Update as of Tuesday and Wednesday, August 13 and 14, 2013
Part “B” (of A-L)
The Colton Flyover
Colton, CA
A team of UP workers was walking the ballast train eastward, dropping a tremendous amount of ballast as it was slowly going along.
A water truck gives the ballast cars a good watering.
Continued in Part C
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 “C” (of A-L)
The ballast train keeps backing.
On “K” Street where a good eastward wide view can be had, an EASTBOUND (going away from the camera) was seen on the flyover. Notice the BNSF Colton Crossing bungalow on a trailer.
Continued in Part “D”
Part “D” (of A-L)
The previously shown view below is of SINGLE head color light signals ….
Another previously shown view of a scene a few hundred feet south of the above photo:
That was a very deceptive signal situation, as the location of the active signals was NOT changed. Apparently (“apparently”), the laying down multiple-head signals a few hundred feet south where erected and placed right where the single-headed ones were taken down at!
The mysterious aspect of all this is that one of those laying down masts has TWO platform cages on it.
So, the last word on exactly what is going on may still yet be ahead.
Continued in Part E
Part “E” (of A-L)
Those ballast cars being pushed eastward were slowly approached where the UP now goes over the BNSF.
Continued in Part F
Part “F” (of A-L)
The next day the track was being worked on again, as seen from 3rd Street.
And at times a bunch of dust was being kicked up.
When the equipment got to Rancho Ave., it reverse directions and headed back east. Back and forth it would go.
Continued in Part G
Part “G” (of A-L)
And, then a fleet of westbound trains came along …Notice the track equipment on the far right.
That westbound power passes even another piece of track equipment …
Continued in Part H
Part “H” (of A-L)
Over at the EAST end of the flyover, by Mt. Vernon Ave., as K.P. got on scene an EASTBOUND came along out of the blue, and only grab shots could be taken.
As above, right away a big negative was seen for photographers: A new chain link fence had been put up!
Back by Rancho Ave. and the western slope of the flyover again, looking west from 3rd Street, an eastbound train sits in the distance waits for a signal to pass by at ground level. The new style “old” CP box of SP538 RANCHO is seen.
We now move over to Ontario …
Continued in Part I
Part “I” (of A-L)
The Milliken Ave. Flyover
Ontario, CA
From the south side, looking slantingly northward: Note the grayish paint on the decorative columns!
Note, too, on the bottom of the above photo, the narrow one-way restaurant driveway is now a wide two-way driveway!
Nice placards are now present here and there.
Light and dark gray and trees:
Continued in Part J
Part “J” (of A-L)
The sidewalk:
Trees and plants have been planted in the center of Milliken Ave. too.
Looking eastward under the bridging:
Continued in Part K
Part “K” (of A-L)
The western north side view from Milliken Ave.:
A train (far background right) that is about to come eastward and go over the flyover is seen curving unto the Main 2 flyover alignment.
Eastward north side views:
Continued in Part L
Part “L” (of A-L)
Scattered equipment is still on site. Looking eastward:
On the northeast side the decorative trees seem fully planted (right).
As on the west side, the east side of Milliken Ave. now has a sidewalk! Sometime in the future K.P. hopes to take a few photos from that sidewalk.
Looking south, even the restaurant now has a sidewalk in front of it (barely visible on left).
Just above, note the Flyover’s new dark gray walling visible on the right.
This will conclude the series.
Thanks for the update, KP, especially on Milliken Avenue. Looks as if both tracks on the Colton Flyover will be in service pretty quickly. As for the one at Milliken Avenue, are both mains cut in, or will UP continue to use one track over the new structure? Or can one even tell from nearby, given that the approaches are a long way from Milliken Avenue itself?
Replies
Clyde Acolita (8-16):
I was able to touch bases very briefly with a contact, and the contact advised that the Ice Deck siding is as you said: Wired for CTC.
One of the factors that misled me for several years was that at least one end of the Ice Deck siding the siding signal had been constantly lit, like the siding track was dark and un-bonded, except for the grade crossing circuits. Photo previously shown and taken way before color light signals arrived.
An interesting tidbit that the contact mentioned was about some kind of symbol marking in UP employee timetables that signified 30 M.P.H. CTC sidings, and the Ice Deck siding was listed with that symbol. I replied in return that the west switch of the Ice Deck siding has a 15 M.P.H. turnout, if I wasn’t mistaken, and so doesn’t that make the employee timetable in error? He had no answer for that. Maybe you will, Clyde …
Anyway, thanks for setting the record straight about the Ice Deck siding not being dark.
billio (8-17):
As seen in the second photo of Part K, the present single-track Main alignment shifts (and the Guasti siding's end actually shifts too) to go over the Main 2 Milliken Ave. Flyover in Ontario, CA. On the east side of the flyover, the single-track Main on the Main 2 alignment swings back to the original Main’s alignment (lower right).
And, from what I’m seeing, will stay that way for a bit. The Pomona to Fontana single-track section is presently being two-tracked, east from Pomona to around Cucamonga Ave. in Ontario, about a five or six mile section. In the next couple of years that whole Pomona-Fontana section should be two-tracked, and the alignment shifts by Milliken Ave. done away with, with both flyover bridges having trains going over them.
As far as Main 2 over the Colton Flyover being put in service, I have a sneaky suspicion that will happen this Monday (i.e., August 19, 2013), a traditionally slow day traffic-wise on the West Coast. Mondays seem to have been favored in recent years for suchlike cutovers. But, maybe it is in service now … I don’t know.
I’ve seen some type of Internet news service about some kind of hoopla event this on Wednesday, August 28, 2013, but I have been unable to get details or even confirm if such is true.
Take care all,
K.P.
Yeah, there's lots of inconsistency in signal design. The presence or lack thereof of approach lighting with signal circuits doesn't have any correlation to whether a track is configured for CTC (or ABS). Some signals are just constantly lit.
The symbol your contact is referring to is an exclamation point "!" next to the station name and the official definition says "SIDING WITH ENTERING SIGNAL ALLOWING ASPECT MORE FAVORABLE THAN LUNAR". This definition is flawed but hardly a surprise considering the frequent errors in UPRR timetables. Lunar bulbs are used with Approach Restricting and Restricting indications. The definition is meant to apply to Restricting aspects used as entering signals, but Restricting has many different variations that use Flashing Red in place of a Lunar bulb.
As you pointed out, timetable speed through turnouts and on the mainline and siding, plus any track bulletins, track permits, track warrants in effect -- are just as important as signal indication -- if not more so in certain situations.
K.P.,
Great work again on documenting everything. I especially like the photos of the completed Milliken up-and-over -- very nicely designed.
Totally Unexpected …
On Sunday, August 18, 2013 out of the blue matters brought K.P. far south into the City of Riverside. Such afforded checking out some key news areas on the way. One was the Colton Flyover in Colton, CA.
In a memo to billio on Saturday, August 17, 2013 a K.P. “sneaky suspicion” was presented that Main 2 on the Colton Flyover might be put in service Monday, August 19. On Sunday’s visit, this was the situation on the east slope:
Obviously the east slope is not as advanced as the west slope is, with the final east slope track not even laid yet. Main 2 over the Colton Flyover thus may (“may”) be a week or more away still for being put in service.
There are a number of things to report about the situation at the Colton Flyover, and that will be forthcoming in a day or two.
Update as of Sunday, August 18, 2013
Part I (of I-IV
When first arriving by the Rancho Ave. overpass it was noted the new signals’ heads were still turned aside, and track equipment was going back and forth over the flyover.
Of special note on the last photo above, the Main 2 track does NOT yet have the derailment rails between the rails as Main 1 has.
Continued in Part II
Part II (of I-IV
Along the BNSF just south of Colton Crossing: A close-up of the laying down signals.
Those signals appear to be of a BNSF design and head bulb arrangement.
A wider angle shot to assist one in knowing where those laying down masts are at in relation to the flyover.
A BNSF interlocking signal for mainly UP trains on the BNSF Connector (northwest quadrant) transitioning to the UP Sunset Route:
Just above, it is believed a yellow over lunar is displayable for going into a south side out and back tracks WEST of the current CP SP538 RANCHO. It should still be valid when the out and back tracks dead end, as yellow over lunar would be an advance signal for going up the Palmdale Cutoff at the not activated yet new CP SP538 RANCHO. Under that future arrangement, a yellow over lunar here would be one of those possibility situations that would hardly ever be used.
Continued in Part III
Part III (of I-IV
K.P. decided to hike in about three blocks to up on the south side of the Mt. Vernon Ave. overpass. There are three things in this photo of note: (1) An empty ballast train (bottom) was moving around, (2) the future Main 2 track over the Flyover ended and was not connected, and (3) a train (left) was on the Mt. Vernon Connector.
K.P. was hoping to get a nice, unobstructed view of the flyover from up on the Mt. Vernon Ave. overpass area, but as he was getting to a nice overview, a UP train came on the Mt. Vernon Connector track, stopped, and blocked the view.
And, it stayed there! And stayed there … As K.P. finally got back to his car, the train took off to points east. Maybe one of these days a good flyover view can be had …
Continued in Part IV
Part IV (of I-IV
While up on the south side of the Mt. Vernon Ave. overpass, a few westward shots were taken of the immediate surroundings.
Giant windmill parts and five south side yard tracks:
A bunch of odds and ends are stored in the Old Colton Yard area.
Second Section
On other matters … The replacement LA&SL bridging over the 91 Freeway project in Riverside was also photographed, but that news item will be attached to the tail end of another post series that is pending and has been in the works for a couple weeks. That post series may surprise many and covers a lot of ground in the Colton area, some of which is little known. The material taps into K.P.’s long familiarity with the area. It is tentatively titled: “Reality, the Twilight Zone, and Between.” The projected list of subjects:
A Little Known Second M.P. 538
About the Mt. Vernon Connector
A New Relief Point
Pull-Off Curves?
Colton Area Quirks on the BNSF
Future Bridges of Wonder
The Under Construction LA&SL Bridge Over the 91 Freeway
At this time the posting series is still in the works and unscheduled.
Question for K.P.
Likely already asked and answered, but there appears to be sufficient room on the flyover for a third track. Is that in the planning stages or reserved for possible future expansion?
Norm
Currently the extra space will be for a maintenance road. It also allows space for a future third main when the need arises. If you look at the entire Sunset Route Project you will see that UP has graded all the areas that have been worked on for a future third main.
Norm48327 (8-20):
Hi, Norm!
“Reserved for possible future expansion” is the correct answer.
A third track would have some ironies associated with it, though. West and east of the flyover are right-of-way limitations, i.e., only two mainline tracks can be present.
The most glaring and obvious is related to beyond the flyover’s east end, which tracks immediately go east over a long TWO-track Santa Ana River Bridge. (Photo: May 6, 2013, looking west)
Historically, up till around 1976, there used to be multiple bridging for four-tracks over the Santa Ana River crossing. If the Southern Pacific leaders before 1976 had known the future undoubtedly they would have had built a three-track bridge instead of only a two-track bridge.
The west has limitations of its own, i.e. restraints on available land account of West Colton Yard, and overpass widths. Even the Palmdale Cutoff bridging would have to be modified (upper right of the below December 29, 2012 photo).
If I had to venture a guess on exploiting the Flyover’s triple-track capacity, I would say somewhere from the Bryn Mawr area (M.P. 543) west would be triple-tracked, with the center track routed over to the Palmdale Cutoff in the M.P. 538 area. (See photo just above)
Who would pay for a third-track bridge over the Santa Ana River is not clear, but some form of government may have been instrumental in the stupidity of making a four-track crossing of the Santa Ana River into a two-track crossing when the Santa Ana River riverbed was concrete lined, so the railroad might be able to get some financial assistance. Of course, if Southern Pacific had traded the bridging for some other advantage somewhere else on the system back then, then UP would be on its own here.
So, Norm, all this may have been more of a reply to your question than you had expected, but it gives a reason for a triple-track wide Colton Flyover and what would have to be done area-wise to exploit the flyover’s triple-track capability.
Take care,
Reality, the Twilight Zone, and Between
Part “A” (of A-I)
From San Francisco, CA, Southern Pacific lines radiated out in a number of directions. One of those lines passed through Los Angeles and eventually came to Colton with marker M.P. 538. Looking westward from the Rancho Ave. overpass in Colton, CP SP537 EAST WYE BYPASS is seen at M.P. 538.1. So, Sunset Route M.P. 538 is in this general area somewhere beyond the pictured CP.
There is actually another M.P. 538 in Colton, on the Mt. Vernon Connector track!
The milepost sign probably has been there for a while, for the sign coating has cracking, particularly the bottom number.
At that point, M.P. 538 actually is alongside the BNSF Transcon. Few know about that UP milepost marker and the track as it goes southward (westbound) with its M.P. numbers going in REVERSE. (Is that Twilight Zonish or what?) Most old time area railbuffs know that particular track as the old “East Pass,” a track exclusive to the old Santa Fe line, for UP pickups and setouts.
Continued in Part B
Part “B” (of A-I)
The Mt. Vernon Connector is probably over two and a half miles in length, starting on the east side of Colton at the UP west side of the Santa Ana River …
… turns south by the BNSF (right) …
… and eventually junctions into the BNSF at BNSF’s CP WEST COLTON (not to be confused with UP’s West Colton Yard), before going over the “B-5” Bridge that goes southward over the Santa Ana River (towards the camera)..
The above photos are not current.
Part “C” (of A-I)
Trains on the actual Sunset Route have for years and years been making crew changes by CP AL534 CEDAR in Bloomington, CA, adjacent the West Colton Yard complex. Photo shot 2008.
Some eastbound trains, however, are routed via the LA&SL through Riverside, traverse the Mt. Vernon Connector, and such trains typically make crew relief by CP SP540 MT VERNON, near the Mt. Vernon Ave. overpass in Colton.
Reportedly (“reported,” because K.P. has never seen such), the reverse westbound counterpart LA&SL destined trains make relief, not at Mt. Vernon Ave., but in the Loma Linda area, likely somewhere near CP SP542 LOMA LINDA, in the vicinity of the Hunts Lane overpass that is currently under construction and roadway closed. Below is a westward view of that last mentioned CP near Hunts Lane.
Continued in Part D
Part “D” (of A-I)
Apparently, UP found it desirable to relocate that westbound Loma Linda area relief point (for LA&SL bound trains via Riverside) to a point on the Mt. Vernon Connector, to the Congress St. area of South Colton, at the off the Sunset Route M.P. 538.
LINK: Focused Aerial of Relief Point Area
Part “E” (of A-I)
From that new relief point at Congress and 6th Streets, between half and three quarters of a mile south (westbound) is the BNSF CP WEST COLTON. Their two mains have a cantilever signal structure. UP’s paralleling Mt. Vernon Connector uses a modern two-head pot signal behind the trees and bushes.
Part “F” (of A-I)
Years and years ago things were slightly different in Colton, but the present below aerial should suffice to give the forum the mental picture.
LINK: The Upside Down U
What was different was that the north-south 6th St. met the east-west “K” St. in kind of a sideways “L” situation. The railroad curve was very, very sharp. It was so sharp in fact that when someone once foolishly tried to run a then contemporary EMD DD35 two-engine unit (with D-D trucks) around the curve the unit went on the ground. K.P. personally witnessed UP crews, once the engine was back on the track, literally inching the big unit back to straight track while putting gobs of grease on the rails and engine’s wheel flanges!
Anyway, under the sideways “L” situation K.P. saw switching moves northward by 6th St. that went around that sharp curve, paralleled “K” St, then curved southward and went down the street running of 9th St. And everything stayed on the tracks. Of course, power was GP9’s and maybe GP30’s/GP35’s at the time.
Maybe 25 years ago K.P. came upon a soon after dawn incident in San Bernardino, CA, just a couple of miles north of Colton. A stopped eastbound train got a favorable signal by West Yard Tower, and started pulling. Right away a whole bunch of 85-foot auto-rack cars all around the curve were pulled off onto their sides! In the modern era, that curve was redone and more tracks added (upper left in below aerial).
LINK: Aerial of What the AT&SF San Bernardino, CA Curve Looks Like Today
So, pulling cars off a curve does happen once and a while.
Now, back in Colton … With high horsepower units and long trains, it seems possible cars could be pulled unto their sides on the Mt. Vernon Connector, particular with trains stopping and starting in making relief at Congress St. But, it would seem an eastbound Mt. Vernon Connector train is even more susceptible to being stopped with the power on the curve next to Colton Crossing account of a new, red absolute signal that mysteriously won’t clear and has to be flagged. Starting an uphill train with the power on a level 90 degree curve with the power immediate heading downgrade, again in K.P.’s opinion, makes the curve vulnerable to have railcars pulled off the curve (and hopefully no neighborhood kids are playing in the street or its curbing by the tracks at the time).
If some type of densely populated residential area ‘pulling unto their sides’ event occurred, the political ramifications and fallout could be enormous.
K.P. even envisions a resultant whole bunch of UP corporate cash suddenly being diverted to immediately two-track the Pomona-Fontana stretch of the Sunset Route in record time! A portion of that stretch currently is slowly being two-tracked. Photo from March 18, 2013 at Mountain Ave. in Ontario:
Whether such real possibilities of dumping cars will ever happen obviously is unknown, but the use of DPU units (that push the rear end) greatly reduces the chances.
Part “G” (of A-I)
So, the east-west Mt. Vernon Connector curves by the Colton Crossing and becomes a physically a slightly slanted north-south track, and right away goes over the “N” Street underpass.
LINK: Aerial of "N" Street Underpass
On the above link, from left to right, is BNSF Main 1, BNSF Main 3 (yes, Main 3), the UP Mt. Vernon Connector (formerly the East Pass that was years ago only related to the two AT&SF Mains), and a UP track that is no longer present. So, the question is … When BNSF triple-tracks over this bridge, where will the extra BNSF track be laid? Will it be over an additional and new bridge? Will the Mt. Vernon Connected be moved onto the fourth track alignment on the underpass bridge?
A little south, the old fourth-track alignment ends.
LINK: Four to Three Tracks Aerial -- Now What?
Will BNSF have to lay a third track from here south (west)? Will the Mt. Vernon Connector end here and a new relief point be made?
K.P. has no answers for these questions. It is unknown if even the railroads have the answers, or if things remain unsettled.
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