Leaping Off the "Wild Goose Chase Express"!
Pomona, CA
Thanks to MikeF90, K.P. came to his senses and leaped off the "Wild Goose Chase Express," a train he had hopelessly ridden for years! Thanks Mike!
Seriously, the Diversion completion in Pomona, CA has been hung up for years because of a Kinder-Morgan pipeline controversy with Union Pacific, and with another party, the Alameda Corridor East Construction Authority (ACE), a public agency that was reluctantly dragged into the fray. MikeF90 posted that seemingly “another” Kinder-Morgan controversy with UP involved the SP (“SP”) tracks between M.P. 513.0 and 513.3 (which is about a half of a mile west of Hamilton Blvd. in Pomona). With these facts it all registered in K.P.’s mind!
The Diversion route follows the LA&SL tracks, which tracks NEVER had a Southern Pacific (now Kinder Morgan) pipeline alongside it, nor does it seem to now!
The Diversion has a telecommunications line buried (probably where the line of manhole covers is located in the photo above), but not a petroleum pipeline.
Only the Southern Pacific track had the gas pipeline, the track (and two grade crossings) that the Diversion was supposed to eliminate!
The SP Pipeline, now Kinder-Morgan, can stay right where it has been for decades. It is just that the pipeline won’t have the SP track by it anymore, as the SP track will be in the Diversion along with the LA&SL tracks. Then, too, the pipeline is buried way under the Temple Ave. and Pomona Ave. roadways and does NOT affect vehicle traffic flows in any way.
It should be remembered that the SP track EAST of Temple Ave. will remain as an industrial track to serve customers here and there thereon. The SP track that will actually be pulled up and eliminated is from Temple Ave. and WEST, and is probably only a mile to the Diversion’s west connection. To relocate a pipeline four to six miles instead of letting a mile of pipeline not have a track by it is ludicrous, even more ludicrous than if K.P. had not gotten off the “Wild Goose Chase Express”!
A New LA&SL Grade Separation
Ontario, CA
K.P. very recently was eastbound on Mission Blvd. (which he hadn’t done for a month or two), and when he got to the north-south highly trafficked Milliken Ave., IT WAS GONE!
Milliken Ave. is closed, and a grade separation is underway. It will be an overpass over Mission Blvd. and the LA&SL tracks.
In county government circles, this grade separation is known as the “South Milliken Ave.” one. A few miles to the north, on the SP side, the Milliken Ave. Flyover was completed a few years ago, known officially as the “North Milliken Ave.” grade separation.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
More on the Diversion
In reviewing official documents, it appears the Diversion DOES have two Kinder-Morgan pipelines in it. So, the SP track and K-M pipelines were rerouted together in the Diversion. So, K.P. retracts his recent post. It seems TWO matters were involved, but under the Diversion umbrella. But, exactly WHY there was a controversy in the first place is baffling. One would think these professional outfits could work together harmoniously and things would flow like clockwork, but it didn’t.
Since the pipelines follow the Diversion route, one has to ask, where is the pipeline within the Diversion? If it is buried deep under the four Diversion tracks, what happens if the pipeline has to be dug up for whatever reason? The ACE minutes gave a very detailed account of the partyies' interactions, and mentioned a sideways digging, which K.P. hardly understands. All he knows is that the Diversion is in a trench type arrangement, in very confining quarters.
Then, too, in the ACE minutes and explanations, a company called SFPP is involved, and is related in some way to K-M. It is not known if SFPP is Santa Fe Pacific Pipelines or not, but K.P. has to think back to the 1980’s and the ill-fated merger of the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific. Somehow K.P. envisions that the government, protector of the people and the public’s good, sinned bigtime in allowing the Southern Pacific pipeline outfit to be transferred to the Santa Fe fold. If the pipeline had stayed with the Southern Pacific, there would be no Diversion controversy today.
Through many changes of name and ownership Southern Pacific Pipelines is now Kinder-Morgan, trying to recall everybody involved is mind-numbing but what I recall is SP-SF did merge everything except the RR (denied) and SF ended up with a lot, most of which was spun-off. If I ever tried to sell my shares I'd be in trouble and I have no idea who and where all this mess came from.
Milliken (south): It occured to me the other evening that this is the last major crossing on that route and probably in need of separation. Little did I know ...
As viewed from Pepper avenue Slover mountin is now even with the top of the power line poles, saw a loader working on a small screening plant up there.
A10
I wonder if one day Slover Mountain will become Slover Pit ?
Burning the Midnight Oil
On Friday, July 24, 2015 K.P. had an important late night assignment in Ontario. Arrival was a few hours early, and checking out current key locations in town was pursued. He went over the Mountain Ave. overpass in darkness, but it could be seen that there still were NO train(s) or freight cars on those three new tracks, the tracks with the new signal bridge and lit signals on the east end. A previously shown daytime view:
One would think some trains would be using those tracks by now for whatever the tracks were laid for, but no trains have been seen on them of late. Maybe it just so happened that every time K.P. was by there no train was present, but that seems to be stretching it.
Maybe the facility hasn’t been officially opened yet.
The new Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension tracks in Monrovia (CA), near Pasadena and Los Angeles, are rather dull from the line not having its opening yet, but the signals thereon are constantly lit, which suggests all the remote crossovers work.
It could be the Montclair facility is waiting its official opening too.
The signals related to the new UP Montclair facility are constantly lit, such as at LA&SL CP C038 ONTARIO.
Strangely, the LA&SL Montclair siding’s CP’s signals are NOT lit, though.
Also, the fact that a power switch is now installed on a facility track on the LA&SL side east of Mountain Ave. suggests more is to come, and is a location to watch.
All:
How cool to have Slover Mountain back on the forum! Pics?
John
Interesting story about Slover and Colton
http://www.eugeneleeslover.com/ISAAC-SLOVER.html
K. P. HarrierA New LA&SL Grade Separation Ontario, CA K.P. very recently was eastbound on Mission Blvd. (which he hadn’t done for a month or two), and when he got to the north-south highly trafficked Milliken Ave., IT WAS GONE! Milliken Ave. is closed, and a grade separation is underway. It will be an overpass over Mission Blvd. and the LA&SL tracks. In county government circles, this grade separation is known as the “South Milliken Ave.” one. A few miles to the north, on the SP side, the Milliken Ave. Flyover was completed a few years ago, known officially as the “North Milliken Ave.” grade separation.
K.P., check out this link from the Ontario city website regarding the grade separation. To my surprise, Mission/Milliken/Philadelphia will all be elevated. How interesting...
http://www.ci.ontario.ca.us/index.aspx?page=34&recordid=250
I'm having my own computer problems - seems HP hates Canon so there's no driver to upload my CF onto my notebook. This is now a problem as I have a publishing contract and need to use one of the pics for the dust jacket on the book.
I can relate to KP's issues. (edit: of course this gets posted at the bottom instead of to John's post and it's putting his name in lower case ...)
The Don’t Get Excited Post
In an all-day dispatch on a rare Thursday, K.P. was focusing on updates for the Perris Valley Line, but on a whim decided to check out the now isolated portion of the Riverside Industrial Lead (which isolation stemmed from agreement relative to the Colton Flyover in Colton, CA on the actual Sunset Route. As expected, nothing really had changed, except the bizarre was present.
It is unlikely the flashers mast unit at Spring Street (M.P. 542.69) in the Highgrove (CA) area had a drunken brawl, but got sideswiped somehow, and was leaning over.
A light was missing.
The line looking south, at the untouched flasher unit:
Above, note the new, little blue I.D. number plate on the mast.
A northward view, with clutter on the track and it looks like palm trees starting to grow on and by the track.
It is somewhat amazing this isolated track hasn’t be pulled up yet. Why, look! UP has had to install those little blue signs on the flasher units!
For a bit of history … This old SP branch in 1905 hosted Los Angeles-Salt Lake City trains for a few months while an agreement with the Santa Fe was pending. Now, on the BNSF as per that just above agreement, many Sunset Route trains now go over the LA&SL through Riverside.
Update as of Wednesday, August 5, 2015
A CP Box Vanishes, Solves Mystery
Colton Signal Dept.
Colton, CA
For a number of months now a new CP box with its ID placards turned inward has been present at the Colton Signal Dept. A previously shown view:
That box has now mysteriously vanished, apparently transported to its intended installation site. The box behind it can now be seen, and it is the box for CP AL525 GUASTI, a new box that has been at Colton for several years now.
Above, behind that box, the Colton Flyover ‘gray’ walling is seen.
There are a number of locations that that now gone box with its placards turned inward could have been transported to in the area, and it will probably be found by observers in the next few weeks.
Duplication A-Go-Go
Forum contributor blue streak 1 posted the following in the “Tehachapi Two-Tracking Updates” thread and it was semi-related to the discussion that finished there, but it really has significance here in this thread, so it is duplicated here.
blue streak 1 KP do not think you will get any rest from pictures novels for at least 10 years. http://www.rtands.com/index.php/track-maintenance/on-track-maintenance/ace-provides-grade-separation-updates.html?channel=
KP do not think you will get any rest from pictures novels for at least 10 years.
http://www.rtands.com/index.php/track-maintenance/on-track-maintenance/ace-provides-grade-separation-updates.html?channel=
Related to the Alternate Sunset Route
A few years ago, concerning the agreements related to the Colton Flyover, BNSF had agreed to allow, as I recall, eight more Metrolink runs on their tracks through Colton. K.P. hasn’t quite seen that. Nevertheless, in a future “Perris Valley Line Updates” thread post series it is conjectured where some of those extra runs might come from.
Best,
K.P.
In Search of a CP Box and in the Process …
… Getting Stopped in One’s Tracks
On Saturday, August 8, 2015, during a free day, because K.P. was convinced that CP box that was recently transported away from the Colton Signal Dept. fenced yard (Colton, CA) might (“might”) be around Vineyard Ave. in Ontario, he went straight to the Vineyard Ave. area. But, it was not there! And, on and on the search went thereafter.
Early on an unusual windmill train was found parked, but parked not at the logical place for it. And, that might give us a bit of insight about the new Montclair facility.
He was stunningly stopped in his tracks, however, at the new Clay Street underpass in western Riverside, near Pedley.
To the west, at LA&SL CP C050 LIMONITE, the turnout route is for the NORTH side. At CP C053 ARLINGTON to the east, the turnout route is for the NORTH side also. But, as seen above, in that westbound view, the new bridge has the second-track width on the SOUTH side (left)!
How that will develop further is not clear, as the logical common sense side for the second-track is on the north side.
Other places visited were the Riverside Ave. underpass and the 91 Freeway railroad pony bridge construction sites. A report in behalf of the forum will be put together on what was found, and posted in several days.
In Search of a CP Box
Montclair-Ontario-Riverside, CA
Part “A” (of A-H)
An unlabeled CP box had been at the Colton Signal Dept., but was transported to an unknown somewhere. The above entitled area was searched, but the box was not found. Thus, it likely is between Pomona and Los Angeles, and that area K.P. will be search another time.
This Part and the next show a parked windmill train with NO locomotives on it. Normally such a train would not be highlighted in this thread, but there is a point behind it.
The windmill long cut of cars seems to be westbound. From Monte Vista Blvd., looking east:
In the last photo, LA&SL CP C035 MONTCLAIR is seen. Below, a westward view from near Central Ave.
Looking eastbound:
Continued in Part B
Part “B” (of A-H)
That Montclair siding is by a flood control area.
The KEY photo:
The windmill train was tied down in the LA&SL Montclair siding. (Above, forefront) Why wasn’t it tied down in the new Montclair facility instead? (Background tracks)
A reshown eastward view of the Montclair facility from Mountain Ave. in Ontario:
A new eastward view from back at Monte Vista Ave.:
So, the Montclair new facility doesn’t seem to have trains parked in it anymore! Now that the facility seems mostly complete, and signals all lit thereat, is the facility just waiting for a grand opening?
Continued in Part C
Part “C” (of A-H)
The Clay Street underpass has had dramatic progress, and looks quite different now from even the recent past. Most conspicuous is a rod-iron fencing on top of the walling.
Just above, a side street (lower right) is now being dug down to “T” into Clay Street (the underpass).
The shoofly walling of wood ties and steel I-beams is still in effect.
Continued in Part D
Part “D” (of A-H)
As highlighted in the advance teaser for this series, the underpass top bridging is for two-tracks, with the second track’s future alignment on the SOUTH side (left). Two views:
The shoofly can easily be done away with and the original alignment restored. View looks east.
Continued in Part E
Part “E” (of A-H)
Since a CP box was being looked for, as a far-shot, the area near the big LA&SL Viaduct was checked out, but no CP box was found. But, several photos are shown herein to give the forum a feel for the area.
Northwest of the Viaduct is a golf course in a very hilly, rugged area.
A hiking trail goes underneath the single-track, 1904 built Viaduct.
Note the giant boulders on the upper right.
In Missouri Pacific (MP) fashion, as long as this impressive Los Angeles & Salt Lake edifice remains, the bridging over the Santa Ana River is unlikely to be two-tracked.
Continued in Part F
Part “F” (of A-H)
Southeast of the Viaduct is a super strange place for K.P. Forty-five years ago there was nothing here except a dead-end road (lower left), no cross street as today. Now, it is a “T” intersection. Years ago access to the Viaduct was easy, and locals were often seen bravely crossing it. Now, it is inaccessible. And a “yard” is just railroad east of it.
WAIT! WAIT! WAIT A MINUTE! Hmmm. Let’s go back to Clay Street, and that wrong side railroad bridging over an underpass. In the not too distant past, that bridging abutment then under construction seemed incomplete because of the shoofly, as the below April 22, 2015 reshown photos show. The east side:
The west side:
Above, the incomplete arching of the concrete walling design insinuates additional bridge width will eventually be put in after the shoofly is out of the way and gone.
Maybe (“maybe”) the new bridging will be three tracks in width when completely finished with a future Main 1 over a bridging that is not there yet, then Main 2, and lastly an uncontrolled (or controlled) siding! Between Riverside and Mira Loma there are a number of grade crossings, but with the Clay Street underpass, rail cars (likely auto racks) could be parked until a slot for unloading is available just a few miles to the west, or very short term storage, like a day or two, with NO grade crossings to worry about.
Continued in Part G
Part “G” (of A-H)
OK, back to our eastward review.
At the north-south Riverside Ave., the east-west LA&SL now bridges over the street in the new underpass construction. The north side’s WEST walling is rather thin.
The EAST walling is thick, likely because of a side road and crammed housing.
A southward telephoto:
Continued in Part H
Part “H” (of A-H)
The second new bridge (center) is nearing completion
Above, a BNSF eastbound (leftward) is seen passing by. The BNSF speed limit through here Los Angeles to Highgrove is 50 M.P.H. The LA&SL (UP) is 65 M.P.H.
Above, too, just right of center, a pile of ballast is seen. (Way background) While it is seen very limited in this view, BNSF’s CP WEST RIVERSIDE has many tremendous piles of ballast waiting for something, possibly a major track rearrangement. K.P. has a hard time believing the now used right new bridge will be scrapped when no longer needed. The far right edge of the parapet fencing can be observed, its presence is so trainmen won’t fall off the bridge, but it does NOT match the track curving, suggesting a second-tracks alignment will follow THAT curving in the future, hence, the first new bridge would be used. That logical speculation is at variance from what some here at the forum has heard from official sources, but we should all find out pretty soon now how things will actually be.
An overview, looking northeast from the Panorama Road area:
A slightly different angle: Note the drop-off where the floor meets the present ballast area.
So, in summary, NO new CP box was found from Montclair to Riverside, and the one that had been at the Colton Signal Dept. is probably somewhere west of Pomona. But, the search for it proved fascinating, with some unexpected things that were came across.
This will end the series.
-----------
On Tuesday, August 11, 2015, K.P. was involved in one of his all day dispatches deep in Riverside Country. On an extended several hours of free time he was able to go to the City of Industry, where he was disappointed at the lack of progress on the new PHIMF track. He was also disappointed that the CP box searched for was NOT found over there either. However, when he got to Peck Rd. he was super surprised that all the new bridging spans were now up for the PHIMF track! That was “all” the spans! A short photo report on such will be posted in a few days.
K.P.:
Your photos of the Clay St overpass show the letters J-U-R-U.... What is the rest of the spelling and do you have any idea of its meaning or purpose? Just curious...
--John
John Simpkins-Camp K.P.: Your photos of the Clay St overpass show the letters J-U-R-U.... What is the rest of the spelling and do you have any idea of its meaning or purpose? Just curious... --John
Jurupa. Where Clay street is located.
Update as of Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Part I (of I-IV)
The Puente Ave. Underpass
City of Industry, CA
Work has started on the Puente Ave. underpass. The SP line, the original Sunset Route here, is paralleled by Valley Blvd. Puente Ave. south of the railroad tracks is Workman Mill Road. There is a McDonald’s fast food establishment on the southeast corner. For an overview, click on the following link:
http://theaceproject.org/factsheets/puente%20ave_gs_fs.pdf
On the above date K.P. was on site, on the north side of the tracks, with the busy Puente Ave. now closed.
In conjunction with the ‘Up and Over’ (a flyover) just to the east, this single-track line with the Bassett siding, will eventually be two-tracked, as least as far west as the west switch of the Bassett siding. It seems the controversy with Kinder-Morgan (the old SP Pipelines) in Pomona and delayed track alterations has affected matters as far as here, 15 miles in length, plus or minus a mile.
Continued in Part II
Part II (of I-IV)
As a refresher, the Puente Ave. grade crossing is just west of the ‘Up and Over’ flyover. Two photos from August 14, 2010, the first previously shown, the second never shown to the forum:
When the ‘Up and Over’ was being built five years ago a shoofly was built on the right-of-way’s south (right) side.
To put a shoofly in for the Puente Ave. underpass construction will be a tricky affair, every which way one looks at it.
Status of the New PHIMF Track
Little popped out about the new track by the Jack-In-The-Box, and the looks of the situation looked pretty much the same as previously.
Continued in Part III
Part III (of I-IV)
The New PHIMF Bridging over Peck Road
The bridge spans are now in place.
Continued in Part IV
Part IV (of I-IV)
Another view a little bit closer.
Comparing the new PHIMF bridge with the two-track UP bridge:
A wider angle with an eastbound (leftward) passing:
This will conclude the series.
---------
A Memo to John Simpkins-Camp (6-13):
SP657E44 was right in his reply to you, the “J-U-R-U” partial letters is related to the Spanish name Jurupa (pronounce ha-RUH-pa, with an “h” not a “j”). But, there is a important story behind that name on the bridging over the Clay Street underpass and in the future it could affect the LA&SL line for miles. Details soon …
The “Jurupa” on the Railroad Bridging …
… Over the Clay Street Underpass
The concrete imprinting says more than just Jurupa, but Jurupa Valley!
An overview: The underpass under construction is on Clay Street that will curve under the bridging.
Jurupa Valley is an actual city now, being incorporated on July 1, 2011, a little over four years ago. It goes from the big railroad Viaduct on the east to I-15 on the west, and the county line on the north side to a jagged south border.
It encompasses some well-known communities (NOT incorporated cities), such as Pedley and Mira Loma.
LINK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurupa_Valley,_California
In the past, railroads, including UP, has used well-known geographic areas and streets to name CP’s. If the line from CP C050 LIMONITE (named after Limonite Ave.) to CP C053 ARLINGTON, excluding the Viaduct of course, maybe (“maybe”) a CP on the WEST side of the Santa Ana River will be called CP C052 JURUPA VALLEY.
Anyway, that is what that bridge imprinting of ‘Jurupa’ and more was all about.
Last night 8/15/15 a bridge on the Phoenix line burned in Gilbert AZ. Looks like a total loss. Will UP reopen the Gila line for a temporary detour.
The Gilbert AZ that I find is near Mesa AZ, & nowhere close to the Sunset route....
from the Far East of the Sunset Route
(In the shadow of the Huey P Long bridge)
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