Updates as of Saturday, August 21, 2010:
Colton Crossing
Colton, CA
Part B
The old Riverside, CA Magnolia Ave. grade crossing control box (center) was brought to the Colton Signal Dept. The old Los Angeles [CP] VALLEY BLVD XOVERS box is on the left.
Looking southward from Colton's Valley Blvd., and through the northeast quadrant: Activity under the I-10 Freeway.
The lower track is the southeast quadrant's Sunset Route transition track to Riverside and onto Los Angeles via the LA&SL. Activity in the background was within the southwest quadrant. Doors were open on a couple of the many containers in a row that previously had been positioned at the site.
There was allot of contracted worker activity in the Colton Crossing area. In some ways, they almost looked like ants in quantity because of their numbers ... all doing a job.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 A
On a visit this morning, many contracted workers were best described as swarming the BNSF-UP crossing vicinity.
A CP box has been put in on the UP side west of the crossing, in the southwest quadrant. A single mid-train DPU passes westbound (left) after coming off the BNSF through the northwest quadrant. A yellow street sign points the way to the new CP box ...
The above photo's CP box is the box behind the green bush on the right of the below photo. A BNSF Intermodal to Chicago passes leftward in the background.
A new crossing CP box was placed in the southeast quadrant. The Colton Crossing diamonds are behind the new box.
Continued in Part B
Here is a quick, related update about a bridge being built over the UP Alhambra Sub in Fontana.
However, the bridge of Cypress Avenue over the railroad tracks appears to have the thick green mesh which camera lenses cannot fit through.
Paul D. North, Jr. (8-20):
Whoops ... Yes, Paul, you identified the area correctly.
K.P.
mvs (8-20):
For months I have questioned the safe passage of vehicles that will eventually go underneath that Sunset Ave. Bridge, and that maybe the parallel to the tracks Valley Blvd. where it interests Sunset Ave. / 7th Street would be lowered.
But, after being on the north side of the up and over to document the scene with photos, it was observed that everything looks warped and disproportionate, and that it is only an illusion. Roadway traffic, even big rigs, will be able pass under the bridge just fine.
Where the top and center of the "Up and Over" is located is where Orange Ave. goes underneath, the north side of which was the place that photography was impractical. The below reshown photo from Valley Blvd. looks northeastward toward the south side of the "Up and Over," and where Orange Ave. will eventually be a thru-street again when all is said and done.
Sunset Ave., where trucks look like they won't fit under the new slanting bridge, is several thousand feet toward the right in the above photo.
Take care all,
K. P. Harrier The Up and Over's Sunset Ave. Grade Crossing City of Industry, CA Part III (of I-III) [snip] To give perspective to the area, the following photo is reposted: The above photo is of that industrial track which parallels the north side of the up and over as seen from California St. on the east end. The Sunset Ave. grade crossing highlighted herein is located adjacent to where the huge bridge is visible on the photo's upper left. [snip]
The Up and Over's Sunset Ave. Grade Crossing
City of Industry, CA
Part III (of I-III)
[snip]
To give perspective to the area, the following photo is reposted:
The above photo is of that industrial track which parallels the north side of the up and over as seen from California St. on the east end. The Sunset Ave. grade crossing highlighted herein is located adjacent to where the huge bridge is visible on the photo's upper left. [snip]
First, let's make sure that this Easterner correctly understands exactly where this is - the bridge is parallel to Valley Blvd. where it crosses over Sunset Ave./ S. 7th Ave., about 1-1/2 miles NW of La Puente, about 1 mile NE of the Pomona Freeway/ Rt. 60 at exit 14, 14A, and 14B which are for the same S. 7th Ave., and about 2 miles SE of I-605/ San Gabriel River Freeway, exit 21 for the same Valley Blvd., at GPS coords. N 34.03488, W 117.97432. Interterstingly, if you go to those coords using the ACME Mapper 2.0 application - http://mapper.acme.com/ - and then click on the tabs/ buttons for either the "Satellite" or "Hybrid" views, you'll see an aerial photo of the "Up and Over" in a partially-constructed state.
Now here's another conundrum with this, as illustrated by the above photo: Why is the 'high point' of the track beyond the bridge ? It looks like the summit is several hundred feet beyond the bridge - about where the signal masts are - but there does not appear to be any other road or railroad crossing underneath there which would require a higher elevation or more clearance below. If the point or goal of this project is to get above the road, that's already been accomplished by the point where the track crosses the bridge - so then why does the track keep on rising here ? More typically, the 'high point' occurs on the bridge, and the track slopes down in both directions from there.
I suspect the answer is the limited distance for the track to rise up on the approach from the southeast. It's only about 2,100 ft. from Sunset Ave. to the bridge over the watercourse just about 300 ft. east of Californaia Ave. grade crossing - Puente Creek (per the "Topo" tab or button), but about 5,500 ft. from Sunset Ave. to the N. Puente Ave. grade crossing. The 2,100 ft. is an awfully short distance to get up high enough for the bridge plus clearance underneath - if that's in the 20 or 25 ft. range as it does appear to be, then there's going to have to be around a 1.0 % grade being used, which requires a significant - and hence long - vertical curve at its start and end. Instead, I suspect that there simply just wasn't enough linear distance to also get in the top or 'summit' vertical curve from the Puente Creek bridge and the California Ave grade crossing by the time the Sunset Ave. bridge was reached, in addition to the preceding bottom or 'sag' vertical curve and an acceptable grade up to the Sunset Ave. bridge itself. So I believe that the designers just let that grade continue on rising steadily straight until the tracks get past the Sunset Ave. bridge, and once that goal was achieved. Only then did they start the downward vertical curve back to the original ground level at the Puente Ave. grade crossing, which being much further away at like 5,500 ft. distant, would need only about a -0.4 % descending grade to achieve that.
- Paul North.
K.P., thanks for the update.
It looks like they have graded the part of Sunset Avenue north of the up-and-over. Will big-rig trucks (and other tall vehicles) be able to fit under that bridge?
From a block northeast looking southwestward, the hugeness of the bridge and switching lead grade crossing takes on a different, less overwhelming, and more satisfyingly logical perspective. But, up close, things appear so warped it looks like another realm or dimension of existence!
Too, up close, the site is so huge and overwhelming with the switch lead looking abnormally dinky that it is difficult to put the location into a normal perspective, or relate it to anything. It truly is a strange sight to behold!
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Coming Monday morning, August 23, 2010: A four-part look at the future, wider I-215 bridge crossing location in the Highgrove-Grand Terrace, CA area and its significance in light of an analysis of short single-track gaps in UP's various two-tracking efforts.
Part II (of I-III)
As with new tri-light signal installations involving overhead and cantilever bridges, the structure has protective ladder caging, but at this point in time it is also resting on the closed concrete roadway.
Another overview
The flashers overhead bridge part is probably an adaptation of a contemporary train tri-light signal bridge.
In the above photo, the track visible in the background is NOT the industrial track, but rather the up and over's long shoefly alongside the parallel Valley Blvd. The industrial track is not visible in this view, but is behind the middle row of concrete barriers and even with the foreground concrete road's surface.
Continued in Part III
Part I (of I-III)
Forum contributor mvs back in July alerted us to the fact that there was an industrial lead type track on the north side of the up and over. When K.P. went to the site, the roadway underneath the Orange Ave. overpass in the middle of the up and over was totally blocked off, up to a block away, thwarting any photographic efforts.
However, Sunset Ave. (at M.P. 499.20) was a gem of a location. While the roadway was closed and blocked off as well, one could still get close by the project via a commercial property's parking lot.
Even though the parking lot had fencing, photography still could be had nevertheless by extending a lens through the wire fence meshing.
An overhead metal bridge presumably for grade crossing flashers on it will span between the two supports on the left side of the below photo. At photo time everything was quiet with no construction activity. The overhead is so humungous that it makes the single industrial track look tiny.
The long span is presently lying on the closed to the public, new concrete roadway.
Continued in Part II
K. P. HarrierA Thought-Provoking Look at Inconsistent New Signaling
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! ***
When I went by the Rillito Creek area west of Tucson on Thursday, August 12th, it looked like the bridge decking is completely in place and ready for tracklaying.
At the Cienega Creek / Marsh Station Road project site, the beams to support the new Marsh Station Road exit over I-10 were put in place last week and the beams that will carry the roadway over the new Union Pacific trackage followed shortly thereafter. No railroad grading has taken place yet, though. I believe the UP may wait until all of the highway construction is done before they start laying track.
K. P. Harrier Update as of Saturday, August 14, 2010: [snip] At Magnolia Ave construction site itself, an odd ‘something' was positioned on the now out of service tracks. The view looks westbound. [snip]
Update as of Saturday, August 14, 2010: [snip]
At Magnolia Ave construction site itself, an odd ‘something' was positioned on the now out of service tracks. The view looks westbound.
It/ 'they' don't look like anything track- or railroad-related that I can think of. So, on to a 'wild guess' dept.:
Going by the track gauge/ railhead C/L distance of about 5 ft. apart, they look to be about 16 ft. long, and pretty thin. The stacking with blocks between the layers is typical of a smart foreman or operator to be able to pick-up 1 or more layers at a time with a forklift of some kind, without needing much help from a 'ground man' or laborers. Being stacked right at the end of an out-of-service track and just outside the active construction/ excavation zone indicates that they are most likely to be used in the construction work, and have been stored there temporarily to be handy but still out of the way - on someone else's territory, fortunately enough. I could see them being sheets of some kind, but I can't think of what for. It kind of looks like layers of reinforcing steel bars or rebars for concrete pours, but 16 ft. is an odd length - they usually come in multiples of 20 ft. - unless they've been pre-cut to length for a specific use. Will be interesting to see what it/ they turn out to really be . . .
Thanks again, K.P., for the continuing updates and photos of this saga.
P.S. - "You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into... the Tri-Light Zone." (with apologies to Rod Serling; emphasis added - PDN; see: http://cis.csuohio.edu/~somos/twizone.html )
K. P. Harrier desertdog (8-16): The signal you kindly offered to check on is right at one of the few grade crossings in downtown Casa Grande, AZ. My guess is that it is the first intermediate set east of the west side of town Casa Grande controlled siding. Am I right in understand that the above new bridge construction west of Tucson only had the support peers completed, and not the bridge spans placed? Best, K.P.
desertdog (8-16):
The signal you kindly offered to check on is right at one of the few grade crossings in downtown Casa Grande, AZ. My guess is that it is the first intermediate set east of the west side of town Casa Grande controlled siding.
Am I right in understand that the above new bridge construction west of Tucson only had the support peers completed, and not the bridge spans placed?
Best,
K.P.,
Thank you for the further info. Now that I look closely at your photo, it appears to be near the old depot site (demolished after the fire).
As to the Rillito Creek bridge, the last time I went through Tucson, which was in late June or early July, there was no decking on the bridge and no sign of heavy equipment in the vicinity. My next business trip there is scheduled for the day after Labor Day so I will have an update on both questions at that time.
John Timm
Update as of Monday, August 16, 2010:
The Colton Crossing Area
A new BNSF style CP box strapped onto a small delivery trailer was by the Sunset Route mains in the southwest quadrant of Colton Crossing.
Likely that box will be used for the future transition track (to the BNSF) off the Sunset Route in that southwest quadrant.
A dinky excavating machine was excavating next to the Sunset Route.
BNSF has jurisdiction over the Sunset Route several hundred feet on each side of the Colton diamonds. In the same general spot as the just above photo, the ill-fated SPSF merger effort of the 1980's saw a never-put-in-service transition switch and signals put in. That switch and its related signals were removed after the SPSF merger denial.
A couple of blocks to the east, in the fenced area of the Colton Signal Department yard, a parked, small delivery trailer had partially used-up spools of cable wire on it.
So, some type of signal / switch machine installation(s) is (or has) taking place somewhere in the greater Los Angeles area, possibly at (or near) the City of Industry.
Coming Friday: Photos of a previously old but now being rebuilt into a huge grade crossing ALONGSIDE the up and over in the City of Industry, CA.
Regarding the searchlight signals in Casa Grande with the heads facing in both directions, you are correct in that they are very common along the Gila Sub in preparation for adding the second track, but I do not recall seeing any such installation in C.G. Do you happen to recall which end of town (east or west) the signals are located, or any landmarks such as the feed mill, grain elevator, depot, etc.? I won't get down that way for another 2-3 weeks but if I find it I will take a look to see if both heads have been placed in service.
I wish there was more to report from Arizona, but nothing has happened for months that I know of.
Update as of Saturday, August 14, 2010:
City of Industry to Riverside, CA
Part C (of A-C)
Earlier in the day, Colton was passed through, but no discernable activity was observed there.
In the Magnolia Ave. underpass construction area, things were quiet as well, but a few tidbits were noticed.
As soon as I southwardly crossed the Riverside Ave. grade crossing, the "Quiet Zone" horns started blaring away, the gates came down, and a long eastbound Intermodal passed, perhaps at 30 M.P.H. The below photo was taken east of the Magnolia Ave. underpass construction, at the old CP C055 STREETER site, now with signal heads turn aside.
On the far left background of the above photo, the public alleyway was so covered with ballast that this forumist did not attempt driving through it.
At the old CP C055 STREETER site, the old 40 M.P.H. dual-control motored turnout had been cut in pieces (crudely welded apart), and its sections were lying trackside.
The quiet zone flashing red "X" sign is visible in the just above photo's upper right. That "X" sign is a bit different from the norm in that it is a few hundred feet from the grade crossing account of the rail line curving into the tall, rocky Pachappa Cut.
The above view captured a ‘flash' of the "X" signs on the top background.
---------------
Coming soon: An industrial track grade crossing on the north side of the up and over!
But first, a Colton Crossing area update from Monday, to be posted Wednesday morning, August 18, 2010.
Part B (of A-C)
Previously, the below June 25, 2010 photo was posted for the forum. It was of a concrete tie train in a spur on the LA&SL off of Fairway St. by the City of Industry.
This past Saturday, the above site was returned to, and a different train or cars was found.
It is unknown where these railcars are being offloaded at, but it must be somewhere nearby.
The far western edge of Pomona was also visited, and the not-in-service yet Diversion S-curve between the SP and LA&SL was found to again have had a fresh coat of ballast laid, this time of a whiter shade.
The present intermediate LA&SL mast signals are visible on the upper left.
The Temple Ave., Humane Way, and Hamilton Blvd. areas were also checked out, but no discernable activity was taking place at any of those areas.
Continued in Part C
Part A (of A-C)
Is It the Twilight Zone?
Three months ago, on Sunday, May 16, 2010, this photo was taken in behalf of the forum, showing the NEWLY ERECTED, not-in-service yet, tri-light signals in the M.P. 505 area.
However, this past Saturday, a Twilight Zone kind of thing was entered into ...
The new tri-lights had been removed, and replacing them were old targets facing each direction likewise on a single mast.
Suchlike target signals have been quite prolific in preparing for the future two-tracking in Arizona.
The previously shown September 4, 2009 evening photo just above was shot in Casa Grande, Arizona before the right head on the center forefront mast was activated. (Does anyone know if it ever was activated?)
Replacing new, not-in-service-yet tri-lights with old targets is truly a strange development. MAYBE the powers that be have had a sudden change of heart, and two-tracking the City of Industry to Pomona SP Sunset Route segment may be closer than we have thought!
travelingengineer (8-16):
Hello! It is hoped you have a good trip on Amtrak Nos. 1 and 2.
Yes, a few things come to mind that you can check ...
Way out by the sand dunes of Glamis, CA (near M.P. 698) to the no man's land by Ogilby Road (around M.P. 716), somewhere east of halfway between those two locations, could you check (and possibly photograph) where (w/ M.P.) the two-track grading BEGINS eastward? It SHOULD be on the north side as it is at M.P. 716, but who knows if it alignment shifts west of there. Virtually none of us at the forum have been out in that inaccessible place. The below photo looks east from Ogilby Rd.; north is to the left.
At the eastern end of the new grading, probably a mile beyond Sidewinder Road (M.P.723.4), the forum does not know where the grading ends, or what that area inaccessible to the public looks like. View looks northwest from Sidewinder Road.
The only other area I can think of is at Blaisdell Road (M.P. 746.58), south side (physically eastward). That is in the middle of CP SP747 BLAISDELL, which is the EAST end of a four or five mile section of two-tracks. The railroad east side of the CP track-work is probably still not laid.
The Colorado River Bridge crossing is around M.P. 732, if that will assist you.
Thanks for the offer.
MikeF90 (8-16):
It was great meeting you by the up and over!
Usually, I am scrambling around trying to get everything done in the allotted time. But I had some extra time Saturday, and it was rewarding chatting with you.
Thanks for posting a photo of those up and over molds.
mvs (7-19, 8-11/15):
Toward the latter part of the week some of the things you've brought up or alerted the forum to will be commented on with photos.
Stay tuned ...
-----------
For everyone ... More news photos from Saturday's travels will be posted sometime Tuesday morning (PDT), August 17, 2010, including that strange Twilight Zone thing ...
I am shortly going to be aboard the Sunset Limited all the way from LA to NO (and return). Is there anything special that you all would like me to check out, photograph, or on which to report?
K.P., great update!
I wonder if the slight curve in the photo below, as the track come down from the flyover to ground level, is significant. It makes me wonder if they can fit a second track, although I'm sure they can.
K. P. HarrierLooking east from Puente Ave. on the WEST side: The foreground track had been connected to the Up and Over's rails.
Good to finally meet you, K.P.!
The form work for the retaining wall at the east end of the flyover reminds me of ICF used in building construction.
Like the 4th MT ROW subproject, I think that ACE just wants the billable construction done by October and the underpasses open for use! UP will put in the second track on their own schedule IMO.
The Up and Over Is Open!
Part V (of I-V)
Even some watering acts were performed.
The old "NEW SIDING" is the right-track in the background.
There were so many workers on site that a UP bus had to be used to transport them.
The UP workers that this poster encountered were incredibly friendly. One said the Alameda Corridor East people now want the whole up and over completely functional and for all practical purposes finished by sometime in October! So, construction on the up and over has accelerated to meet that goal. Thereafter, just minor odds and ends will take place for a few more months to completely finish off the project.
Presumably, the second track will be laid around October also, thus connecting the BASSETT and NEW SIDING sidings for a second through main, Main 2; but a source at the site was unsure about that logistical aspect.
----------------
This forum poster has had a few coals in the fire, and other posts and an in depth reply or two are planned for next week. And brace yourselves, fellow forumists, for I think my camera and I have traveled into the Twilight Zone! A real, unaltered news signal photo will make you think so too!
Part IV (of I-V)
Heavy equipment and worker groups were seen roving around the site carrying out assignments.
Continued in Part V
Part III (of I-V)
Looking east from California St.:
The below reshown photo from May 16, 2010 is posted to compare what the scene use to look like.
Continued in Part IV
Part II (of I-V)
From California St. on the east side, looking west.
The shoefly (above photo's far middle left) fared better by California St. than by Puente Ave., and did not have track stacked on it as the west side had. But, with the shoefly shortly to be taken up and thus out of the way, the up and over's south wall will finally be able to be completed.
The up and over's rails were dull, as only a few ballasting work trains had ever traversed them in the weeks previous ... But, the goal was to run the first train sometime around 7:00 P.M. Saturday night.
Part I (of I-V)
Union Pacific track workers had a many, many hours-long work window to cut over and put in service what has been called in this topic the "Up and Over."
When this poster stumbled upon the cutover activity, it was late afternoon. The following captioned photos are about what was found ...
Looking east from Puente Ave. on the WEST side: The foreground track had been connected to the Up and Over's rails.
What the above looked like back on May 16, 2010:
Most of the shoefly connection on the far west side reportedly was all tore out in just a few hours early on in the work day.
Parts of it were either moved over to the up and over, or were stacked on the remaining rails.
Update as of Wednesday, August 11, 2010:
The Colton Signal Department
PHOTOS #7 and #8:
You may recall these two photos from the Monday, July 26, 2010 post about neatly stacked masts with ladders:
PHOTO #9:
The Colton Signal Dept. area was also visited Wednesday, and ALL the neatly stacked masts with ladders were all gone.
It is unknown at this point in time where all those masts were transported to. The signal replacements between the Diversion in Pomona and the City of Industry are pretty much accounted for, but there are plenty of old signals elsewhere on the Alhambra Sub that potentially could be replaced.
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