K.P. Yes my idea of bird proofing the bridge is odd. Usually bird spikes are closer together and only 4-6 inches high. Who knows what the reason for these. Pidgeon droppings tend to whitewash everything and are very corrosive. Maybe they have supersized pidgeons here.
Update as of Wednesday, July 4, 2018
The SP-side of the Diversion is Open!
… but there is a Very, Very Bad Omen to it!
Pomona, CA
A contact indicated the SP-side of the Diversion in Pomona had been opened to service, as of July 1, 2018. K.P. took advantage of the July 4th holiday, and visited the Diversion to see what had transpired. It was felt the most significant location would be the Temple Ave. overpass, where a westward overlook view of the new CP C028 SPADRA could plainly be seen.
Above, the third track FROM the left, our Track C, is the new SP Alhambra Sub alignment. But, alarmingly, THE RIGHTMOST SIGNAL, for the FOURTH track (our Track D, un-laid), HAS BEEN REMOVED! Thus, there are NO Track D signals anymore, suggesting there won’t be a Track D. But, yet, there are uninstalled concrete tied switches laying trackside right of center in the photo.
Unbelievably, there were plenty of UP track workers working on the July 4th Holiday!
Only 35 photos were taken during the several hours K.P. was in Pomona. He hopes to put together a postings report on his findings. At this point it is unknown if the report can be put together and posted by Friday morning, or if it will have to wait till around 7 A.M. Monday morning (Pacific Daylight Time) for approval.
In Other Matters … Your Opinion Please …
In investigating other forum outlets, a rather abhorrent posting process at railroad.net was found, where the posting of photos was generally by links. Links? Yes, by links! But, the more that approach was contemplated it started sounding more and more logical.
That approach is thus being tried in this post, with the same photo as above … What do you think of the method for seeing photos?
LINK (that you can click on):
https://s26.postimg.cc/er3ehzrax/2018-0704-01.jpg
As you know, past posted photos on a page of 30 posts at trainsmag.com ALL are accessed at the same time, and it takes TIME for all those photos to load and appear. IF ALL photos were mere links instead (as just above), posts would appear almost immediately, and you could access only the photos you wanted to see. I would image such would also cut down on bandwidth being used, which likely would benefit this TRAINS website.
Your opinion on all this, please!
Best,
K.P.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
[quote user="Deggesty"]
K.P., it is good to see you back; may all of your privileges be soon restored. {quote]
+1. Looking forward to more K. P.
K.P., it is good to see you back; may all of your privileges be soon restored.
Johnny
Reverse Order Replies
matthewsaggie (7-2): Very Bad Timing
Thank you for your kind words.
As you may know, I’m on restricted posting. So, there is little incentive to go out of one’s way to post something right away when something happens when posts need to be approved, sometimes waiting for days, like during a weekend.
The forum may be shocked to learn a colleague received word that the Diversion in Pomona, CA appears to have been cut in THIS past weekend. So, the old SP Pomona Ave. and Temple Ave. grade crossings may be NO more!
Unfortunately, I learned about it too late to do anything about it yesterday. I’ve elected to not pursue documenting it with photos because that documenting can’t be posted in a timely way. I’ve been approved for unrestricted posting at another forum, but too many things are going crazy right now to work on it, and it is hard to figure out why everything is hitting me right now. One troublesome problem is that my GMAIL account has gone crazy and I can’t email or read emails from anyone. Did I say too many things are going crazy?
Wasn’t there a salt slogan ‘when it rains it pours’?
ccltrains (6-29):
You know, ccltrains, as absurd as your speculation sounded to me, you may have something there! Initially, it was thought they were walkway wire hand supports, but none of my many photos show such wiring between those uprights. Thus, the only logical conclusion seems to be uprights as a scarecrow type effect. The area has been known to have terrible dropping problems from pigeons, so maybe the uprights are an effort to ward off such a problem on the truss bridges.
Three July 16, 2014 views, in all cases no protective wire railings are seen between top uprights:
The above latter two photos were at the WEST construction site. Below, from near the EAST construction site a “bridge” was in position (left) for installation over the freeway. Photo dated April 3, 2014. It did NOT yet have those top uprights.
In a 2015 photo those uprights are still present on all sections of the all the trusses.
Some spots for miles around have had a terrible pigeon dropping problem. Store owners have been known to fire several rifle shots each morning. So, I would say, ccltrains, your guess is probably right on, as illogical as it initially sounded. I personally see no other logical explanation for such vertical pointer type things.
In the area, about a mile northeast of the now in place truss bridges, is the 1960 era Barton Road two-lane overpass over the I-215 Freeway in Grand Terrace. It is currently being replaced with a wider structure. WEST of there, and NORTH of the truss bridges, is the 1936 built curved Barton Road overpass over the BNSF Transcon. K.P. still has heard of NO replacement plans for that bridge, which prevents BNSF from triple-tracking its Transcon there, which section is the alternate Sunset Route, which sees many Sunset Route trains to or from Arizona and New Mexico traversing it.
At this point in time K.P. has no plans on visiting Arizona, except loosely perhaps in 2019 around June or July. K.P. suspects (“suspects”) after the Golden Spike celebration at Promontory, UT with steamer UP 4-8-8-4 No. 4014, out of appreciation for Pomona, CA giving up that steamers, No. 4014 may (“MAY”) travel the LA&SL to Los Angeles, maybe to Pomona itself. To display the steamer there would be a nightmare, but UP figures things out. If No. 4014 visits Pomona, maybe (“maybe”) it will travel the Sunset Route to El Paso, TX soon afterward, and give us Sunset Route Two-Tracking followers a thrill. THAT is just conjecture and speculation, but it would seem Pomona would be early visited.
OK … Enough speculation, from the tops of truss bridges to steamer No. 4014 …
Best to everyone,
KP, a big thanks for all your efforts and postings. You are missed by me and many others when your not posting updates. Be safe and hope to hear from you soon.
ccltrains What are the spikes on top of the BNSF bridge for? Are they to keep birds away?
What are the spikes on top of the BNSF bridge for? Are they to keep birds away?
They were there for construction. I believe they were for worker protection and removed when the bridge was completed.
From the InMaricopa website: http://www.inmaricopa.com/weekend-weather-includes-scorching-heat-air-quality-warning/
It looks like work is moving forward on the SR 347 bridge project in Maricopa. You will recall that the UP wanted it to be wide enough to accomodate four tracks. On one of the cooler days down the road (like maybe September), I'll journey down that way to verify and take some photos of my own.
John Timm
K.P.-- First of all a big thanks for all your efforts.
Many of us here are not as young and foolish as we used to be so venturing into the desert wastelands alone certainly is not as appealing as it used to be, and we simply know better. I would think a 4x4 essential and a buddy tag along.
'Things' have changed on the Forums. I am forever grateful to Kalmbach for the Forums but the loss of key contributors have had an impact and we are all weakened. It is puzzling. We shall see what the future brings.
Well, best of luck out there and many of us will eagerly await your future postings. Have a fabulous summer.
K.P.,
Ah, come on ! I was sure hoping that you could explore the Welton - Arlington section at some point. That road is mostly dirt but my guess it that it's good enought for passenger autos. Just be sure to go during the cooler part of the years (November - March) and still take plenty of water.
Regards,
Fred M. Cain
A Very, Very Prolonged ‘Quick’ Visit …
… to the Yuma-Wellton, AZ area!
Saturday, June 9, 2018 (One Day!)
To start, a quick summation: There were NO additional new signals erected from Yuma’s East Yard to the previously erected but not activated yet two-track stretch to Wellton, AZ, the last intermediates being on a cantilever signal bridge at Ave. 29E in Wellton, and the trip was thought to have been a total waste of time. However, at the last stop, CP SP771 WELLTON, a new signal, THE KEY ONE, had been erected, and was a red over type!
So, the present Southern Pacific installed equilateral (wye) switches (plural) at CP SP771 WELLTON must be on borrowed time, and the CP will be converted to 40 M.P.H. two right hand normal switches with moveable point frogs..
CP SP771 WELLTON
To Phoenix ---------------- / /--------------------- \ --------- \ /------------------------------
.
And the Horror Begins!
The idea was from the High Desert in California leave about 9 A.M. and get to Yuma, AZ, see and photograph what was going on, and quickly return to base in California, about a twelve hour roundtrip. So, at the session’s end, back in the car and camera packed away by CP SP771 WELLTON, the key was inserted into the ignition switch and turned. NO CRANKING! There was plenty of juice, but the starter refused to turn! The Arizona AAA was called, and so much time was consumed with them that the cell phone died. Walking perhaps a mile a nice, friendly lady was found at a far apart residence, and she woke up her sleeping husband. Him and I drove back to the disable car, and jumped it, but the engine refused to even turn. He brought me back to his home again. From there I called AAA again, but this time a more sensible person answered. AAA came out, failed in attempting to crank the engine, and towed me to Yuma. Since it was a weekend, I had to find lodging and stay till Monday. Towing the car again Monday to a Honda dealer, it was determined that a new starter was needed. One was installed, and the car was back in service!
More about Arizona Two-Tracking
On Sunday, June 10, 2018, while being held hostage by circumstances, one of my adult boys, who happening to be in San Diego at the time, came out and kept me company until my auto was repaired. I used his car to drive about Yuma, and take a few photos.
The signal spacing at and in the vicinity of the Colorado River big truss bridge suggests that the river crossing will be two-tracked sometime in the future.
The above curved concrete bridge over the area is the I-10 Freeway
Arizona two-tracking seems to be on a slow-track situation … as if there was some political reason keeping it at a snail’s pace, besides the Positive Train Control two-tracking delay. AND, the fact that the 40 M.P.H. equilateral switches are being replaced suggests that a locking-horns situation with the State of Arizona may exist for the long term. A key location will be what happens at CP SP753 DOME, but K.P. has repeatedly been thwarted in getting to that location. He shutters what would have happened if his car had broken down in that remote area!
So, if there are any at the forum that has a four-wheel drive vehicle and has an adventurous spirit, you are welcome to give us at the forum a further report, a Dome area assessment.
K.P. is NOT going to travel on dirt roads anymore, which unfortunately will likely have a major impact on forums reporting in some areas. That combined with the forum policies and recent low viewer and posting counts, he questions whether the forum will even be around in a year or two. In that light, no further Arizona visits are envisioned for at least a year.
He swung by the Beaumont Signal Department on Beaumont Hill on the belated return from Arizona, and that CP box from the Tehachapi Loop once there was indeed not there anymore, so it was transferred to Colton as posted about almost a week ago. Exactly why boxes are being moved around between signal departments is not known.
Anyway, maybe in a year the future Highway 347 overpass over the Sunset Route in Maricopa, AZ will have substantive construction seen then, and we could find out whether the CZ dome car Silver Horizon was moved or not.
K.P. may post something here in a few months if anything newsworthy warrants it, but at this point K.P. has nothing further to report.
Until an unknown next time, take care all,
Skip-pity Hop CP Box and …
… the Colton Signal Dept.
The forum may remember the box for Tehachapi Pass’ CP SP352 WALONG that was inside the UP fenced yard in Beaumont, CA. That box now (Wednesday, June 6, 2018) seems to be inside the Colton Signal Department’s fenced yard in Colton.
That box several years ago was put in adjacent the Tehachapi Loop when Positive Train Control was put in and color light signals came on scene, and was the SOUTH end CP for the looping Walong siding. When the section to the east (railroad south) was recently two-tracked, the CP and box were no longer needed. It later gravitated to Beaumont, and now Colton. UP most have some plans for it besides a spare. Possibilities include LA&SL two-tracking Pedley east to the Santa Ana River, possible track alternations by the LA&SL Bridge over the 91 Freeway in Riverside, and perhaps somewhere in the Kaiser area on the actual Sunset Route, possibly relative to the two-tracking between Ontario and Fontana.
The spools of signal cable seem to have been thinned out as well.
Of the previous twenty or so, the five remaining switch motor crates are still in the fenced Colton yard.
The badly deteriorated sign on a building module has been replaced or repainted..
As seen, at the time of the above photos, a train had stopped on the 2013 finished Colton Flyover. Wow! It has nearly been five years since it was completed.
There is NO known two-tracking in Southern California, though there are several loose ends needing to be finished, namely in the Puente area, the Pomona Diversion, and Ontario-Fontana.
This will end the post.
Electroliner 1935 Probably are not equipped for PTC.
Probably are not equipped for PTC.
Good point.
JTT
Makes sense John ... Been seeing a bunch of sunburnt SD60 and SD70 series units on the Rochelle WebCam.
Passing through the Marsh Station area east of Tucson this past week, I noticed that the stub end of the former Sunset Route WB main was vacant with no stored engines anywhere in sight. Lots of older EMD power on trains, usually trailing something newer from GE.
K. P. Harrier A Money Saving Offer and this Thread … K.P. received a somewhat hard to refuse email offer from photobucket.com, which is supposedly under new management, to special offer restore photos to posts (third party hosting) for a modest about $20 per year. That seems reasonable, and way different than the unreasonable nearly $400 per year under the previous management. $20 annually is something K.P. could (“could”) donate in behalf of the forums for the forums photo enjoyment.
A Money Saving Offer and this Thread …
K.P. received a somewhat hard to refuse email offer from photobucket.com, which is supposedly under new management, to special offer restore photos to posts (third party hosting) for a modest about $20 per year. That seems reasonable, and way different than the unreasonable nearly $400 per year under the previous management. $20 annually is something K.P. could (“could”) donate in behalf of the forums for the forums photo enjoyment.
Over the years I had used Photobucket (perhaps) a dozen times to post to this forum and elsewhere. Nevertheless, a year or two ago I received the same "offer" from Photobucket as K.P. did to serve as a photo host on the same exorbitant terms. I was offended both by the price required and the "do this or else" tone of their communication.
I put Photobucket on my spam filter list so I have no way to know if they subsequently have attempted to reduce the price to $20. Frankly, it would take cash moving the other way to change my mind regarding them.
However, presently K.P. is under restriction at the TRAINS forums for posting an off the cuff religious thought. And, that restriction seems indefinite. A Kalmbach associate was inquired of if posting “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Easter” was a no-no also. Kalmbach never replied to that email. I guess they don’t want to be a hypocritical Scrooge!
Hence, K.P. sees no need to spend money (read Photobucket.com) in behalf of the forums. K.P. also perceived an advertiser problem looming at the forums, as advertisers expect advertisements to be viewed by a projected amount of viewers, but if forum viewers are being chased away by TRAINS Magazine policies, advertisers might become ruthless, and fur start flying in the back halls of Kalmbach. And those paying customers (advertisers) are ALWAYS right, if you get my jest.
After the photobucket.com $400 problem last year, K.P. started using postimg.cc (or a variant), and posting photos with them has been virtually flawless and a marvel. However, their wrong extension debacle and all the photos lost therewith have to make one wonder how practical posting photos is in behalf of the forum, especially if the forums might be done away sometime in the future, as Kalmbach’s Astronomy Magazine did a number of years ago and all the money, travel, and effort K.P. spent in behalf of their forums went down the tube.
As for a Yuma, AZ trip, that is still on sometime in June to August of this year. The Houston area and new Brazos Yard construction between Houston and Dallas is very, very unlikely now. Posting is drastically curtailed for obviously reasons, with too much working against posting and the use of photos. The only reason this post was posted is because of the photobucket.com development, and the obvious reason K.P. didn’t bite with their very modest offer.
Another potential reason for the unlicensed vehicles. Arizona has very high registering fees ($1,000+/-) for new cars. This reduces as the vehicle ages. If the same holds true for trucks/buses and they are to be used in Arizona in in future years UP may be holding off on registering until they age a little and have lower fees.
Hey! Is the Unbelievable Coming True?
Evidence that an Indio Passenger Train …
… May NOT be so ludicrous after all!
For a number of years now rather ludicrous reports have been circulating from time to time that a commuter passenger train service would be started between the Indio area and Los Angeles on the Sunset Route in Southern California. Two westbound passenger trains in the morning and two eastbound trains in the evening have been projected, operated by Amtrak. Union Pacific reportedly opposed this as it’s rather slow, busy ‘freight’ line over ‘Beaumont Hill’ is totally incompatible with swift commuter trains. K.P. had conjectured in the past such would be possible IF commuter interests (NOT the railroad) paid for a third track over Beaumont Hill, which seemed hugely improbable because of the prohibitively high cost of doing so.
However, K.P. passed through Beaumont (CA) twice on Friday, May 11, 2018, the return dispatch trip with a little time to focus on the UP’s fenced yard with signals and switch motors in it.
For months now there have been an increasing number of stored, NEW, utility trailers in that fenced yard (top background of above photo), WITHOUT LICENSE PLATES! Buses, trucks, trailers, etc. can move on the roadways without plates under a special provision of the law. Apparently, UP’s new utility trailers were delivered under that provision, or were hauled on flatbed trailers, and once in possession of them the railroad is under no requirement to vehicle-register those utility trailers if unused on UP property and not on public roadways. So, those utility trailers are seemingly trapped now in the UP fenced yard UNTIL registered and equipped with license plates. That situation could go on indefinitely. But, the NEWS point in this is that more and more and more new, unlicensed utility trailers are accumulating in the Beaumont Signal Dept. yard! Why, though?
Is a future triple-tracking blitz of Beaumont Hill in the cards? With a blitz Beaumont Hill could be triple-tracked in only a year or two, and commuter trains zooming up and down that hill, WITHOUT hindering UP’s congested “two-track” freight line. In non-commuter train hours UP freights could use that third-track however it wanted. At the discretion of the UP dispatcher a commuter train could be routed through the maze of tracks in any way the DS wanted to swiftly get the commuter trains from Point A to Point B. Of course, maybe the commuter agency would demand freight and computer trains run on separated tracks, but that seems highly unlikely in K.P.’s opinion.
In that possible triple-tracking, we are talking about Indio to Colton. From Colton to Los Angeles the new commuter trains would be routed via the BNSF through Riverside, Corona, and Fullerton
https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/11/12/coachella-valley-train-los-angeles-stations/75651492/
Another possible way of looking at matters is that UP might (“might”) be thinking about forgoing additional two-tracking in Arizona, and using the LA&SL via Salt Lake City instead for its Los Angeles-Chicago traffic, inspired by a possible (“possible”) bad rail environment in Arizona. Not two-tracking the remaining very long stretches of the Sunset Route in Arizona, and adding commuter trains to the Sunset Route in Southern California might make Arizona think of all the high paying railroad jobs they are not getting because of some unknown, weird, rather deranged mentality it may have.
So, in light of this unofficial, speculative ‘utility trailers’ conjecturing, can you think of any other reason why the fenced Beaumont Signal Dept. yard would have more and more and more and more un-license-plated new utility trailers being stored therein? A ‘time issue’ of sorts contradicts the utility trailers concept, however. Further official studies suggest by their duration A FEW MORE YEARS will be needed, just for the studying the matter, such as Environmental Impact Reports and the like, by the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC).
http://www.rctcdev.info/uploads/media_items/cvr-factsheet-dec2017-eng.original.pdf
So, utility trailers being in Beaumont NOW seems illogical in a way, unless UP knows something that we all don’t …
Other RCTC information for reading:
http://www.rctcdev.info/rail/coachella-valley-rail-service
This will end the posting.
Replies without Photos
kgbw49 (4-12):
Thanks for the kind words and comparison to great sports teams. Sometime I get excited about a sports team, sometimes not. My wife is more of a sports follower than I am, but she always watches big events like the World Series or the Super Bowl, and on those usually I’m there with her too.
MikeF90 (4-13):
What actually happened with postimage.org isn’t clear, but I got the distinct impression they were using an extension (.org) that didn’t meet their classification or location. Their first extension, “.io,” was about the British Indian Ocean. Their present extension, “cc,” is Cocos (Keeling) Islands northwest of Australia. Such exotic places, however, make me uncomfortable in some ways because our avocation and hobby interest, i.e. railroading, does have a certain national security aspect to it, which I’m sure the forum might have certain uncomfortableness about those extensions too.
In light of the current fiasco at trainsmag.com, my posting has dramatically been reduced. Hence, I hope to have time to investigate exactly who that photo hosting outfit is, and make adjusts if prudently necessary. But, it has to be said their website is virtually flawless and trouble free, which is quite refreshing in itself.
ed375 (4-16):
Yes, I too would be disappointed if Kalmbach did away with these forums. But, you know, ed375, EVERY coin has a flipside. And, that flipside here at the forums is that Kalmbach would stand to lose revenue from advertisers if the viewer counts lowered dramatically. Even their own sales of books and videos could be jeopardized. So, immature, kneejerk reactions from any short sighted, overworked staffers may have way more consequences than any may have realized, and those consequences would be tremendously difficult to trace and nail down as to the actual cause of reduced sales revenue.
Anyway, ed375, great getting your thoughts and feelings!
To All:
I’ve pretty much gotten things covered, with little presently happening on the Sunset Route, so will go into hibernation for a while. Any that sees something, please speak up.
Take care all,
Reply with Photos (Continued)
mvs (4-21):
Industry, CA and Cajon Pass
Two views of both new pony girder bridges over the 91 Freeway in Riverside while the freeway was being widened some three years back.
The present two new bridges over the 91 Freeway just lingers on and on and on, possibly because of litigation regarding the collapse of the original bridge and a fatality that resulted to a dismantling worker. That might explain the delay in Cajon Pass. Of course, if that second 91 Freeway bridge will be used where it is at, the speculation herein has been for nothing. I guess we will just have to be patient and wait for something concrete to develop.
HOWEVER, mvs and the forum, when on site last Sunday, a southbound photo by CP SP469 CANYON (very close to that bridge that needs to be replaced) was taken, that may be more significant than first realized.
Those background mast signals remain short ones! Is it possible that the curve will be relocated slightly with a more swooping curve; hence, CP SP469 CANYON would need to be relocated too?
Most interestingly, CP SP469 CANYON is the NORTH end of the Canyon siding. The SOUTH end, CP SP471 CANYON, when the signals were converted to color lights from targets, they had tall, contemporary masts erected. See right signals on the below linked photo from railpictures.net:
http://railpictures.net/photo/646385/
Ironically, the north CP nearly 2 years ago suffered the Blue Cut fire and the CP boxes there got charred up something fierce.
The forum may remember my assessment of CP SP620 THERMAL (with a 30 M.P.H. switch) near Indio, CA on the Sunset Route, and the OLD new color light signals erected there, and how K.P. thinks the two-tracks will be extended eastward only one mile sometime in the future, and that may be the end of two-tracking in that area for some time to come.
So, the old signals at CP SP469 CANYON may (“may”) be a sign of an upcoming track alternation there.
OK, now that I’ve bent your ear off, mvs, I’ll move on …
Continued in “Replies without Photos”
Reply with Photos
I’m glad you liked the photos of the new Workman Mill Road / Puente Ave. underpass. The place has a wondrous atmosphere about it, almost like it is hard to believe such an underpass is actually there!
An absolutely unexpected visual sight in seeing the now open underpass in person was the lack of vehicles now on Workman Mill Road / Puente Ave. I guess previously, when there was a cross intersection there, vehicles use to back up at red stop lights, and add trains traffic would backup severely. At seeing the fluidity of traffic now, and the lack of vehicles stopped, one wonders WHY an underpass was even needed in the first place. If I had not seen it before and the wild traffic jams that had resulted, I would say the underpass was a total waste of taxpayer monies. I’m sure glad I saw it in person in the past, because like you, mvs, I’m convinced it was taxpayer monies well spent!
About Highway 138 in Cajon Pass, on Sunday, April 22, 2018, I revisited the highway area where the SP Palmdale Cutoff goes over it, and found the bridge bends a bit at the center support area.
On a west side view of the railroad bridge one cannot see that slight bend. In 1966-67 that bridge was put in with the ability to add two other lanes to Highway 138, with a center support to that railroad bridge.
Near the same spot as where the above photo was shot at, a westbound view of Highway 138, with five lanes, two in each direction plus a center joint left turn lane, with very wide shoulders.
From the unpaved future lanes area of Highway 138, and a southbound on the Palmdale Cutoff:
A railroad bridge over Highway 138 without a center support would have to be at least seven vehicle lanes wide. The new LA&SL temporary bridge over the widened 91 Freeway in Riverside (CA) as a shoofly looks to be six traffic lanes wide in EACH direction. But, in theory (“in theory”) that temporary bridge could act as a shoofly in order to replace the current Palmdale Cutoff bridge in Cajon Pass, until a seven lanes wide Highway 138 permanent railroad bridge could be put in, either a pony girder or a truss type. .
Continued …
K.P., thank you for posting this great photo series. A few thoughts:
Second Section
A Feeder Line and a Possible ‘Big Bridge’
The Mojave Subdivision, that goes over Tehachapi Pass, eventually wyes into the Sunset Route at Colton, CA, which town is on the east side of West Colton Yard. On that Mojave Sub the line goes over Highway 138 in Cajon Pass.
Very nearby to the east that highway also goes over the BNSF Transcon tracks on two separate bridges in succession. From those grade separations recently the two lane Highway 138 for about 15 or 16 miles westward was revamped into a five lane highway. It is beautiful to drive, instead of the two lane one that was one of the most deadly highways in America in the past. However, the multilane roadway needs to be finished by the Palmdale Cutoff and the BNSF tracks, and thus remains two lanes only. (See above photo) Apparently, Caltrans is waiting on the railroads for design approvals. Or information on what the railroads want.
That Palmdale Cutoff Line was built in 1966-67 and the present bridge (again, above) over Highway 138 dates from then. It has a center support with bridging on each side, with room for two paved traffic lanes on each side. Caltrans wants to build, however, a new bridge without a center support. They say they are now waiting for the railroad. But, the point here is what type of bridge would be built? Will it be like the present one picture above (unlikely), or maybe a large truss bridge?
The new LA&SL (alternate Sunset Route) bridges over the 91 Freeway in Riverside, CA:
You may recall two new bridges were needed in that replacement, with the south one eventually to be removed altogether, or possibly used for Metrolink.
Then, of course, we remember the new BNSF truss bridges over the I-215 Freeway in the Grand Terrace area of California, the alternated Sunset Route.
We remember, too, how those new truss bridges were re-locatable, and once the shoofly route was done with, the supports were chew apart and removed.
A truss bridge on a curve would be huge, and spectacular! Whatever is decided upon, we will just have to wait and see what happens. While only near the Sunset Route and not on it, K.P. just thought this little Cajon Pass tidbit might be of interest to some ‘Sunset Route Two-Tracking Updates’ thread followers, seeing that so many trains on the present Cajon Pass bridge get onto the Sunset Route, for either West Colton Yard or to get to the Los Angeles area. Then, too, and this is purely wild speculation, but maybe the hang-up on the 91 Freeway bridge is because the shoofly bridge is awaiting a lawsuit outcome, and once settled, the track with be re-laid on the other new bridge, and the shoofly bridge transported to Cajon Pass and act as a shoofly bridge there! Like was said, that is just wild speculation, but the lingering on about the Highway 138 widening makes one wonder.
Situation Update as of Tuesday, April 10, 2018
A New Grade Separation Opens and …
… 1.7 Miles of Future Two-Tracking
Part “H” (of A-H)
A Focus on the ‘Up and Over’
Back at the ‘Up and Over,’ the eastern sloping downward Sunset Ave. bridge, looking east.
Now, from some old photo files, from August 14, 2010, the east slope of the ‘Up and Over’ from California Ave., looking westbound:
Above, the old shoofly track was still in place! That track on BOTH ends had to be taken up and eliminated so the ‘Up and Over’ could be finished.
The Concept of Two-Tracking
Looking east from California Ave., towards CP AL500 NEW SIDING back on August 14, 2010 also:
A similar eastward view from February 15, 2010:
The difference in track configurations is that one has the shoofly connected, the other doesn’t.
So, when a second track is laid over the ‘Up and Over’ both CP AL488 BASSETT (M.P. 498.2) and CP AL500 NEW SIDING (M.P. 499.9) will be eliminated and this section identified as ‘Two-Tracks,’ UNLESS UP will consider the new track a long siding … The then UP timetable will be the definitive authority on the matter. From the present CP AL500 NEW SIDING all the way to CP AL504 MARNE (M.P. 503.9) the second main is classified as multiple SIDINGS and NOT two-tracks, though it looks like two-tracks! But, because of the signals about at the top of the ‘Up and Over,’ K.P. is betting it will be classified as two-tracks.
This will end the series. However, a Second Section follows about a non-Sunset Route but related bridge.
Part “G” (of A-H)
We remember on the LA&SL, on the line to Las Vegas, at the top of Cima Hill, there is a similar arrangement, but the next signal east is a CP signal, so here at CP C255 CIMA Main 2 (right) it is capable of the not only green over red, but yellow over yellow to go into the next siding ahead (to the east). Cantilevered center signal is for Main 1, the left signal is the siding. All photos this Part taken July 30, 2016.
That Cima two-track line has intermediates midway on Main 2 with only two-lamp top heads. Two views from July 30, 2016:
Continued in Part H
Part “F” (of A-H)
The forum may remember the Sunset Ave. grade crossing below the ‘Up and Over,’ with all those flashers!
Looking westbound on the north side from Sunset Ave., and the seven years old now intermediate signal for the future Main 1 that has never been activated:
Westbound from the south side:
Above, that westbound TOP head, if you look real close, only has a two lamb head, capable of a highest display of only yellow over yellow. The next signal (after a yellow over yellow) should in theory be a red over signal, but since the switch is only a 30 M.P.H. one the next signal is capable of green!
Continued in Part G
Part “E” (of A-H)
A Different Angle
City of Industry, CA
Westbound a few blocks, at Vineland Ave., a westbound view. The Metrolink tracks are on the right. A bunch of Intermodal well-cars were in the SP Bassett siding.
Looking eastbound, the ‘Up and Over’ bridging is seen in the background, with the trackless second track’s alignment on the right.
Above, where the new underpass is at is seen on the fencing on the far left
Those Intermodal wells and the ‘Up and Over.’
At the top of the background ‘Up and Over,’ note the un-activated signals.
Continued in Part F
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