighting a green signal by Marsh Station Rd. would make an interesting, somewhat rare telephoto picture for sure ...
Best wishes billion and cacole, and to jeffhergert it is hoped you are surviving all the snow on your frigid train runs of late in the Midwest,
K.P.
Sam1 K. P. Harrier, Your pictures showing the progress on the double tracking of the Sunset route have been great. Is the game plan to double track the Sunset route all the way from LAX to El Paso? This question probably has been answered elsewhere, but I don't remember seeing it. With the opening of the improved Panama Canal some of the container ships that drop their cargo in California will go through the canal to eastern ports, thereby taking some cross country traffic off the railroad. What impact will this have on the UP and BNSF? Presumably the UP has factored this into their planning and believe that the second track is still a must.
Sam1.
Michael Mullen of Center Point Properties spoke to the Sand House Gang Thursday at the Northwestern University Transportation Center. He was asked the same question and responded that the canal is obsolete before it even opens. Designed for ~5,000 TEU ships, larger are sailing, and still larger ones (over 10,000 TEUs?) are being built that can be run with the same minimum crew. Furthermore, trans-continental rail beats canal transit time.
(If you, anyone, are interested in railroad transportation issues, e-mail Diana Marek to get on the mailing list, d-marek@NORTHWESTERN.EDU, so you may get to meetings of interest. The meetings are free; but you are asked to be a supporting member. Maybe see you there.)
Harvey
K. P. Harrier Replies: Part E (of A-E) ... cacole (2-25): If I was correct in the reply to billio above, I wonder how many trains UP ran (or are running) westbound on the normally eastbound biased Main 2 so everybody would be comfortable that there was in fact no problem with the AZDOT reroute before the I-10 railroad bridge would be torn down. I don't know how many trains run against the biases in the Cienega Creek / Marsh Station Rd. area, but biases on the triple-track line in Nebraska are pretty firm. In the below photos looking east in Kearney ... ... while all three tracks are signaled bi-directionally, Main 1 (left) is westbound biased (towards the camera), and Main 3 (right) is eastbound biased. The lesser used Main 2 (center track) doesn't seem to have a bias. In a number of visits to Kearney in the last 10 years, only a few eastbound trains have ever personally been seen on Main 1 (left) by K.P. Absolutely NO westbound trains have ever been seen on Main 3 (right). K.P.
...
Wonder if the North Western influenced this at all? Still operates with a left-hand bias across Iowa and Illinois with CTC and 2 main tracks.
K. P. Harrier Replies: Part E (of A-E) billio (2-25): Concerning the Main 2 reroute in the Marsh Station Rd. area east of Tucson, AZ, the Arizona Department of Transportation (AZDOT) "testing" for 90 days terminology is somewhat strange. Government often does things in different ways compared to the way private industry does. Perhaps ("Perhaps") the testing is to make sure everything is OK on the reroute before AZDOT destroys the old bridge over I-10. If AZDOT had destroyed the old bridge immediately after the reroute opened and a problem was found on the reroute that required the railroad to go back to the old route, AZDOT would be in a real dandy of a mess! Testing to make sure the reroute is in fact viable may be the way Arizona does things. cacole (2-25): If I was correct in the reply to billio above, I wonder how many trains UP ran (or are running) westbound on the normally eastbound biased Main 2 so everybody would be comfortable that there was in fact no problem with the AZDOT reroute before the I-10 railroad bridge would be torn down... [snip]
If I was correct in the reply to billio above, I wonder how many trains UP ran (or are running) westbound on the normally eastbound biased Main 2 so everybody would be comfortable that there was in fact no problem with the AZDOT reroute before the I-10 railroad bridge would be torn down... [snip]
KP, regarding "testing," my guess was that UP itself sought testing time to give itself a buffer for scheduling the work gang it will need to reclaim rail and ties prior to removing the highway bridge. One strongly suspects that such system gangs are committed months in advance of their on-scene appearance, and right now, the guys who will be doing the work may be toiling in California or Louisiana or anywhere else around UP's farflung system.
Regarding running opposing main (i.e., east on the "other" track that at the Cienaga Creek Bridge crosses above the one that we're discussing here), keep in mind that with the Marsh Station Road line change, UP and the State of Arizona (we'll give 'em credit) have removed a major cause of circuity and speed restricting curvature. There remains another, less circuitous horseshoe about a mile and a half east of the Cienega Creek Bridge that could be eliminated and a couple of curves that might yet one day be eased (none of these likely to happen anytime soon), both of which would speed trains over this track; nevertheless, the single major cause of slowdown is now removed.
My two bits...
Oh yes, K.P., as always, your constant stream of updates, along with those of other, are enormously appreciated. Thanks again!!
K. P. Harrier [snipped - PDN] Update as of Saturday, February 11, 2012 Part "C", Section 7 (of 1-7) The Colton Flyover Construction Colton, CA Such current trackage is on borrowed time and will all be rearranged in the next couple of years.
Part "C", Section 7 (of 1-7)
The Colton Flyover Construction
Colton, CA
Such current trackage is on borrowed time and will all be rearranged in the next couple of years.
K.P. and all others - thanks once again for such a great sequence of photos and flow of information on so many parts of this project !
- Paul North.
What's Happening
On Wednesday, February 29, 2012, because of personal business and the need to take his mother-in-law shopping, K.P. was again on the prowl from Colton to Ontario, CA. At the Colton Signal Dept., K.P. was very surprised by something orange and round by the old bungalows. For the first time, he and camera was up on the Cherry Ave. overpass in Fontana, by Kaiser Yard. In Fontana, too, is a sort of new boneyard of old ties from the West Colton's Receiving Yard. And, the Milliken Ave. Flyover has had dramatic progress! Photos will be forthcoming in a day or two ...
Replies ...
MileF90 (2-20):
Thanks for the links on the Colton Flyover project, Colton, CA.
We have all been in anticipation of the construction of the flyover for so long now that your post mentioning it will be finished by the end of 2013, less than two years away, is almost shocking: It makes me feel so OLD! Time is marching on ... Of course you, Mike, are getting younger, right? (Hehehehe.)
sam1 (2-26):
Thanks for the encouragement.
The two-tracking "game plan" as I understand it ... begins in Southern California near what is now the west switch of CP AL497 BASSETT (with a short single-track section in the nearby Marne area) and will go all the way to El Paso, Texas. There are big portions yet to be completed. MikeF90 recently posted in this thread a loose listing of what has been and yet is to be two-tracked.
HarveyK400 (2-26):
As I understand it, even after the progression of mergers, the two-track lines just about everywhere have retained their old biases, as the Chicago & Northwestern line in Iowa and Illinois did after UP gobbled it up.
Interestingly, between the UP and C&NW lines is single-track (between Fremont, NE and Missouri Valley, IA). Of course, some trains are routed the long way around via Omaha, NE and Council Bluff, IA.
Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe (AT&SF) had a maverick situation on its double-track (NOT two-tracks) line pre-circa 1960 ... Its left biased Cajon line eastward to Frost, CA (near Victorville) had a "natural crossover" (shown with a westbound) ...
... then was right biased to near Ash Fork, AZ, where the line again had a natural crossover ...
AT&SF Natural Flyover Area West of Ash Fork, AZ
... and was left biased again all the way east to Belen, NM.
With the big AT&SF line relocation circa 1960, the natural crossover west of Ash Fork, AZ was eliminated and a big section of the double-track line (i.e., from Seligman to Winslow, AZ) was re-signaled as bi-directional two-tracks and dispatches where thereafter responsible to mastermind left running to right running transitions.
The partically abandoned route was incredibly rollercoasterish, explanation why the line was relocated in the first place, as in the below Ask Fork, AZ view
The Sunset Route is somewhat different from the AT&SF / BNSF situation, and is basically a flatish single-track line that is being made to have two-tracks (California to the western part of Texas). Westward out of Texas is right biased until Cienega Creek ...
... where the line is left biased to Tucson, AZ. Two-tracking WEST of Tucson (which is currently progressing EASTWARD from Casa Grande to Tucson) seemed to be operated right biased, but that may be reversed when the two-tracking meets the current end of two-tracks west of Tucson.
A similar situation exists in California, as two-tracking seems to be right biased. But, when two-tracking is completely finished there, it likely will be left biased.
So, the C&NW line will probably retain its left running bias unless something radical happens as with the two-tracking of the Sunset Route. Of course, changing the biases in Nebraska and westward would harmonize with the C&NW biases (if the single-track connection between them was two-tracked), and make Sherman Hill in Wyoming a harmonious place ... Oh, but wait! Such would NOT harmonize with the natural crossover east of Ogden, UT, the one east of Echo ... The railroads just can't seem to win!
However, once the two-tracking of the Sunset Route is complete, the track layout biases should give UP a winning, relatively free-flowing arrangement.
billio (2-27):
A "buffer for scheduling" sounds very logical to me for the Marsha Station Rd. area of Arizona.
Paul D. North Jr. (2-28):
Thanks for the encouragement. I am sure other contributor's feel likewise. As more are becoming contributors, the forum is getting more and more understanding of what is transpiring on the Sunset Route.
Take care all,
Is there a list somewhere of the trains that operate over the Gila sub? I'll be out there again in 2 weeks, and it would be nice to know what the symbols are. I'll put pictures up hopefully today of my last trip out there. Thanks!
ANDY117 (3-1):
Hi, Andy!
Train symbols are definitely not my strong point, and I am sorely lacking in that area. I can understand the symbols, but correlating a symbol to a specific train ... well, in most cases, forget it!
There is very little still of the Gila Sub that has been two-tracked. If you have photos of that very little that HAS been two-tracked, great! We at the forum are all eyes (at least I am anyway)!
Good hearing from you,
I'm not sure of the exact endpoints; but a 2nd main track now is in service on the UP between Blair and Fremont, NE; and work has begun on a second bridge over the Missouri River at Blair. This allows more capacity with only a short section of single main between Missouri Valley, IA and Blair, NE. The route through Blair is 26 miles shorter than going through Omaha.
A new connection from the UP Proviso Yard to the IHB at Hill has been completed and will be connected to the new 3rd main, MT-1, at Bellwood. This restores a grade-separated connection that was removed around 1960 and subsequently replaced by an at-grade connection from Proviso to the main tracks and to the IHB at Hill.
MT-1 will be spread to go around the north side of the eb platform at Bellwood and fit around the Mannheim Rd bridge piers. Work has begun on the pedestrian underpass to reach the eb platform so that the longer stairs to Mannheim Road providing alternative passenger access can be eliminated. UP often holds wb empties on MT-2, blocking the eb platform (getting to a wb Metra). The new MT-1 will continue on the north side of the two existing main tracks through Berkeley where another underpass will be built to reach the eb platform.
The 3rd main track will continue east from 25th St (Melrose Park) on the south side of the two existing mains to River Forest for ~28 miles of continuous 3-track main from Kedzie Av (Chicago) to Kress Rd (West Chicago).
The 50 mph crossovers east of the Lombard station are in service now; but little has be done so far in Wheaton even though new intermediate signals have been in service between Elmhurst and West Chicago, except for the Wheaton crossovers, for over a year. Even in the rush hour, UP uses the center main to hold trains out of Proviso and for staging wb lineups. All Metra trains use the outside tracks except for trackwork, even expresses. This is not at all like the BNSF.
The crossovers and 3rd main are supposed to allow more capacity for Metra; but so far the existing capacity has not been utilized to expand rush hour service to take some of the load off the BNSF. I don't know how far along parking and feeder bus capacity has gotten in order to support additional Metra service on the UPW.
K. P. Harrier ANDY117 (3-1): Hi, Andy! Train symbols are definitely not my strong point, and I am sorely lacking in that area. I can understand the symbols, but correlating a symbol to a specific train ... well, in most cases, forget it! There is very little still of the Gila Sub that has been two-tracked. If you have photos of that very little that HAS been two-tracked, great! We at the forum are all eyes (at least I am anyway)! Good hearing from you, K.P.
Even photos of the old single-track would be welcome.
ANDY117:
Please read the memo to Harvey400 below ...
HarveyK400 (3-1):
With reference to my suggesting to ANDY117 that photos of "two-tracking" would be ideal, perhaps you are right, HarveyK400. I remember traveling I-10 some years back and thinking that someday that rail line was going to be two-tracked. When I look back, it is regrettable that I didn't photograph every bit of single-track in Arizona and New Mexico that I could. As it stands now, I have little of the past to compare with present.
Parts of Arizona (especially along I-10) are incredibly difficult to document with a camera. If someone is willing to post photos (any photos), who am I to suggest otherwise. I stand corrected. Bring them on, ANDY117 ...
With reference to the Chicago area, your post report puts things more into perspective. UP sure has a lot of coals in the fire with putting in additional track ...
Best.
HarveyK400 I'm not sure of the exact endpoints; but a 2nd main track now is in service on the UP between Blair and Fremont, NE; and work has begun on a second bridge over the Missouri River at Blair. This allows more capacity with only a short section of single main between Missouri Valley, IA and Blair, NE. The route through Blair is 26 miles shorter than going through Omaha.
This last January they opened up the first section of 8 miles between the old east switch at Kennard and a new control point on the west edge of Blair, called Duffy. Most everything, except trains going to the long pool, usually go the long way via Omaha. Even though it's about 8 miles long, there is only one place where most trains can stop without blocking something. To complicate things, in addition to public crossings are a couple of private crossings going to farms that have no other outlet.
The next section to open sometime this year will be between Allen Creek (west edge of Missouri Valley) and California Junction, IA will be completed. This will have 3 tracks to help in changing out Long Pool crews. Grading is done and I noticed some switches are being assembled. Later this year the second track is scheduled to be extended west of Cal Jct, but I'm not sure how far. They have been grading (funny to see them pushing dirt in the snow) but in addition to the Missouri bridge (which hasn't been started yet other than some slight dirt work) there is a small pond that needs to be bridged. (I call it a pond, but some who started in MOW say it's more of a sink hole. That when they upgraded the current bridge many years ago that they had a hard time finding the bottom.)
West of Kennard they have also been doing work. Mostly removing the old pole line and trees/brush along the ROW where the new track will be. The old Kennard siding was pulled up for the time being. Eventually the second track will use some of that same road bed. This western section will also require bridges over the Elkhorn River, on a new alignment easing a curve and bypassing the current river crossing, so I've heard.
Here's the link to the album from this year:
http://andy9889.rrpicturearchives.net/archiveThumbs.aspx?id=77173
I'll be down between Maricopa and Gila Bend, so I'll try and get in depth like KP is doing. With my new job, I should hopefully be able to make it out there on a more regular basis.
Update as of Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Part I (of I-X)
The Colton Flyover Area
The Colton, CA
Allot of preliminary activity continues. From 9th Street, a view north of the Sunset Route:
More than "Road Closed": Signage is now very specific.
At the Colton Signal Dept. by the old signal boxes and strangely positioned new masts, are two orange cable-covering spools. The second background spool is visible in the center of the first spool.
Continued in Part II
Part II (of I-X)
The Old Wye Track in the South Fontana Siding Area
The Fontana, CA
By Live Oak and Boyle Avenues, where the once wye was in Fontana, a bunch of old ties have been gathered together, most likely from West Colton Yard's Receiving Yard's current rebuilding.
There are also a bunch of 39-foot rails that have been gathered together.
The area ...
Aerial of Old Wye
In the aerial link, note that the east leg of the Wye (right) does not connect to the Mainline anymore.
An unusual landmark: I-10 and the Sunset Route are behind the white dome.
Continued in Part III
Part III (of I-X)
Cherry Ave. and the Kaiser Yard Area
Looking east from the Cherry Ave. overpass: The present single-track Main is on the foreground right.
In the above view, the center signals are CP AL531 SOUTH FONTANA. The far background signals are at CP AL533 SIERRA. A yellow Herzog work train is on the far right. The Herzog equipment seems to be being staged out of the spur there.
A lessor telephoto: The west wye track connection is on the lower right.
(The east leg wye for a decade or more has not connected to the mainline.)
It is questionable whether a more northern, new Kaiser Lead would fit between the left track (the South Fontana siding) and the freeway walling.
For that reason a possible new Kaiser Lead may ("may") end just WEST of Cherry Ave., with a double-crossover EAST of it, in the just above view (foreground). That is only speculation with a sprinkling of reason ...
Continued in Part IV
Part IV (of I-X)
Looking west from Cherry Ave. with a mild telephoto:
A heavy westward telephoto: The Kaiser Yard is on the center right. The dumping of dirt (lower right) has been smoothed out quite a bit from its first being dropped (mention previously).
In the above photo, Etiwanda Ave. is the background overpass, when a number of photos in this thread were shot from. The foreground LEFT track is the present single-track Main.
Confusing matters is that I-10 is having reconstruction work on it. Note the barricades of the below photo's lower right quadrant (by the red truck cab).
In the just above photo, barely visible is a chain link fence separating the freeway and railroad rights-of-way. The new dirt dumping IS on the railroad side of that fence.
This forumist has concluded the new dirt dumping is coming from old dirt under Tracks 201-209 in the Receiving Yard at West Colton Yard several miles away, as is with the new dumping west of Citrus Ave. recently posted about.
Continued in Part V
Part V (of I-X)
Fast Progress at the Milliken Ave. Flyover
The gap in flyover structuring JUST WEST OF (and right by) Milliken Ave. is now filled! A view from the south side, looking westward:
Dirt is still being poured into it, though: A north side view looking west.
A west side view from the north looking southward.
Continued in Part VI
Part VI (of I-X)
The future Main 2 Flyover's north walling sloping downward (to the photo left) on the EAST side now has, not only protective fencing, but also heavy wood present, possibly to prevent ballast from falling onto workers trackside below.
The east end (temporarily construction-delayed account of industrial trackage in the way) now has a dirt ramp.
Continued in Part VII
Part VII (of I-X)
Even though this is the general Vina Vista area, the signal box (lower left) by the first intermediate signals east of the Guasti siding does NOT appear to be of the control point (CP) type. Exactly where CP VINA VISTA will be is still unknown.
The intermediate signals in the last photo above are the intermediate signals in the below eastward view shot from Milliken Ave.
The electrical box is on the left of the photo just above.
Continued in Part VIII
Part VIII (of I-X)
For the 18-wheeler types among us ... A flatbed big rig showed up and found turning into the narrow pathway wasn't easy.
It was decided the first attempt wasn't going to work, and the 18-wheeler with big flyover concrete modules was going to have to back out and make another attempt using a whole different routing approach. The usual flagman blocked half the Milliken Ave. / Guasti Rd. intersection for assistance.
Continued in Part IX
Part IX (of I-X)
The driver had skill, because he obviously knew exactly what had to be done after the first approach failed, and this approach was very successful!
As seen in the last photo above, the 18-wheeler was following another 18-wheeler.
Continued in Part X
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