Special Posting No. 2
Dealing with a Kind of Deception
Mast signals usually have an electrical box on the lower part of the mast. That is the transition point between the ground cable and the mast signal wires. They are always under lock and key. And, those boxes are usually PARALLEL with the track they govern.
As an example, the westbound eastside signals at CP SP539 RIVERSIDE LEAD just east of La Cadena Dr. in Colton, CA.
Those mast boxes (above) are parallel to the tracks. But, the northern two east-west signals on the west side of that CP have a new track laid between them at an angle!
The angled ladders AND lower boxes (in relation to the new track) are on the signals that were erected last year before track was laid. It is unknown if the track arrangement changed during flyover construction (most likely), or if the signals were put up in error (less likely), but, in K.P.’s humble opinion, they now have a whisky driven installation type look … just a look.
The above left mast signal, too, in K.P.’s humble opinion, may have been erected in error, or was something just put up for expediency and possibly will be changed out later. Its Track 112 is basically dark to the west. So, to traverse the BNSF diamonds, a cleared westbound signal should only show a flashing red (or possibly lunar). There doesn’t appear to be any reason for a yellow or green bulb thereon. The expediency concept is looking more likely …
Continued with a reply to desertdog
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
A Reply to desertdog (11-9):
You stated about the OWLS crossings that they are “apparently proving their worth.” and “there may have been a decision to use them at Colton Crossing.” I think you have hit the nail on the head, so to speak.
Previously, official diagrams showed angled, traditional type diamonds being put in in conjunction with the Colton Flyover construction. The industry has been leaning towards their use, i.e., the angled ones. As an example, the old SP Ontario Branch crossed the LA&SL with a 90 degree diamond at CP C038 ONTARIO. In the last two to three years that 90 degree diamond was changed out to an increasingly popular angled one.
Looking north:
Southward: The straight track was revised to accommodate the angled crossing.
In the eastward, relatively light weight Metrolink commuter train view above, K.P. was surprised onsite at the noise that resulted when the commuter train went over the angled crossing at about 40 M.P.H. So, at Colton Crossing, even though an angled diamonds arrangement would have been quieter, they would have made noise. And, that fact might have been instrumental in adopting the use of 90 degree OWLS.
K.P. once lived in that area, and can thus relate a perspective that most cannot possibly know. Before the Colton Flyover, Colton Crossing had four 90 degree diamonds. And they were noisy … but tolerable. But, under certain atmospheric conditions, most notably around 4 A.M., if the condition existed, the atmosphere intensified and carried the very loud pounding noise for miles. It must have been deafening to the residents that were right in the neighborhood of the crossing. The new use of OWLS will be paradisiac for those locals.
Take care,
K.P.
KP
In response to your query as to interest in a 4014 thread, mark me down as a yes. You have a way of covering subjects in a rather thorough manner that would be useful and appreciated in the 4014 Project.
Count me as a yes for following 4014. Great locomotive and I (along with numerous other fans) would love to follow its progress even from afar.
I also vote YES.
Norm
The only regular service the diamonds will see is the local to old Colton so the use of the OWLS (or flange-bearing diamond) cuts noise and maintenance. With the relatively small amount of traffic on the branch in Ontario I'm surprised they don't have one there (yet).
The signals look perpendicular when viewed closer.
A10
Update as of Sunday, November 10, 2013
The Pomona-Ontario, CA Area
Part I (of I-IV)
This brief photo narrative starts in Pomona on the west side of the present old CP AL514 HAMILTON. As explained previously, with the two-tracking in the Pomona-Ontario area, the west signal heads for eastbound traffic need modifications. They were found unchanged. Nor was the new SP second-track (Main 2) connected to LA&SL Main 1 yet a mile to the east at CP AL515 RESERVOIR.
The grade crossing at Monte Vista Ave. in Montclair was passed, but nothing new was there either.
It soon became apparent that everyone was gone, likely on their 7 or 8 days off cycle.
At San Antonio Ave in Ontario, everyone was gone too, but a few things caught K.P.’s eye. Track equipment was staged west of that north-south street.
Look east, as mentioned previously, the difference in track centers was made more swooping in the track alignment shift.
Previously, a couple of new spring-frogs were onsite for the assembling of the new switches. Strangely now, on the lower left of the photo just above, a traditional-looking frog is installed! Even stranger is a new type of flange-way guard (lower right) that K.P. has never seen before. Since the switch likely has a speed limit of 30 M.P.H., the average high-speed mainliners probably won’t use this single crossover very often. Of course, there is always the possibility that UP is trying something radically new speed-wise, which is unlikely in K.P.’s opinion, but is a possibility nevertheless.
Continued in Part II
Part II (of I-IV)
To show that the new switches WERE TO HAVE spring frogs when only parts were laid out by the present to be done away with CP AL520 NORTH ONTARIO, the following photos from January 11, 2013 are reshown:
Exactly why the Ontario area has had a change in the type of frogs used even before the switches have been put in service is not clear.
Continued in Part III
Part III (of I-IV)
The new cantilever grade crossing flashers are in place and now functional at the San Antonio Ave. SP-side grade crossing.
Continued in Part IV
Part IV (of I-IV)
Finally, something is brewing regarding the new switch for the west end of CP C038 ONTARIO on the LA&SL. It presently is being assembled west of Sultana Ave.
Back on the SP Sunset Route side again … By the SP grade crossing at Bon View Ave., the new track and old siding still haven’t been connected together yet.
This will conclude the series
The signal on the left is a BNSF signal, hence what appears to be three bulbs.
BNSF does not use the one or two bulb signal heads, so signals that use only the red bulb still utilize the standard colorlight head. The yellow and green bulbs won't be used on the WB signal across the diamonds.
K.P.'s photo from several posts up:
None of the signals above are BNSF signals, they're along the south wall of the flyover.
All three colors would be displayed for WB moves.
The signal on the left will be part of the manual interlocking protecting the diamonds. The signals and dispatching duties for all routes (including the UP track) belong to BNSF, as was true before the flyover was built.
There will be no CTC or ABS in effect west of the diamonds on Track 112, so there's no reason or advantage or purpose to using yellow or green bulbs for westbound signal aspects crossing the BNSF.
Signal Journey to the Past
This concerns colorlight signal heads.
Before the big ‘mop-up’ merger of Union Pacific, Missouri Pacific, and Western Pacific in the early 1980’s, the powerful UP was a relatively small railroad in comparison to today’s megamerger railroads. In the early 1980’s K.P. followed the relatively small UP’s Central Corridor tracks from Ogden, UT to Omaha, NE, and back.
About 8-10 miles east of North Platte, NE is a timetable location called KEITH (in the M.P. 275 area). West of that location was “two-tracks” (each track signaled in both directions), and east of there was “double-track” (each track signaled in only one direction). There was a CTC south side siding at Keith as well. The Cheyenne-North Platte section (technically Keith east of North Plate) received CTC circa 1978.
Back in the late 1970’s / early 1980’s the newer top signal heads were three bulb ones. So, exiting the Keith siding a train received a red over green (or less, the green possibly a flash green). Even though the siding top head had physically three bulb positions, only the red was used.
Now, Keith is triple-tracked (with 20-foot centers too!), and the layout is as below:
But, the point is UP signals have evolved so that if only one bulb is needed, the head only has one bulb position, unlike BNSF that uses a traditional three-bulb head regardless of how many bulbs will actually be used similar to what UP used to do on the Central Corridor circa the late 1970’s / earlier 1980’s.
“Red over” signals were unheard of on UP in California until circa 1980, when one was put up at CP C168 TOOMEY (M.P. 168.7) on the LA&SL for about four miles of two-tracking out of Yermo.. Red overs are most often associated with 40 M.P.H. turnouts, such as at Toomey, though West Colton Yard has a few of them for 30 M.P.H. switches. The Sunset Route under Southern Pacific never had red overs, and even to this day red overs are far and few between on the now Union Pacific owned Sunset Route. Most two-tracking sidings on the Sunset Route utilize 30 M.P.H. switches, hence, red overs are seldom used thereon.
Montclair yard area update
I made a visit today to find new construction activity. At San Antonio Ave (Pomona) a track crew appeared to preparing the CP Reservoir LH turnout for removal:
Hard to see in the above photo is that a new section of 'panel' track has been added to the end of the new main - it ends about even with the west end of the turnout. When I returned later the red boards were still there and the turnout was still in service.
Further east, the crossover on the west side of the new CP at Monte Vista Ave looks ready for use:
From Central Ave looking west a connecting track from the new storage track to the LA sub Montclair siding appears complete:
Nothing new was seen further east, however I did get a close look at the previously photographed new signals near Sultana Ave. It is unclear yet how this new switch will be used - trains waiting for eastbound access to the LA sub main will block the Vine and San Antonio Ave grade crossings.
No expected 'pipeline protection' activity was noticed in West Pomona, perhaps it is too far from public roadways or is stalled in corporate bureaucracy. Likewise the PHIMF area had little progress to show; the closure at Workman Mill Road appears solely related to utility rearrangements.
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! ***
Update as of Thursday, November 14, 2013
Two Areas: Colton and Pomona, CA
Part “A” (of A-D)
After taking care of totally unexpected circumstances that had popped up, K.P. saw and took advantage of an opportunity to check out developments on the Sunset Route in Colton and Pomona.
In Colton, the only thing that stood out was the future hand throw crossover (below, and south of the new Colton Flyover) between the BNSF Connector and Track 112 just west of the BNSF Transcon was more ‘put together’ but still had much ways to go.
Continued in Part B
Part “B” (of A-D)
There was nothing new to report in Pomona, and the connection still had NOT been made between the present LA&SL Main 1 track and the future SP Main 2 at CP AL515 RESERVOIR (M.P. 515.1)
While passing by CP AL515 RESERVOIR / CP C033 WO TOWER in the darkening sky of twilight a Metrolink eastbound came, just out of the Pomona stop and charging east in full throttle.
The above adverse conditions semi-blurry handheld grab shot would not normally be shown here, but it has location identity value. The above lit absolute signal should show a red over lunar (old wiring and old display rules) if it was lined for the Chino Industrial Lead route (within the same long CP, photo previously shown).
Under that Chino Industrial Lead routing scenario the advance signal before it to the west, at CP C031 OAK (future big CP AL514 HAMILTON), should display yellow over lunar. The present signal thereat IS lower lunar capable, with a fourth bulb, as the below, never shown before June 8, 2009 photo depicts.
Part of the information in this post is redundant, as it has been covered before, but might be helpful for what is in Parts C and D.
Continued in Part C
Part “C” (of A-D)
A correspondent of K.P. thought checking out the Humane Way area on the “Diversion” in Pomona might be of interest. So, to and up on that overpass K.P. climbed …
Looking east:
Looking west:
Continued in Part D
Part “D” (of A-D)
No work seemed to be in process, and the water channel way just to the north (right) seemed all in place, with no apparent activity.
That west signal bridge with the southernmost (left) heads for LA&SL Main 2, our Main “A” (photo previously shown) …
… is still a mystery, as it has three lower bulbs whereas all the rest have one lower bulb.
This will conclude the series. However, a Second and Third Sections follow.
Second Section
About those unexpected circumstances Thursday, November 14, 2013 mentioned in in Part A …
K.P. was comfortably just computer-watching (and enjoying) the live Internet stream feed of the TRAINS Magazine website on the moving of Big Boy 4-8-8-4 UP No. 4014, which coverage was headed and narrated by that magazine’s Editor, Jim Wrinn, who was onsite.
After a few hours K.P.’s dispatcher advised something urgent needed to be taken care of, and K.P. was out the door! A few hours later, all was taken care of and cool. The decision was made to check out Colton, and go all the way over to Pomona and see for himself what Mr. Wrinn was narrating live about.
After looking things over, the Humane Way area of Pomona was checked out as in Parts C and D.
Believe it or not, but on Saturday, November 16, 2013, K.P. was involved in another unexpected dispatch, and he again visited the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds and steamer UP 4014. Some herein have suggested that K.P. do some post coverage about the moving of UP 4014. So, in the next two or three days, hopefully, a post series on a new, separate thread about the move can be put together. K.P. has quite a collection of file photos of the route UP 4014 will take from the Fairgrounds to Bassett to West Colton Yard, plus a new collection of photos related to the short movement that took place this past Saturday as mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph.
A Third Section follows.
Third Section
Back on the Sunset Route, K.P. checked out the Ontario area in the darkness on the above Saturday date, and was stopped in his tracks by a couple of railroad related flashing roadway signs for autos! (See first photo, yellowish light left of center)
So, apparently, on the road closure dates the new Main 2 (lower left) will finally be connected to the old North Ontario siding in the M.P. 521 area.
The above view looks west from Bon View Ave.
Side note: the retaining wall along the 215 in Colton where the PE/SP Riverside branch crossed is now decorated with a cast Santa Fe E-1 design.
An Update: Discovery Twilight Zone
Over a year ago, back on November 10, 2012, these two below photos were taken at Bon View Ave. in Ontario, CA in the M.P. 521 area of the Sunset Route, and subsequently posted in this thread. The grade crossing had just been rebuilt and a section of the future Main 2 had been laid through it.
On Wednesday, November 20, 2013, K.P. went to investigate the road closure scheduled for that date, that the previously posted about roadway signage had announced. Envisioning (“envisioning”) track equipment on Main 2 and everything tore up at the present CP AL521 NORTH ONTARIO, K.P. was shocked to find, NOT the CP trackage all torn up, but the new Main 2 grade crossing panels were displaced!
K.P. has no idea what was going on nor why, as everything had been rebuilt only last year. Matter of fact, the whole Pomona to Ontario future Main 2 was NOT ready to be activated, and possibly (“possibly”) won’t be ready for a month!
Key Pomona-Ontario locations were focused on in that stretch, and a number of photos taken. Thus, expect a report on the Pomona-Ontario area in a few days.
Putting together a presentation about steamer Big Boy 4-8-8-4 UP 4014 has been delayed, but time will soon allow focusing on that presentation. For the Pomona-Ontario visit mentioned above, UP 4014 was visited also, and it had been moved through the fairground’s parking lot northward to alongside the drag strip racing grandstands.
A few more days of movements UP 4014 will hit a roadblock, and it will be interesting to see how the crew handles that! K.P. managed to get photos of that roadblock area, and obviously something will have to be torn out to access Metrolink’s mainline! (See top of below aerial)
AERIAL LINK: Grandstands Area
MikeF90 (11-18):
Your photo post of November 18, 2013 was super simple, but what a gem it was!
I found the last of your three photos most informative. It showed the west end of the Montclair new trackage with a transition track between the SP and LA&SL sides with the north SP side signaled (north, top area) whereas the LA&SL side had a manual switch and un-signaled (south, lower area).
That tells K.P. that operationally the SP Alhambra Sub-side will be the key, predominant access side.
SP657E44 (11-19):
Where exactly was that ‘decorative cast Santa Fe E-1 design’? Was it by the I-10 or I-215 Freeway? Sounds most interesting wherever it is!
Best to all,
The retaining walls Ames is building as part of the 215 widening have designs built into the wall panel forms. Most of it is a ribbon design but just east of the old bridge location is a train, looks pretty much like a SF slant-nose E-1 (NB side), the southbound side has what looks like orange groves but the forms wren't pulled off yet.
4014 note: Give 'em a couple of days, it's not going to continue in a straight path I'd wager - there are two gates on either side of the drag strip staging lanes. Check it out.
Update as of Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Activity in the Pomona-Ontario, CA Area
Part I (I-XI)
In Pomona, a focus was made on the west eastbound signals at the PRESENT interlocking of CP AL514 HAMILTON that are alongside the new west box for the future, big CP of the same designation.
Above, the top right mast head as well as the lower left mast head still have not been traded out so they have three bulbs each, which will be necessary under two-tracks to the east, from Pomona to Ontario. Interestingly, there are at least two masts laying down at the makeshift San Antonio Ave. signal and staging area in Ontario.
Palomares St. in downtown Pomona was having the grade crossing reworked.
Part II (I-XI)
The POMONA San Antonio Ave. grade crossing was driven over, but the new Main 2 still had NOT been connected yet to LA&SL Main 1
The two October 21, 2013 view above were previously shown.
The Monte Vista Ave.* area was traversed, but nothing immediate to that street was going on. Nearby, however, there were things going on …
------
* While on State St. (parallel to the LA&SL), Monte Vista Ave. is the cross street that one takes their life into their own hands when daring to cross! For anyone out that way be super careful!
Part III (I-XI)
Now, Central Ave. in Montclair … That is the overpass that K.P. has shot photos from a number of times, but he only has done so on an east side sidewalk with safety fencing. The west side has neither of those. But, MikeF90 took a photo from the west side, which caught K.P.’s fancy, and curiosity.
There IS only a partial sidewalk there that K.P. describes as precarious (the below photo doesn’t begin to show the precariousness), but K.P. braved it anyway.
That transition track MikeF90 photographed is easily seen from that west side of Central Ave.
Part IV (I-XI)
More westward views from the west side of the Central Ave. overpass.
Continued in Part V
Part V (I-XI)
More tracks will eventual be laid in the new Montclair facility as testified to by the away from the tracks mast signal.
There were a lot of workers and equipment scattered in the area.
A broad westward overview, with the LA&SL paralleling State St. and its fenced water channel:
Continued in Part VI
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