Kevin Gray’s Sunset Route Amtrak Trip
Heavy on Santa Teresa, NM
Part 927 (of 921-930, 901-930 Overall)
PHOTO #77
WB1278.6: Just east of existing hotbox detector at milepost 1278.5 on both Mains; the east side south lead and intermodal lead (with freight cars) are on the left.
PHOTO #78
WB@1278.85: Within CP S1280 (Tarmac--this CP is closest to the Santa Teresa Airport); the CP has a single crossover to Main #1 eastbound, so there is no bottom eastbound signal head for Main #1. Trackside view of fenced staging area shown in previous photos by K.P.
PHOTO #79
WB@1279-: Still within CP S1280, view of lead turnouts with moveable frogs.
Continued in Part 928
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 928 (of 921-930, 901-930 Overall)
PHOTO #80
WB@1279+: CP S1280 is actually at milepost 1279!
PHOTO #81
WB@1279.2: East end of S1280. A westbound train is approaching on Main #2.
PHOTO #82
WB@1279.4: West end of existing manual siding just east of S1280.
Continued in Part 929
Part 929 (of 921-930, 901-930 Overall)
PHOTO #83
WB@1279.9: East end of manual siding, 0.3 mi. from Industrial Dr. crossing.
K.P.: Now, we leave Kevin’s narration, and the final five photos of his will be with K.P. comments.
PHOTOS #84, #85, and #86
K.P.: From the Main 2 bridge crossing of the Rio Grande River looking towards the Main 1 bridge.
Continued in Part 930
Part 930 (of 921-930, 901-930 Overall)
PHOTO #87
K.P.: From the eastbound Train #2, the westbound counterpart Amtrak #1 is seen just after departing the El Paso station.
PHOTO #88
K.P.: New turned-aside signal heads where the Main "4" track (left) rejoins the Main 1&2 tracks (right). (Main 3 track only runs through the El Paso yard to the east. Main 4 splits from the other mains halfway between the Rio Grande River bridges and the station and all 3 tracks run through the artificial tunnel downtown that K.P. photo-documented on his October 2012 visit to El Paso.)
An “Eastbound” Second Section follows.
Kevin Gray’s “Eastbound” Second Section
Eastbound trip: Departed LAUPT 'on time' 2 hours early at 8PM on special Gila Sub mysterious trackwork schedule. (I believe Eolesen's recent posting has identified what's going on out there!) Again stayed on 'north' main or Main #1 along traditional Sunset route. Passed WB stack trains on 'south' track at Alhambra and on the Montclair yard lead. An EB stack started to pass on the LA&SL at Pomona, but Amtrak #2 soon left him in the dust. Again, a freight (WB) passed on the new Main #2 while we were at the Ontario stop. As a WB manifest pulled into Guasti siding, the engineer said "Wow! You're early!" #2's engineer replied about the Gila trackwork, and I think he said "for the next 2 months", but I'm not sure that's what I heard. Observed 3 westbound freights stopped nose to tail on Main #2 alongside West Colton yard; crossed over to Main #2 at Rancho, passed a WB stack on Main #1at the flyover with a BNSF stack passing beneath and an EB stack waiting to follow us on the Mt. Vernon connector! (Who needs a model railroad around here?) From Colton to Yuma (while awake), noted a dozen more trains, not including the sand train parked in Ice Deck siding, the tie train parked at Salvia and the light engines at Rimlon. Crossed over to Main #1 briefly (at Beaumont?) to go around a WB auto rack train. At the Palm Springs stop, a WB freight was waiting on Main #1 for Amtrak to clear the area. After Thermal, there was a freight waiting in 2 out of every 3 sidings. New Main #1 appeared laid and ballasted all the way from Salton up to the west end of Rogoza (but not connected), and I believe was similarly laid for a short distance east of Rogoza. (K.P. has subsequently documented this work.) Half asleep as we crossed the Colorado River bridge into Yuma. Arizona: Completely asleep until extended stop (1-3/4 hours to wait for normal departure time) at Maricopa on Main #1. Missed mystery trackwork site! Noted 3 WB freights blow by while there, and only saw 3 more moving and 3 parked trains before Tucson. Left Maricopa just before sunrise. Crossed over to Main #2 at Casa Grande and stayed there through Tucson. Dump truck driver waiting in traffic on Ruthrauff Rd. (at the I-10 frontage stoplight) did not (initially) clear the crossing, so #2's engineer put the train into emergency; 10 minute delay. Loaded grain train waiting in Stockham siding to head west for Arizona Grain west of Bon. Again 3 WB freights passed while at the Tucson station. Another delay while train crew ejected 2 coach passengers involved in a domestic dispute on the train. After departing the Tucson station on the "south" Main, crossed over to the "north" Main at new Cherry St. crossover to get past 3 more WB freights on the "south" Main and take the slow route uphill to Benson; crossed under Cienega Creek bridge and observed access switch to the old cutoff main segment. Since this ends up as Main #2, the train was in postion for the Benson stop, and kept to right hand running all the way to Santa Teresa. Passed 8 trains on Main #1 before slowing to a crawl near Karro (S1109) presumably waiting for something to move out of the way (stuck in the dining car again, where I'm not allowed to bring the scanner!). AT Karro, on Main #1 was an EB stack waiting on the west side of the crossovers and a WB short freight on the east side with 2 orange unknown engines---perhaps a Phelps Dodge (copper mine branch) train? New Mexico: Warp speed now when on the flats, away from station stops; pass 5 freights until stop and go again at Santa Teresa. A departing WB stack passed on the north lead at West Strauss; our train stayed on Main#2 past the fuel pads, then crossed to Main #1 at East Strauss to allow a WB stack to pass on Main #2 east of Tarmac. Crossed back to Main #2 at Lizard; passed one more WB stack (on Main #1) before crossing the Rio Grande.
A Final Thought from K.P. Harrier
Hats off to Kevin Gray for his onboard photography and note taking! He has given us at the forum a broader and more accurate understanding of the Santa Teresa, NM facility than we would have otherwise had! Thanks so much Kevin!
Appendix
Diagrams and Symbols:
LINK: Main Diagram (Reshown)
LINK: Symbols (Reshown)
LINK: CP S1268 LENARK and area just east
LINK: CP S1271 SANTA TERESA TERMINAL
LINK: CP S1274 WEST FUEL to CP 1276 EAST FUEL
LINK: CP S1277 EAST STRAUSS to CP S1280 TARMAC
LINK: East to M.P. 1282 and area
Rising from the Ashes
In 2011, the Union Pacific Railroad purchased for former El Paso & Southwestern Railroad (EPSW) right-of-way between Saint David and Naco, Arizona. UP has been very quiet about this acquisition, leading to quite a bit of speculation and "what if" scenarios among railfans here in SE Arizona.
By way of historical reference, the EPSW began in 1889 at Bisbee, Arizona, and was constructed by the Phelps-Dodge Copper Mining Corporation to deliver copper anodes from a smelter at Bisbee to their refinery in El Paso, Texas.
From 1889 until 1922, Phelps-Dodge continued to expand and add branch lines throughout Arizona and New Mexico. Eventually, the EPSW owned 1,190 miles of trackage. Their main line extended from Tucson, Arizona to El Paso, Texas, passing through Vail, Mescal, Fairbank, Naco, Bisbee, and Douglas in Arizona and Rodeo, Animas, Hachita, Hermanas, and Columbus in New Mexico. Both freight and passenger service ran regular schedules between Tucson and El Paso.
In 1924, Phelps-Dodge sold the line to the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, who continued running passenger and freight service on the line until December 1961. During SP's ownership, it was referred to by them as the Sunset Route "South Line" between Tucson and El Paso. The rail and ties were removed in 1963 on the section between Mescal, Arizona and El Paso. The high bridge at Cienega Creek which K.P. has referenced several times in this forum was constructed by the EPSW and is still in use today by the Union Pacific.
In its heyday, both the EPSW and SP exchanged traffic with the Mexican railroads at Naco and Douglas, in Arizona, and at Columbus, New Mexico. These connections were severed when the line was abandoned in 1961.
Current belief is that the Union Pacific Railroad intends to re-establish a connection with the Mexican rail system at Naco when traffic picks up enough to justify the investment, to absorb some of the traffic off the border crossing at Nogales, Arizona, south of Tucson, and that the Union Pacific's proposed automated hump yard at Red Rock, Arizona, may be part of this plan..
The Mexican Government is constructing a deep water port at Guaymas, in the Gulf of California, which is said to be capable of accepting container ships. At the present time, cross-border traffic at Nogales is primarily fruits and vegetables. This traffic could be shifted to Naco to allow container trains to utilize Nogales.
Because the EPSW used copper smelter slag to ballast their right-of-way, satellite imagery on Google Earth or other sources shows up very clearly as a black streak across the countryside.
The former EPSW roadbed between St. David and Naco is still in very good condition, considering how long it has been abandoned, as the following two photos clearly show. Both of these photos were taken along the roadbed south of Sierra Vista, Arizona; first looking North toward St. David, and then looking South toward the Mexican border.
I have composed an 11 page document with a more detailed history of the EPSW that I would be more than happy to share with anyone who might be interested. Just send an email request to cacole2@cox.net and I will send it in .PDF format.
I have a second document, also in .PDF format, called "Arizona Short Lines" with the histories of the Tucson, Cornelia and Gila Bend Railroad, the Magma Arizona Railroad, the San Manuel Arizona Railroad, the Apache Railway, and the Copper Basin Railway.
Now, back to you, K.P.
Update as of Saturday, April 5, 2014
Part “B” (of A-C), Section 1 (of 1-6)
Ontario Happenings
Ontario, CA
In Ontario, the shoofly grading for the Vineyard Ave. underpass construction seems to be in, most of it anyway. Looking west:
Southwardly:
Eastward:
Continued in Section 2
Part “B”, Section 2 (of 1-6)
The far western end of the shoofly grading seems to need to be finished.
The buildings to the south have been torn down.
An eastbound led by new and shiny GE UP 8126 soon comes and passes the new grading …
… and passes the signal, but it takes a very long time to ‘knock the signal down’ (turn it to red).
Most railroads’ signaling, especially with new installations, as soon as an engine’s front wheels pass the rail’s insulated joints, the signal immediately changes to red (or at least soon after). Union Pacific, on the other hand, historically is quite different. K.P. can remember as a kid riding the dome cars of UP’s City of Los Angeles, the City of St. Louis, and Challenger trains at 70 M.P.H. just to the south within and east of Ontario, and watching the green signals turn red, but they would do so after five E-units and several baggage cars passed. Invariably, the signal would change just as the dome car reached it. Unlike other railroads, apparently the circuitry makes sure a shunting is not a false one, but the real thing. Now that the SP Sunset Route is in UP’s fold, its signals now follow that long standing pattern.
Continued in Section 3
Part “B”, Section 3 (of 1-6)
A well-known poster in the know at this thread had posted previously that the old Ontario Branch (now a track called the Sunkist Business Track) where it crossed the LA&SL at CP C038 ONTARIO (on the alternate Sunset Route) HAD (past tense) the purple disked derail removed, and power derails installed. K.P. got excited, and went to the site to photograph the result of such an event, but NO such power derails were present, only the old manual derail was there! January 29, 2014 reshown photo:
There is a popular, rather ancient literary work originally penned in another language. That language’s grammar has a writing form where something that WILL happen is spoken of as HAVING ALREADY HAPPENED, i.e., in the past tenses even though the event hasn’t happened yet. That is because the future event is so certain to happen it is spoken of as if it already had happened. Got that?
On this outing K.P. remembered that report (“report”) of the manual purple disked derail removed at CP C038 ONTARIO on the Sunkist cross-track and power derails installed that proved to be NOT so and that had been the same as it had been. So, he went to the site to see what the current status was. Low and behold, power derails now WERE in place!
The old manual, purple disked derails had been removed.
Continued in Section 4
Part “B”, Section 4 (of 1-6)
A northward view of the protected diamond and north side southbound signal on a curve in the distance (left):
That north derail:
From the grade crossing on the derail’s north side, looking southward.
Just above, the LA&SL mainline and one of two CP boxes is seen.
Continued in Section 5
Part “B”, Section 5 (of 1-6)
Even though the Sunkist Business Track now has power derails at CP C038 ONTARIO, the connection to the Sunset Route around that curve to the north remains a hand throw switch and an entrance signal!
Back on the south side again, looking west, the derail (right) is not at the red / lunar signal (left), but past it a short ways.
Looking north from the south end, an old panel type tracks was lying trackside.
Continued in Section 6
Part “B”, Section 6 (of 1-6)
On the cross LA&SL track itself at the new west dual-control switch, the track for the siding (or whatever it will be) is still not completed … but looks to have been worked on.
Continued in Part C, dealing with matters in the Riverside, CA area as well as the Hunts Lane overpass status in the San Bernardino-Colton area, which will be posted when ready in a few days …
OKay, IF they want to put the third track on the west side of the two new trusses, how are they going to get it there ? Note the furthest trusses from the build site are placed first. Add in the realigned La Cadena on-ramp and ....
A10
K. P. Harrier Kevin Gray’s Sunset Route Amtrak Trip Heavy on Santa Teresa, NM Part 930 (of 921-930, 901-930 Overall) PHOTO #88 K.P.: New turned-aside signal heads where the Main "4" track (left) rejoins the Main 1&2 tracks (right). (Main 3 track only runs through the El Paso yard (Dallas Street Yard) to the east. Main 4 splits from the other mains halfway between the Rio Grande River bridges (the BNSF Connection, part of the old SP-Santa Fe failed merger) and the station and all 3 tracks run through the artificial tunnel ( the Baatan Memorial Tramway) downtown that K.P. photo-documented on his October 2012 visit to El Paso.) An “Eastbound” Second Section follows.
K.P.: New turned-aside signal heads where the Main "4" track (left) rejoins the Main 1&2 tracks (right). (Main 3 track only runs through the El Paso yard (Dallas Street Yard) to the east. Main 4 splits from the other mains halfway between the Rio Grande River bridges (the BNSF Connection, part of the old SP-Santa Fe failed merger) and the station and all 3 tracks run through the artificial tunnel ( the Baatan Memorial Tramway) downtown that K.P. photo-documented on his October 2012 visit to El Paso.)
narig01I'll try again http://trn.trains.com/Railroad%20News/News%20Wire/2014/04/Union%20Pacific%20opens%20New%20Mexico%20yard%20with%20little%20fanfare.aspx http://www.elpasoinc.com/news/local_news/article_dc416058-bcfa-11e3-83a2-0017a43b2370.html?TNNoMobile Rgds IGN
There ya go.
Regarding those power derails at CP Ontario, looks another geographically challenged engineer was rehired or the lawyers have gained more control in UP. Seriously, the amount of cross traffic is close to zero and IIRC a loose car from the south would have to roll uphill.
The possibility of another rail crossing at Naco, AZ seems unlikely. The existing Mexican RR 'infrastructure' is a very slow, convoluted, (lightly used ?) route that ends at the Nogales yard. I'm wondering if some nearby (Bisbee copper?) mines might be reopening. Also, wouldn't relaying track through a scenic conservation area trigger a ton of protest? Hmmm.
@SP657E44 has a real good point. Could the third set of trusses be assembled somewhere west or on the immediately adjacent and currently occupied ROW? Guess we'll have to wait and see ...
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! ***
KP & MC after seeing all the signals at Santa Teresa can you imagine all the designing of the signal system that was required?
Counted at least 12 signal bungalows.
How has UP's signal department kept up with all the signal changes system wide ?
A related question is, what about updates to the Central Dispatching wall display board and all the changes that have to be made to the wiring and software at that end, without disrupting ongoing operations..
Couple of geeky updates from Arizona DOT (see Projects/South Central).
1) The Highway portion of the "Marsh Station Area Improvement" (rebuilt interchange/railway bridge removal/highway widening) is ticketed for completion in Spring 2014. Any day now, if it hasn't happened already.
2) The Ina Road Traffic interchange reconstruction project, which will feature the grade separation of the road and the UP main line, is in the project pipeline and construction is tentatively slated to begin in 2016-17. There could be slippage, but barring some sort of catastrophe, once the project is entered into the hopper, it WILL get done.
3) The Ruthrauff Road Traffic Interchange Project has likewise been entered into the ADOT project hopper, with construction tentatively set to begin in 2018.
No doubt these last two will not be completed soon enough to satisfy UP train crews, but they are in the pipeline. A close glance at the Sunset Route west of Tucson, seen from Google Earth overheads, suggests a couple of additional candidate crossings for grade separation, but we'll just have to wait for them to be announced.
The second main track between SP648 Bertram and SP658 Wister was placed into service less than 12 hours ago. Rogoza siding and its associated control points have been retired.
Note: The timetable refers to SP658 as Wister Crossover, but the signal boxes disagree. Doesn't really matter as the only important part is the control point number.
I uploaded a new ATCS layout to the Yahoo group to reflect the changes if you wish to watch train movements in real time. There is good server coverage over the entire subdivision. The file name over there is UP Yuma Subdivision 4-14-2014 complete.zip.
Clyde
If true, then double track will extend from CP Salton to Wister (this from viewing Google Earth overheads and cribbing off MikeF90's map four posts above). Next, one supposes, the double track will move eastward from Wister through Niland and on to Iris.
The interchanges at both Ruthrauff and Ina Road will be rebuilt in sequence, although it's not clear which will be done first. The website says Ruthrauff first, the DCR says Ina first.
Both will bridge as we've seen at Prince, Miracle Mile, and Twin Peaks. The interchanges at I-10 and Orange Grove & Sunset Road will also be rebuilt.
http://www.azdot.gov/projects/south-central/i-10-ina-road-ti-final-designhttp://www.azdot.gov/projects/south-central/i-10-ruthrauff-road-ti-final-design
The February 2013 design concept report on the Ina to Ruthrauff corridor is available here:
http://www.azdot.gov/docs/default-source/projects/design-concept-report.pdf?sfvrsn=0
A second design concept report should have already been out by now, but hasn't yet been released on the website.
billio A close glance at the Sunset Route west of Tucson, seen from Google Earth overheads, suggests a couple of additional candidate crossings for grade separation, but we'll just have to wait for them to be announced.
A close glance at the Sunset Route west of Tucson, seen from Google Earth overheads, suggests a couple of additional candidate crossings for grade separation, but we'll just have to wait for them to be announced.
http://www.azdot.gov/docs/default-source/projects/i10-tangerine-to-ina-fact-sheet.pdf
Two tidbits of information buried in the public presentation they did on the second corridor include bridging at Cortaro Road (again, similar to Twin Peaks) and Avra Valley (which currently terminates at the UPRR today, but will be extended east towards Twin Peaks Road).
No word on what will happen with Tangerine. If they're extending Avra, they'll probably bridge Tangerine as well, as there is talk of widening to four plus lanes all the way to La Canada in Oro Valley, and also plans for a retail mall on the west side of I-10.
I received word today from K.P. Harrier that he is having major computer problems that are keeping him from updating his posts. I will pass along any updates.
John Timm
Did he get a Virus?
He wasn't specific. Just wanted to know if I had a sledgehammer he could borrow.
J.T.
desertdog I received word today from K.P. Harrier that he is having major computer problems that are keeping him from updating his posts. I will pass along any updates. John Timm
Any chance his computer OS is XP ? Microsoft has quit doing any maintenance or providing updates. That is one reason I changed computers. New computer is window 8 but had some teething problems that seem to mostly been resolved. Hated trying to learn differences but have resolved most issues.
Also Microsoft has also dropped office 2003 which will install later version soon..
A couple months ago, when K.P. had computer problems caused by a virus, I recommended that he install Avast Internet Security.
At that time, he said he has no anti-virus software on his computer, so it is wide open to all the malicious software floating around the Internet.
He uses a program I have never heard of which, IIRC, he said was recommended by a relative who is in the computer security business, but it is not an anti-virus suite.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.