Flashing "X" Sign Memos and More:
CShaveRR (6-15/17):
Regard those flashing "X" signs, you spoke most authoritatively about them, and made an association with wayside horns that direct the sound waves toward approaching vehicles and supposedly not throughout the neighborhood as locomotive horns invariably do. Your clarifying info was most appreciated.
The above photo was shot the morning of Friday, June 18, 2010 in Riverside, CA on the LA&SL.
Pomona definitely does NOT have those horns, so it is logical that that community does not have the flashing "X" signs.
desertdog (6-15/17):
Greetings, John!
You mentioned railroaders in one area being annoyed by the flashing "X" signs. I personally don't mind the flashing. It seems, to me anyway, that lit un-flashing lights could blend in with surrounding lights, and thus be ineffective in advising a train crew to not blow the horn.
K.P.'s Observations on the "X" Signs
Such lit flashing "X" sign locations seem to be rather rare and few between, likely because it takes so much money for a community to pay to have them installed.
Kearney (pronounced Car-knee), Nebraska had (and probably still has) those flashing "X" signs. Kearney is located on an over 100-mile section of triple-track on UP's Central Corridor. It sees 120-150 trains a day!
For the benefit of those unfamiliar with the ‘X" signs and their operations, the following is presented:
When a train goes over the grade crossing, the constantly flashing "X" signs go out, and remain unlit until the train passes.
However, if a second train approaches, the "X" signs start flashing, and the horns start blaring again until the second train begins to go over the grade crossing.
It happened several times on a past weeklong Kearney train watching vacation, but when even a third train approaches, the flashing "X" signs start up again and horns sound until that train begins to cross the grade crossing. Afterwards, and when all trains are gone, the signs flashed again and continued to flash until the next train would come along and go over the grade crossing.
A Riverside, CA "X" signs location.
Because of much lower train counts, Riverside, CA is much less exciting than in Kearney, NE, and severely lacks the drama of the Midwest town. But the off topic Nebraska location was mentioned so those unfamiliar with rare "X" signs may have a better comprehension of them, wherever they may be found on the Sunset Route or its associated alternate routes.
By the way, the Riverside "X" signs seemed to have a three flash no flash pattern. So, on a 1 to 12 sequencing, moments #4, #8, and #12 would have unlit, dark "X" signs.
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An update soon: Riverside, CA's Magnolia Ave. underpass construction project.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
Update as of Friday, June 18, 2010:
The Magnolia Ave. Underpass Construction
Riverside, CA
A bit of LA&SL reroute grading and ballasting have taken place. This photo looks westbound.
Looking eastbound.
The single-track shoefly will be just to the north (right on the first photo above) of the present two-tracks, with little room to spare.
A number of years ago, the Haven Ave. underpass (under the LA&SL) in Ontario was built with a shoefly in a similar very close proximity. In that project, the ground was dug out, but next to the shoefly-tracks was a makeshift wall consisting of vertical steel "I" beams with horizontal wood railroad ties between them forming a nearly straight down support wall. Likely, the Magnolia Ave effort in Riverside will follow that pattern.
A few blocks westbound of the Magnolia Ave site, unassembled switch parts and ties are stacked up, likely for the future relocation of [CP] CO55 STREETER.
All the switch pieces and related material appeared to be used. An insulated joint (on a rail under the slanted ties on the lower left in the above photo) was of a faded light blue.
At the time this forum contributor was roving about in the Magnolia Ave. area, a couple of pieces of equipment showed up.
This poster could not stick around because of personal time constraints, but it was noted that obvious progress is now starting to take place on the project.
The temporary reducing of a two-track section to single-track is an odd twist to the theme of this "Two-Tracking" topic.
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Some odds and ends follow ...
Some Odds and Ends
The Colton Signal Dept.
Colton, CA
Is this UP worker just swinging around a mast and playing with the local equipment? Hardly! Apparently, UP did something to the mast in the fenced area and was now moving it out to another spot at the two-block long facility.
(By the way, the box on the upper left of the above photo is the old CP box that once was at CP AL485 VALLEY BLVD X-OVER on the SP line.)
The putting in of new signals somewhere will be so comprehensive that a trailer has been provided for it ...
... and the trailer is NOW at Colton!
It is unknown if such a trailer's presence is an indicator or not that the huge future [CP] AL514 HAMILTON area in Pomona might soon be converged upon. During that effort, the Hamilton Blvd. grade crossing is supposed to be closed for several weeks.
Concerning the Temporary Taking Down of a Signal Bridge
The West Side of Humane Way, Pomona, CA
Just a tidbit mystery about that previously reported event for the forum to ponder ...
Update as of Friday, June 25, 2010:
The Magnolia Ave. Underpass
For those that may be interested, this poster visited the construction site a few hours ago, and a flashing announcement indicated that Magnolia Ave. between Elizabeth St. and Merrill Ave. would be closed between Saturday June 26 at 7:00 A.M. and Sunday June 27 7:00 P.M., or for about 36 hours. The LA&SL runs between those two streets.
It is unknown if the shoefly will be laid at that time, but very little was at the site to indicate that it would be laid, except a section of rails and wood ties in the newly graded alignment. The eastward photo below was shot from the Brockton and Dewey Avenues area.
In other matters, the City of Industry, Pomona, and Colton areas were also visited. Reports on the findings will be posted in the next several days as time permits.
New Cantilever Signal Bridges
[CP] AL503 MARNE X-OVER[s]
City of Industry, CA
Part A (of A-C)
This eastward view was taken from the Azusa Ave. overpass. At the time the photo was shot, NO cantilever bridge section had yet been brought to the site.
The signal bridge rests on four blocks.
For comparison: A previously posted photo showing a BEFORE overview.
Continued in Part B
Part B (of A-C)
The camera looks westbound. The previous, old cantilevered bridge has been taken down, accounting for the temporary mast signal on the right.
A close-up of the west temporary signal ... And the old cantilever weather-worn cement base. A number of the same type of temporary bases are outside the Colton Signal Dept. fence, and also were used to hold up crossing gate masts at Highway 347 in Maricopa, AZ.
Again, a previously posted photo shows a BEFORE overview of the west side, and the old cantilever signal on the photo right.
Continued in Part C
Part C (of A-C)
An hour or so later, the overhead bridge sections had arrived on a transporting trailer, and were now parked on site for the night. Camera location: North side of Valley Blvd., just east of the Azusa Ave. overpass.
Lastly, a photo shot two weeks ago, on June 12, 2010, of the unpositioned, complicated wire meshwork framing for the cantilever structure's base that is on the east side of Azusa Ave. overpass.
As indicated by the above photo, there is more that goes into making those bases than merely concrete!
As a follow-up report ... The recently laid track on the new up and over west of NEW SIDING in Industry has been completely ballasted. Otherwise, this poster did not see anything else to report on about that project.
Coming Monday morning, June 28, 2010, a little activity in Pomona, CA and the Colton Signal Dept. grounds look a little different.
K.P., thanks for the great pictures and updates! Sad to see the old SP signals gone at Marne.
Is it just me, or does the City of Riverside move quicker with its grade separations than does the Alameda Corridor East people? (or the one in Irvine... what a mess!)
Pomona-Colton (CA) Area
Part I (of I-III)
What exactly is happening now in downtown Pomona is unclear, but it seems as if track is being laid on top of track. Views are along First St. and east of Hamilton Blvd.
Continued in Part II
Part II (of I-III)
A westward view from Hamilton Blvd. Many ties have been stacked on top of a few pieces of panel track.
The below photo was taken, not in Pomona, but rather in the City of Industry area on the LA&SL. Just west of Fairway Drive was found a group of railcars loaded with concrete tie PANEL tracks, which is not to be confused with other simple "tie" cars that have the ties bunched closely together.
It is unknown where the panel tracks are destined for, nor the situation there.
Continued in Part III
Part III (of I-III)
At the signal dept. yard in Colton, things have been moved around considerably, and organized differently.
Ladders ... Plenty of sections that attach to each other are in a few stacks.
Sometimes small flat trailers are found to be empty, sometimes with CP boxes or signals on them. This time a new crossing gate unit had been loaded, and was ready for transport probably for the next morning.
There was a single, trucked in blue container present, as seen in the above photo's upper background. A few weeks ago there were at least three such containers. So, there seems to be a gradual, erratic stream of arriving containers with new equipment that is offloaded as needed and distributed for installed here and there on the LA&SL and SP. Incidentally, in the background is a double-stack train on the transition track for a brief run on the BNSF to get over to the LA&SL tracks in Riverside.
There has been nothing happening along the Gila Sub of late, hence, no reports or pictures, at least on my part. That said, there has been a lot of talk about improving Amtrak service through Arizona. Here's a report from this week's Maricopa Monitor. Given the tone of things, it may be quite a while before things actually do improve:
Maricopa City Council’s interest in expanding the Amtrak Sunset Limited to daily service in Maricopa came to a screeching halt at the council’s June 15 meeting when Arizona Department of Transportation rail services director Shannon Scutari announced the train would have to come through Maricopa at the more convenient time for commuters of 8:15 a.m.“We will have to table this until we have more information on relocation of the train station,” said Mayor Anthony Smith. “We can’t tolerate additional blockages (on Arizona 347).”“We can’t inconvenience thousands of (vehicle) commuters for 27 folks,” said council member Alan Marchione, referring to the number of rail passengers per day in Maricopa.Marchione added that the city might be able to support the daily rail service if ADOT accelerates funding of the railroad grade separation and the moving of the train platform.Council member Carl Diedrich suggested ADOT go back to Amtrak about changing the times for daily service.“At this time, I don’t see any wins for Maricopa,” Diedrich said.“I’ll take this back to Amtrak,” Scutari told the council.She said ADOT currently does not have the money to pay for the grade separation between the Union Pacific Railroad and Arizona 347.Before tabling the matter, Scutari talked about an ADOT rail study and a state rail plan. She said the plan would be finished by the end of June. She said daily Amtrak service is one key of the plan.At this time, the service in Tucson and Maricopa is three times per week, at what are considered to be inconvenient times.She spoke of a feasibility study on high-speed rail between Phoenix and Tucson, which will be completed in August.In order to provide daily rail service, Amtrak told ADOT it needs to reschedule its Maricopa stops on the eastbound service from 11:17 p.m. to 8:15 a.m. and the westbound train from 12:57 a.m. to 8:13 p.m.Diedrich asked what was the timing for Amtrak’s change to daily service.When Scutari told the council the plan was to make the change to daily in the fall, the council took notice and the resolution to support daily service was tabled.
So, for now, trains will continue to run triweekly and arrive in the middle of the night--sort of like branchline service in Kansas in the 1950's.
John Timm
desertdogWe can’t inconvenience thousands of (vehicle) commuters for 27 folks,” said council member Alan Marchione, referring to the number of rail passengers per day in Maricopa.
Someone should point out to Mr Marchione that those thousands of vehicles every day don't all drive by in the few minutes the Sunset may be at the station. Are there more than 540 vehicles per hour? about 5,000 a day?
Another point being missed by the councilman and his colleagues is that if Amtrak arrived at a convenient hour, a lot more than "27 folks" would be likely to use it.
I do not know the traffic count at the SR 347 crossing but I can tell you it is heavy at all times and especially during rush hour. Maricopa sprung up out of the desert literally overnight during the housing boom of the last decade, adding something like 17,000 residents. The infrastructure was never intended to support that kind of growth. They had to incorporate, start a police department and fire department and build schools, all within a few short years. The roads were mostly just rural highways. Now that everything has changed so radically, any train at that crossing represents an obstacle and an inconvenience and I am sure the city council hears about it all the time.
The State has spent itself deep into debt, so an overpass is not likely to be built anytime soon. There are intersections on both sides of the tracks, further complicating matters. The best and most cost-effective solution for now would be to move (or extend) the platform eastward and far enough away from the highway so that Amtrak would not block it. Presently, it has to make two stops, both of which stop traffic for the duration.
desertdog Another point being missed by the councilman and his colleagues is that if Amtrak arrived at a convenient hour, a lot more than "27 folks" would be likely to use it. I do not know the traffic count at the SR 347 crossing but I can tell you it is heavy at all times and especially during rush hour. Maricopa sprung up out of the desert literally overnight during the housing boom of the last decade, adding something like 17,000 residents. The infrastructure was never intended to support that kind of growth. They had to incorporate, start a police department and fire department and build schools, all within a few short years. The roads were mostly just rural highways. Now that everything has changed so radically, any train at that crossing represents an obstacle and an inconvenience and I am sure the city council hears about it all the time. The State has spent itself deep into debt, so an overpass is not likely to be built anytime soon. There are intersections on both sides of the tracks, further complicating matters. The best and most cost-effective solution for now would be to move (or extend) the platform eastward and far enough away from the highway so that Amtrak would not block it. Presently, it has to make two stops, both of which stop traffic for the duration. John Timm
Moving the stop location (locomotives and baggage leading) at least about 200' for a crossing re-start certainly is a lot cheaper than a grade separation.
From the Conjecture Dept.
In Part II of III June 28, 2010 posts, a photo dated June 25 was shown with a group of railcars that had concrete tie panel tracks on them. PERHAPS that panel track will be used in the Spadra area, west of Temple Ave. in Pomona (as well as around [CP] ROSELAWN / [CP] OAK area) for the big alignment shift that must be getting close to happening reference the Diversion.
In that effort, the two leftmost forefront tracks in the photo above will connect with the two center tracks in the background. Of course, the right foreground track(s) will swing off to the background right and reconnect up with the original, historic Sunset Route.
It took a while for this poster to check past photo files, but it was determined that new concrete ties and what appears to be a frog has been newly positioned by the four wood-tied panel tracks just west of Hamilton Blvd. See the center top background of the photo below shot on June 25, 2010.
(This poster is inclined to believe it is purely coincidental that the green house behind those concrete ties is sort of painted a UP maintenance-of-way green!)
How the ties in the above photo will play out in future track laying is yet to be seen. But, it is now July, and sources of this poster previously had pointed to this particular time for a big powwow at [CP] AL514 HAMILTON. The Signal Construction Gang trailer stored in Colton shown in a June 21, 2010 post gives this poster reason to believe something will happen soon on the Diversion.
Wide-Area Observations on Saturday, July 3, 2010:
Part A (of A-D)
According to flashing traffic road signs before the previously weekend, the Magnolia Ave. grade crossing in Riverside, CA was supposed to been closed for parts of two days - actually, for 36-hours. This poster returned to the site this weekend, but found little had been done train operations-wise, and through train traffic was as usual on the old tracks.
Shoefly ballasted track had been laid to the west of Magnolia Ave., but unconnected. To the east of Magnolia, no track had been laid.
A future crossing gate mechanism had been erected.
Other than that, nothing obvious was observed. Exactly what the closure was for, or even if it took place, is unknown.
Part B (of A-D)
The Colton signal facility was returned to by this poster, but the place was all locked up and quiet. It was noted, though, that some TAN colored containers were now parked at the site.
In the far background, the remaining BLUE container reported on last week was still on site.
The "Gang #5793" trailer had been re-parked by the public street, but still within the fenced area.
Two bases for crossing gates or signals have been taken away. One of the bases may have been used for the temporary absolute signal mast on the west side of [CP] AL503 MARNE X-OVER.
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Coming ... Tuesday about noon (Pacific Daylight Time), July 6, 2010 ... Part C: K.P.'s Investigation of the Planned Two-Tracking Just WEST of Yuma, AZ
Part C (of A-D), Section 1 (of 1-4)
K.P.'s Investigation of the Planned Two-Tracking WEST of Yuma, AZ
In January, the following California photo was posted of grading WEST of Yuma, AZ (Actually, from Sidewinder Road).
This series is about the results of a personal investigation of that future two-track section.
The research investigation begins at Glamis, CA, at the Highway 78 grade crossing at M.P. 698.2. Glamis is a very small desert community in the middle of nowhere, most famous for nearby sand dunes and the proliferation of visitors with dune buggies.
A new crossing gates control box had been semi-positioned at the above Glamis M.P. site.
Continued in Section 2
Part C, Section 2 (of 1-4)
At the grade crossing site, a blue container (from the big Colton Signal Dept.?) was parked, with new, uninstalled wood ties by it.
Just south of the grade crossing is Ted Kipf Rd. That dirt road generally follows the tracks all the way from Niland to Glamis, and continues following the track eastbound thereafter on the north side of the tracks.
Such a street marker as above would not normally be posted herein, but there is a glaring reason for it!
It seems that the newly positioned grade crossing box is either the wrong one, or was mislabeled. Ogilby Rd. is nearly twenty miles railroad east of this site!
Continued in Section 3
Part C, Section 3 (of 1-4)
We now travel east on the north side Ted Kipf Rd. with a mere two-wheel drive auto. This poster was all alone on the road and didn't pass or meet another vehicle the whole way in that no man's land. It is a good road, but ...
As can kind of be seen in the photo above, the road itself is below ground level and has very high sides. The tracks are around 1000 feet to the south (photo right), and most often quite difficult to see because of the roadway's high sides.
(Also, a personal word of caution for any brave individuals that wish to personally tryout the "nice" dirt road: The side of the road had some severe gullies here and there, i.e., was victimized by severe rain storms and flash floods. If there is any chance you may be in one -- like bad cloudy weather -- you may want to attempt your visit over the road another day.)
One rare visually clear view to the tracks ... The track is farther away than this telephoto indicates.
A side road to the tracks was found about midway over the twenty miles, and this posted drove over to near the tracks. The two-track grading was NOT present, so the grading in Part A had been stopped somewhere EAST of the below pictured location.
In the above photo, the mast on the right was number plated 7107, i.e., was in the vicinity of M.P. 710.
Under the very adverse, hindered line-of-sight conditions, it could NOT be determined exactly where the two-track grading begins on its trek eastward.
Some areas appeared to have new culverts and a bunch of protective rocks by them, but those sites were visually inconclusive as to new track grading.
Continued in Section 4
Part C, Section 4 (of 1-4)
The Ted Kipf Rd. eastward ends at the ‘real' Ogilby Rd, in a semi-civilization environment.
A previously shown view from Ogilby Rd. looking west:
A previously illustrated eastward view:
At the Ogilby Rd. grade crossing, the two views below that were shot this past Saturday shows wires on the old installation that are vulnerable to being knocked down. New boxes that apparently are now being installed have suchlike cables safely buried.
Note the railing and small culvert on the center left of the last photo above. It has been patiently waiting for a second track for months.
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Part D will be posted by Wednesday afternoon, July 7, 2010, and will continue the research investigation eastward where Part C has left off.
Definitely a sign of dedication (or madness) to head out to Glamis on Fourth of July weekend. Bet you didn't see many off-road nuts on the dunes when you passed by, at least not so many as you would see over, say, Thanksgiving.
Part D, Section 1 (of 1-5)
You may remember this previously posted photo looking westbound from Sidewinder Road, very near I-8.
A previously posted photo looked north at the DIRT road grade crossing. Only the track area has pavement.
Sidewinder Rd. has been newly paved and is no longer a dirt road.
A previous view looking east: Because of limits to the line of sight, it is unknown exactly where the two-track grading ends, but it is very, very nearby this location.
Part D, Section 2 (of 1-5)
The second-track's grading ends, and the line has only a single-track width eastward for a mile to a mile and a half.
Looking west near I-8.
View looks east. The westbound double-stack train is moving photo leftward.
Part D, Section 3 (of 1-5)
At [CP] SP726 ARAZ the old line becomes two-tracks eastward, still in mountainous territory.
The two-track line passes through some good cuts, and then opens up to flat desert land out of view on the right in the below photo.
Part D, Section 4 (of 1-5)
From the CP signals in the previous post, going eastward the two-track line comes to what is believed to be a SINGLE-crossover at [CP] SP729 WINTERHAVEN, where an eastbound train on Main 1 is capable of crossing over to Main 2, but not from Main 2 eastward to Main 1.
Further east, the two-tracks go under an intermediate signal bridge and cross First Ave. The views look westbound from that grade crossing.
An eastbound view: The big bridge in the distance is Union Pacific's 1923-built bridge over the Colorado River
You may recall from past posts that those two-tracks become single-track at [CP] COLRADO right before the big Colorado River Bridge.
Continued in Section 5
Part D, Section 5 (of 1-5)
So, somewhere WEST of Ogilby Rd., PROBABLY about two-thirds of the distance eastward between Glamis and Ogilby Rd, the grading for two-tracks begin and heads east to somewhere past Sidewinder Rd., with a mile or so gap, with generally a seven mile section of two-tracks thereafter clear over to right before the Colorado River crossing.
The below previously shown photo looking westbound is of the same CP illustrated in an eastward view of the last photo in Section 4 just above.
Also previously shown, is that big Colorado River Bridge that was in the background of the third photo of Section 4.
The distances that were graded in the photos in Parts C and D, when added to the present two-track segment to the Colorado River crossing, collectively seem to be comparable to the new two-track section between ESTRELLA and MARICOPA, AZ.
East of the Colorado River, in Arizona, the line becomes two-track again, but only continues as such eastward for about five miles before it turns back to single-track.
So, what kind of logic there is in having TWO two-track sections collectively act as sort of ONE section WEST of Yuma, AZ is unknown. It may simply have been to avoid the extra cost of cutting a path for a second-track through a short mountainous territory, though it does not appear to be a treacherous one, neither a rocky one. Or, perhaps that grading was put on hold just as contractors reached the hilly area simultaneously with the economy souring.
In the broader picture, the uncompleted second half of the El Paso to Los Angeles two-tracking of the Sunset Route was likely temporarily set aside in favor of long meeting tracks here and there until things got better economically. But, even that abbreviated approach, though, seems to have been put on hold.
To be posted Thursday, July 8, 2010: One new cantilever signal structure in Industry is completely up now, the mystery CP box at Spadra in Pomona has arrived and is in place, and there is an unusual sight to behold on the BNSF at Colton Crossing.
Update as of Tuesday, July 6, 2010:
City of Industry to Colton, CA
Part I (of I-II)
At the site of the present [CP] AL503 MARNE X-OVER the new EAST cantilever signal bridge (for westbound trains) has been totally erected, but the signal heads have black wrapping over them.
The new WEST cantilever signal bridge's top section (for eastbound trains) was being worked on while it was on the ground, adjacent to its support structure already erected. The cantilevered part did not have signal heads on it yet.
The site of the previously posted June 25, 2010 photo below of concrete panel track on flatcars has NOT changed. Everything is as it was before, leading this poster to conclude more than ever that the panel tracks will be used in conjunction with Pomona Diversion track realignments in due time. But, we will have to wait and see.
The CP box for the four-track Spadra interlocking west of Temple Ave. on the west side of Pomona has arrived, and appears to have been placed in position. Since the box and new signals are not in service yet, no box CP nameplates are attached.
The above photo was taken from a Lanterman Development Center parking lot that is just south of the four-track Diversion Project CP.
In that photo there are TWO high poles by the CP box, each having what appeared (out of photo view) to be an antenna on top of it. To have two communication antennas for one box is rather unusual. Thus, it would appear that the two southern tracks with our track designations of Mains "A" and "B" will come under the Los Angeles Sub (LA&SL) Dispatcher's authority, whereas Mains "C" and "D" will be with the Alhambra Sub (SP) Dispatcher's jurisdiction. A train crossing over between Dispatcher jurisdictions here or at [CP] AL514 HAMILTON would likely require a signal to be cleared by BOTH Dispatchers. It needs to be realized this is only a conjectured opinion based on field observations.
Part II (of I-II)
The new signal bridge that was temporarily taken down on the west side of Humane Way in Pomona is still on the ground. No progress seemed to have been made, and the scene looked exactly just like this previously shown view shot back on June 12, 2010.
By that Humane Way new west side signal bridge that was taken down is an unhooked-up CP-size box. While recent posted photos contained glimpses of the area of that box, it is believed that a full photo of the new barbed wire chain link fencing around the box itself has never been shown herein. Likely that fencing is to prevent even more graffiti from being spray painted onto the box.
The south base for the west signal bridge is visible on the above photo's upper right.
It is unknown if signal-, track-, switch-parts or something else are in those containers. But there seems to be some kind of hard to photograph track being assembled as well as related material just south of those containers.
This poster has observed various activities from time to time for decades at the Colton Crossing, but never anything like this. It is unknown if such activity is part of the Colton Flyover project or merely coincidental to that project's recent California Transportation Commission's OK to construct the Flyover.
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