Update as of Saturday, April 30, 2011
Construction Sites
Part I (of A-L)
The Magnolia Ave. Underpass
Riverside, CA
A brief mention ... The signals are still turned aside at the old CP C055 STREETER location (but with the new box present).
However, in an unusual sight for one to see, those turn aside heads were now lit up!
Continued in Part J
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 J (of A-L)
As a reminder, on August 14, 2010 at the old CP C055 STREET, because of the shoefly, the OLD switch appeared to be cut in half.
On the visit for this post, that cutup switch did not appear to be present, but other parts were on site.
There was, however, a wood tied switch lying nearby, south of the tracks. It is unknown if it was the same old one mended back together or a new one brought to the site.
Now, we go to the Milliken Ave. flyover project in Ontario.
Continued in Part K
Part K (of A-L)
The Milliken Ave. Flyover Project
Ontario, CA
The east side of Milliken Ave had more grading done at the site, and there were now embankments present on that grading. That grading jogged slightly.
There was no shoefly grading yet connecting over to the mainline track on the east end. Equipment of two sized is seen on the right.
Continued in Part L
Part L (of A-L)
Another small team of grading equipment was parked over the weekend on the west side of Milliken Ave.
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A PS tidbit:
Colton was also visited, but nothing newsworthy was obvious or discernable.
However, something was missing ...
The 'Signal Construction Gang #5793' work trailer that has been at Colton for months and months was NOT present, and its whereabouts is unknown. The new tri-light signals in the Alhambra trench was reportedly to be activated this month (May 2011), so that area is one possibility for the trailer's whereabouts. The future CP AL514 HAMILTON was visited also, but no workers were present. Nor was a 'Gang #5793' trailer seen either. Everything was quiet there.
Update as of Monday, May 2, 2011
The Magnolia Ave. and Salton Sea Areas
Part I (of I-II), Section A (of A-E)
A Quick Return to Magnolia Ave. in Riverside, CA
It was only two days earlier, on Saturday, that the site was visited, and now a further inspection was made on Monday.
A westward view:
Looking east at CP C055 STREETER, the signal heads are no longer turned aside, but facing forward:
The switch was now in place and in use, but its alignment was crude; and a severe slow order was in effect.
Continued in Section B
Part I, Section B (of A-E)
In kind of a mood shot: A setting sun view looking west. The temporary CP C055 STREETER had been between Brockton Ave. (lowest grade crossing) and Palm Ave. (the middle grade crossing). The top grade crossing in the far distance is Streeter Ave., where the name CP STREETER was derived from. The two-tracks become single-track again about a mile out of view on the upper right, at CP C053 ARLINGTON.
Continued in Section C
Part I, Section C (of A-E)
The Magnolia Ave. gate bells started ringing, and the quiet zone horns start blaring! And blaring, and blaring, but no train comes ...
After a long time, the train finally came, an eastbound Metrolink under a very severe slow order. (Remember the crooked track in the third photo in Section A?)
The tail end of the Metrolink had one of the spiffy new, super crashworthy, door-less fronted cab cars in the new colors. (The strong cars where inspired by the very deadly Chatsworth, CA UP / Metrolink head-on of 2008.)
Continued in Section D
Part I, Section D (of A-E)
In the first and second photo of the previous Section C, a yellow over lunar signal is observed. The next signal (for the Metrolink on the west platforms) is red over lunar for the straight-track route (lower right).
Straight through UP mainline traffic in the above photo uses the turnout route, a rather unusual situation. That turnout route goes over the BNSF. A westbound view:
An eastbound view: The Metrolink track to the station is on the far left center.
Anyway, all that explains what the yellow over lunar was about that the Metrolink commuter train received in Section C.
Continued in Section E
Part I, Section E (of A-E)
The restored CP's new box now has placards on it identifying the CP point for train crews.
Part of the slow-order going was because of all the ballast still laying uneven on the tracks. The 40 M.P.H. switch and extended throw rod at CP C055 STREETER is visible.
So that's what has been happening at the Magnolia Ave. underpass construction site.
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Part II is slated for posting on Saturday morning, May 7, 2011, and will deal with rather uneventful things in the Salton Sea area, yet also some very strange, surprising, and unbelievable things, plus a few territory tidbits. On the humor side (about a strange thing), you may wonder if 'something' trackside likes beer ... It is a different railroad world out there!
K. P. Harrier Update as of Monday, May 2, 2011 The Magnolia Ave. and Salton Sea Areas Part I (of I-II), Section A (of A-E) A Quick Return to Magnolia Ave. in Riverside, CA It was only two days earlier, on Saturday, that the site was visited, and now a further inspection was made on Monday. A westward view:
K. P. Harrier Looking east at CP C055 STREETER, the signal heads are no longer turned aside, but facing forward: :
Looking east at CP C055 STREETER, the signal heads are no longer turned aside, but facing forward: :
K. P. Harrier The switch was now in place and in use, but its alignment was crude; and a severe slow order was in effect. Continued in Section B
- Paul North.
K. P. Harrier Update as of Monday, May 2, 2011 The Magnolia Ave. and Salton Sea Areas Part I, Section B (of A-E) A Quick Return to Magnolia Ave. in Riverside, CA In kind of a mood shot: A setting sun view looking west. The temporary CP C055 STREETER had been between Brockton Ave. (lowest grade crossing) and Palm Ave. (the middle grade crossing). The top grade crossing in the far distance is Streeter Ave., where the name CP STREETER was derived from. The two-tracks become single-track again about a mile out of view on the upper right, at CP C053 ARLINGTON. Continued in Section C
CP C053 ARLINGTON is about 1 mile NW of the far end of this photo as K.P. says, at about these Lat./ Long. coords.: N 33.96697 W 117.43411 It's just before the multi-arch bridge over the Santa Ana River, and on the northeastern side of a little multi-purpose yard and transload facility, etc. - at the northern end of Fremont St. about 0.3 mile north of Jurupa Ave.
K. P. Harrier [snipped] The tail end of the Metrolink had one of the spiffy new, super crashworthy, door-less fronted cab cars in the new colors. (The strong cars where inspired by the very deadly Chatsworth, CA UP / Metrolink head-on of 2008.) Continued in Section D
http://www.fra.dot.gov/downloads/safety/Accident_Investigation/2005/hq200508.pdf
Looks pretty good, though. As Bill Cosby would have said (from his "Tonsils" monologue comedy routine): "Hey, you - yeah, you - almost a locomotive !"
K. P. Harrier Update as of Monday, May 2, 2011 The Magnolia Ave. and Salton Sea Areas Part I, Section D (of A-E) A Quick Return to Magnolia Ave. in Riverside, CA In the first and second photo of the previous Section C, a yellow over lunar signal is observed.
In the first and second photo of the previous Section C, a yellow over lunar signal is observed.
K. P. Harrier The next signal (for the Metrolink on the west platforms) is red over lunar for the straight-track route (lower right). K.P., did you maybe crop a little too much off the left side of this photo ? I don't see anything that could be a red-over-lunar in the photo immediately below - but in the next one, I could see the dark-headed and 'hooded' or 'shielded' signal in the 'V' between the 2 sets of diverging tracks and facing towards your right being such a signal, which would be a little more left of the left track in the top photo. Is that correct ?
K. P. Harrier The next signal (for the Metrolink on the west platforms) is red over lunar for the straight-track route (lower right).
K. P. Harrier Straight through UP mainline traffic in the above photo uses the turnout route, a rather unusual situation. That turnout route goes over the BNSF. A westbound view:
K. P. Harrier An eastbound view: The Metrolink track to the station is on the far left center.
And the 2 tracks in the foreground are both BNSF, with UP as a tenant of some kind ? For how far - through the Colton Crossing area and Cajon Pass ?
K. P. Harrier Anyway, all that explains what the yellow over lunar was about that the Metrolink commuter train received in Section C. Continued in Section E
Interesting article on the Marsh Station project.
http://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/Work-Progresses-on-Marsh-Station-Project/16133/
Robert
K. P. Harrier Update as of Monday, May 2, 2011 The Magnolia Ave. and Salton Sea Areas Part I, Section E (of A-E) A Quick Return to Magnolia Ave. in Riverside, CA The restored CP's new box now has placards on it identifying the CP point for train crews.
K. P. Harrier Part of the slow-order going was because of all the ballast still laying uneven on the tracks. The 40 M.P.H. switch and extended throw rod at CP C055 STREETER is visible.
Here are a couple of unrelated tidbits in this area that I picked up on: About 0.1 mile northwest of the above photos is the "California Southern Law School" (about which I know nothing), on the portion of adjoining and winding Elizabeth St. that runs North-South, before it turns to the northwest to intersect Magnolia Ave.
And about 0.8 mile west of Magnolia Ave. (well before Streeter Ave., though), on the south side of the tracks and then Dewey Ave., north of Central Ave., just west of Carlo Drive, and then north of Beatty Drive, is a little neighborhood over at these Lat./ Long. coords.: N 33.95621 W 117.41121 with a squared-off circle for a street design and with the following street names:
Lionel Ct., Caboose Ln., Topeka Terrace, Southern Place, Chattanooga Drive, and then: Locomotive Lane ! Gotta get some photos of those !
Part II (of I-II), Section A (of A-E)
A Sometimes Strange Land At and East of Salton Sea, CA
The Salton Sea and Niland areas were visited. Nothing new was observed, but some loose ends were tied down. This forum contributor also saw some strange things, an area almost as if another time was visited with a time machine.
Two-tracking generally has been over flat or mild grades, in an environment of wide open places. One kind of scenic area is by the Mortmar siding. The below westward view is of CP SP635 MORTMAR at the siding's east end, and shot from Parkside Drive.
A telephoto looking east: Believe it or not, but this is high speed running territory.
So, when it arrives, two-tracking will need more than simple grading through this area.
The blue on the top of the last photo above is not the sky! It is Salton Sea!
The high up camera elevation of the photo just above can give the forum a feel for this area.
It should be noted that Salton Sea is a few hundred feet BELOW sea level! It sounds strange that the Union Pacific AC45's and SD70ACe's that run through here are actually in an area lower than the Pacific Ocean!
Further east, a rather rare, newer pre-stressed concrete bridge was observed. While newer, it had some stains, and was only of the single-track type.
Part II, Section B (of A-E)
K.P. got excited in the CP SP648 BERTRAM area when he spotted a surveying instrument. A land surveyor (LS) was found a few blocks away, and he conveyed that the surveying was for a telecommunications project alone the tracks, and not railroad related in itself. (Note the Salton Sea on the far right.)
There were plenty of contract workers and vehicles by the tracks, apparently for the telecommunications project.
However, UP was digging (with a couple of digging machines) a trench and was laying what looked by signal cable in the trench. (Note the trench by the vehicle's front tire, also the trench to the left of the vehicle.) What UP was doing here is not exactly known. A street sign conveniently markers the location as Range Road.
So, the preliminary grading shown previously ...
... was NOT directly related to two-tracking.
Part II, Section C (of A-E)
In the community of Niland, there are three-tracks, consisting of one center mainline and a siding on each side of the main. The right track does not have a signal here, as it is longer than the south siding. When this area is finally two-tracked, track layers and other workers might need nose masks for the occasional nearby field burns.
It would seem that this site is a good candidate for a three-track cantilever structure when two-tracking arrives here.
Now, the goal was to follow the tracks on a dirt road from Niland all the way to Glamis, a distance of over 30 miles.
A road on the south side of the tracks was pretty good. Matters surrounding the west switch of Iris (at CP SP674) 'seemed' fine.
Part II, Section D (of A-E)
The east switch of the Iris siding was a different story. It was as if the signals at CP AL676 IRIS on the siding's east end could talk ... The west mast might say: "Man, am I drunk! But, I think I'll have just one more beer."
The east mast responds: "I think I'm smashed too, and hardly can stand up. But, I have to have just one more drink also."
Part II, Section E (of A-E)
Traveling eastward further on the south side, the road appeared to end, so a retreat was made back to Niland, for a road on the north side was seen on maps. Going eastward again, Ted Kipf Rd. was deliberately passed, and this contributor ended up at the Iris siding again, but on the north side this time!
Looking west: There is that tipsy signal again! Not only is it leaning back, but to the right slightly also.
An eastward view:
So, back to Ted Kipf Rd. (photo background), and then eastward ... The foreground cross street is Coachella Canal Rd. with westward to the left.
But, this Ted Kipf Rd. sadly became too sandy, and it was deemed impassable!
Thus, getting to Glamis was not in the cards for this trip. It had been hoped that the Glamis area could have been reached and the Mesquite trash facility that MikeF90 spoke of could be checked out. Official website information for the trash train effort had mentioned two daily trains going to the site eventually.
In not being able to travel Ted Kipf Rd., it could not be determined how far the westward progression of new tri-light signals had reached. It is known new tri-lights are in the Glamis area, but as seen in the first part of this series, the old target signals are still by Salton Sea and Niland.
It is hoped sometime in the future the Niland to Glamis UP line can be checked out further, but apparently access will have to be from the east end, at Glamis. The dirt road there has been passable, for it was observed in the past that locals frequented the road quite often. Such is very different from the "T" meeting of Ted Kipf Rd and Coachella Canel Rd. (above last photo), as not a soul was in that area, except this curious (and sober!) one with a camera ...
Update as of Thursday, May 5, 2010:
A Non-Salton Sea Very Odd News Quirk
By the City of Industry in California, on the west side of the 'Up and Over,' specifically at the east switch of the Bassett siding, at CP AL498 BASSETT (M.P. 498.2), the track has been raised, which necessitated reposition the whole switch!
The below reshown March 17, 2011 photo shows the dual-controlled switch involved (forefront).
Having been redone, instead of being on flat ground, the east end of the switch is elevated higher than the west end of the switch. So, the west end of the 'Up and Over' seems to now have a two-step climb to the top.
I was on unexpected business in the beach area, and was passing through the City of Industry BRIEFLY to see if anything was new rail-wise there, and there was, as reported above. It is hoped the new development can be investigated at length in the next few weeks.
K.P., I haven't had the chance for the last few photo sets, but thank you again!!!!!
As for Ted Kipf Road, Google Maps shows it starting on the southwest side of the tracks progressing northwestward from Glamis; the road then crosses the tracks and continues jaggedly on the northeast side of the tracks until it hits that Coachella Canal Road.
You would need a printed map and GPS to keep up with a dirt road.
To Paul North: The Riverside train station that K.P. talked about is the one that serves Amtrak's Southwest Chief. I think the La Sierra station and maybe even the Pedley station are also in the City of Riverside, as well as potential stations on the San Jacinto Line.
Although not directly related, this information is likely to be of interest to those who have been following construction progress along the Sunset Route:
At a recent meeting of the Southwest Valley Rail Partnership, it was disclosed that there is interest in building a connection between the Sunset Route at Gila Bend and the Union Pacific Phoenix Sub west of Phoenix at Buckeye. This would be an alternative to rehabbing the largely dormant west end of the sub which rejoins the Gila Sub at Wellton. The Maricopa Association of Governments has agreed to underwrite the cost of a comparative study. MAG is a coalition that includes the mayors of local communities, Indian tribes, and ADOT.
As recently as last November, the UP expressed interest in building a yard at Buckeye due to the fact that much of the freight destined for the Valley ends up west of Phoenix.
Local governments like the idea of reconnecting the west end as it would hopefully alleviate some of the train traffic that now comes up via Picacho through the heavily residential East Valley. Although the focus for now appears to be on freight, one would expect that returning direct Amtrak service to Phoenix would also be a consideration. What that would mean for the current stop at Maricopa is open to question.
John Timm
@Paul_D_North_Jr,
Hi Paul! I'll let K.P. respond in more detail to the particulars of his fine photos, but this photo shows the beginning of UP trackage rights on the BNSF between West Riverside and Daggett (just east of Barstow); see my SoCal area map for markers. The current Metrolink lead follows the path of the former UP main and diverges just west of CP West Riverside at CP SCRRA Junction, also seen in the linked photo.
@desertdog,
John, that is great news about the consideration of a 'West End' cutoff. While creating the markers for my Gila sub map I was noticing the short distance between Dateland (west of Gila Bend) on I-8 and the dormant part of the Phoenix sub. Also, the wide Hwy 85 ROW looks like an obvious alignment. Hopefully this project won't get bogged down by some obscure NIMBY objection or environmental impact.
EDIT - added link to Maricopa Association of Governments site, see Resources item 5M - and Projects - Commuter Rail Planning.
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! ***
K.P. and the Twilight Zone
On a Saturday, May 7, 2011 post, mention was made of a Thursday, May 5 'brief' K.P. passing through the area of the 'Up and Over' in the City of Industry (CA), and that there was some strange trackwork (like raised track) on the structure's west end approach, at CP AL498 BASSETT. Well guys, I must have been in the Twilight Zone! Other than that I have no explanation for what I saw last Thursday, because yesterday, Monday, May 9, 2011, I was at that site with plenty of time to document the situation, but everything was mostly like it had been!
Talk about a Twilight Zone experience ... or the mind playing tricks on one. Absolutely unreal! Sorry about that guys ... and Thursday I didn't even get to meet Rod Sterling of Twilight Zone fame either!
Anyway, the above photo shows the present reality of the unchanged CP AL498 BASSETT (left switch) looking east. The switch to the right is for the industrial track that is at ground level alongside the north side of the 'Up and Over.'
-------
Unexpected circumstances yesterday brought K.P. twice to Pomona, CA. Thus, both Riverside (the Magnolia Ave. underpass) and the City of Industry (the 'Up and Over') was separately checked out on the two different trips, and the current findings will be photo presented to the forum in a few days, plus some replies are pending.
K. P. Harrier Update as of Monday, May 2, 2011 The Magnolia Ave. and Salton Sea Areas Part II, Section E (of A-E) A Sometimes Strange Land At and East of Salton Sea, CA [snipped] Update as of Thursday, May 5, 2010: A Non-Salton Sea Very Odd News Quirk By the City of Industry in California, on the west side of the 'Up and Over,' specifically at the east switch of the Bassett siding, at CP AL498 BASSETT (M.P. 498.2), the track has been raised, which necessitated reposition the whole switch! The below reshown March 17, 2011 photo shows the dual-controlled switch involved (forefront). Having been redone, instead of being on flat ground, the east end of the switch is elevated higher than the west end of the switch. So, the west end of the 'Up and Over' seems to now have a two-step climb to the top.
[snipped] Update as of Thursday, May 5, 2010:
That said, even in your most recent photo above, there does appear to be something of a hump or step directly behind the small signal/ controller/ switch box on the short post in the right-side foreground - compare the relative slopes to the left and right of that post, especially in the near rail; and also the relative slopes of both rails to the right of the post. I wouldn't even trust my eye there without some time to look at it all from several different angles !
As of this date (5/10/11), track for the second main on the Gila Sub in the vicinity of Casa Grande, Arizona extends as far east as Cox Rd., approximately M.P. 922. For all practical purposes, Cox Rd. is an extension of the S.B. exit off I-10 to Jimmie Kerr Boulevard. The road crosses the Gila Sub, turns from asphalt to dirt and continues a short distance south to an RV campground. Some new signals have been erected up to here but there are still some bare concrete pedestals in a few places, suggesting that more remain to be installed.
As you can see, something definitely has to give before rails can be laid any further to the east:
Looking eastward from the same location, it seems like it would be a bit of a squeeze getting two tracks under the I-10 overpass if the new rails were to continue along the current grade much further. More likely, a transition will take place beginning at about this point. In fact, the roadbed is graded on the north side of the existing main once you get beyond the highway bridge and continues towards Toltec where there is a passing siding on the north side (M.P. 928.8). The second main (Main #1) will thus likely pass through the adjacent space to the left of the support pillar:
Moving to the west towards the center of Casa Grande, when K.P. visited Peart Rd. on 3/26/11, track laying only extended up to the industrial tracks serving Fertizona and Cargill. The short set-out track at that location has since been put to further use as a link to the new track construction. The current connections into the industries remain in place for now:
Other than the slow depletion of signal masts and associated parts in the materiel yard downtown, little, if anything has visibly changed within Casa Grande proper. But big things are about to happen on the far west side of town at the east end of the current C.P. Casa Grande. Looking west, a new panel switch is about to be installed, allowing the siding (future main #2) to continue eastward across Thornton Rd.:
Although a new, higher speed turnout was recently installed here, a left-hand turnout that awaits just across Thornton Rd. tells me that the current connection from siding to main will be eliminated:
A large flashing sign indicates that Thornton will be closed for two weeks, beginning this coming Monday. A lot of machinery has already been marshaled to the site, along with several stacks of prefab grade crossings.
At the west end of the Casa Grande yard, some new concrete ties are now in place:
A short stretch of track has been laid at Ethington Rd. (M.P. 914), where there will be another eventual transition point. Up to now, a hand-operated switch (barely visible on the right past the gravel pile) has allowed access to the new Main #1 from here west. It looks as though a lot of rail is going to need to be shifted in order to create a smooth transition:
Contrary to various reports in other forums, the second track has yet to be placed in service eastward from C.P. East Maricopa (M.P. 898.8). However, several signal and track crews were at work today and from all appearances, this segment should be operational shortly up to Anderson Rd. Heavy traffic along the Casa Grande-Maricopa Highway prevented any further attempts at photography. Beyond Anderson Rd., a section of track has been laid to fill in the gap between that control point and the west end of the Bon Siding. However, the track remains disconnected at C.P. West Bon (M.P. 906.7).
rdamon (5-5):
Reference the Marsh Station Rd. area project east of Tucson, AZ, your submitted news link was an excellent one, most informative, and obviously penned by someone in the know. Thanks.
Paul D. North Jr. (5-5x):
The restored turnout at the original CP C055 STREETER is basically at the same location, give or take a few feet.
During the shoefly that necessitated moving the CP a number of blocks to the west, the old signals at the CP's original site remained erected, but the heads turned aside. Those SAME turned aside signals have NOT been relocated, but merely restored to pointing towards oncoming trains, thus proving the switch (between those signals) has NOT been repositioned a few hundred feet, but rather, is at the same basic spot.
As far as lenses, I currently use a cheap Sony digital camera with a non-interchangeable lens. Thirty-five years ago when without a wife, I toted around a few Nikons and a Hasselblad. I hope to purchase a digital Nikon in the future, but the Sony has been sufficient to document the 'still photography' two-tracking of the Sunset Route, but is horrible on 'moving' trains.
In the 2005 Metrolink Glendale suicide attempt, three-train crackup, many died. But, it was the 2008 Metrolink Chatsworth head-on that proved to all how flimsy the commuter cars were ...
... but Metrolink successfully looked for someone to make super strong cars to replace the cracker boxes.
A comparison view (old cars lower left):
The above three views are at Metrolink's San Bernardino end-of-the-line stop.
Continued ...
Continuation of memo to Paul D. North Jr. (5-5x):
While the Metrolink maintenance yard in Colton (CA) is full of new deliveries of those strong cars, putting the new cars in service has been rather slow.
It is a shame history repeats itself over and over and over again, even with cracker box passenger rail cars.
On March 7, 1907, over a century ago, the westbound Southern Pacific Sunset Limited at a high rate of speed crossed the Santa Ana River Bridge in Colton, CA, and encountered an open switch. That 1907 open switch was just beyond the present background overpass below (passing behind the top signal head).
Steamer SP 2416 derailed and flipped over, and the following wood passenger cars piled up into a horrendous pile of splinted wood, with such structural disintegrations there was obviously numerous fatalities. Later, the railroads used steel cars to avoid suchlike tragedies.
That 1907 wreck occurred at or near to what is now the east westbound signal at CP SP540 MT VERNON (M.P. 539.9), on what is now Main 2
In the modern age, designers stupidly started using metal unlike the steel cars of the modern yesterday. So, predictably, when the Metrolink crashes occurred, sadly, much blood again flowed.
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