The Blaine Street (Riverside) and …
… Downtown Perris Areas
Part “F” (of A-J)
Down by 6th Street, looking south to 7th Street (the PVL track is on the background left), the old track has all been taken up.
The 6th Street grade crossing still has the old tracks through it.
Continued in Part G
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 “E” (of A-J)
Looking southish from Nuevo Road, in theory, the counterpart signal to the one by San Jacinto Road (around the background curve) should be positioned in the view just before the curve. But, no mast signal has been erected yet.
In downtown Perris, near the “Tastee” eating place, a look west towards the new grade crossing alignment. Traffic would backup, then clear for a bit, then backup again, and over and over this went on.
The activity at the closed and fenced grade crossing:
Continued in Part F
Part “D” (of A-J)
K.P. headed to Perris, and stopped at the Nuevo Road overpass. Camera is pointing Inbound.
Above, since the last visit, the shifting alignment looks more like a commuter speed one.
By the CP, there was track equipment.
Continued in Part E
Part “C” (of A-J)
Over at the staging area, the other rail is grabbed ahold of, and the process starts anew.
A couple of workers were seen doing something with a machine moving inbound.
K.P. went over to the nearby Mt. Vernon Ave. grade crossing, but while the track had been laid previously behind the camera, no track laying was present from here inbound.
Continued in Part D
Part “B” (of A-J)
Looking back southeast again, the lose rail can be seen being positioned, and more so as the crew is getting closer to Blaine Street.
(The tall, leaning Palm trees in the distance gives some of the above photos a distorted perspective, but the completely vertical light standards reveal the truth of what is vertical and what is not.)
Finished, the employees head back to get the other rail.
Continued in Part C
Part “A” (of A-J)
This is the Blaine Street grade crossing, looking west. Railroad-wise, Perris is to the left.
The angled grade crossing, view towards Perris.
Above, in the background, one can see concrete ties, as below:
Looking northwest, inbound, concrete ties are staged. The track is still the old track here.
Continued in Part B
Upcoming Series Bate
Headway 2 (of 1-2)
As mentioned by erikem, the high trafficked 4th Street grade crossing in downtown Perris was closed, and the new track and alignment was still being worked on even on a Sunday!
It was so chaotic on the roadways in downtown Perris because of the busy 4th Street road closure, the above photo had to be taken a block away from the track, to the east. Both erikem and garyla had mentioned in their posts of a tasty eating place called “Tastee.” K.P. conveniently parked there to shoot the above photo. To make their mouths water in front of their computers, a few photos of the eating place was taken too, and are posted herein. The first photo below was in close quarters, and hard to take and get most of the sign in the frame
K.P. hopes they (and everyone) have a full stomach when they look at the above photos … (The word ‘apatite’ in the first paragraph of Headway 1 was used deliberately and for obvious reasons … Hehehehe.)
Anyway, other photos were taken of the downtown Perris activity (at least what could be gotten to), and some trackwork as well that was taking place in the Blaine Street area of Riverside. A selection of the photos will be presented in two or three days.
Headway 1 (of 1-2)
K.P. was on the tentative lineup for either Monday or Tuesday, but as it worked out, the ‘dispatch coin flip’ ended up landing on the unexpected Sunday, March 8, 2015. So, though totally bushed, off he went … A more thorough findings report will be posted in a few days, but a few findings are presented to wet the forum’s ‘appetite’ (“appetite”).
This forumist has been anticipating a mast with signal heads on it being erected somewhere near where Poarch Road and Gernert Drive meet on the Box Spring grade, by Watkins Drive and the 60 Freeway. A previously shown photo of that location, looking outbound (east):
No signals were there. So he went east a bit, but didn’t find any signals either.
Returning to the grade crossing and looking east, TWO inserted, slightly staggered insulated joints were seen!
So, a mast will likely be erected here by the grade crossing, with one east side head for westbound trains, and two heads on the west side for eastside outbound trains.
But in working up this post, the first photo above was examined more carefully than before. Those insulated joints were present a few weeks ago! K.P. must be blind as a bat for not seeing them.
Continued in Headway 2
Gary,
Didn't see anything that grabbed my attention at the swap meet this time, but did buy my first book in a number of years from the OERM bookstore - first bought a book from there in Dec 1976. Was fun running into some of the familiar faces as well.
OERM has run trains on the San Jac branch in years past.
- Erik
erikem I just got back from Perris - the crews were hard at work on the 4th Street crossing, looks like they're digging down two to three feet for the subgrade. Heard from a very reliable source that there will be a track connection to OERM. Was pleased to see the "Tastee" stand still in place on 4th two blocks east of the Perris depot, remember seeing it back in the late 70's.
I just got back from Perris - the crews were hard at work on the 4th Street crossing, looks like they're digging down two to three feet for the subgrade. Heard from a very reliable source that there will be a track connection to OERM.
Was pleased to see the "Tastee" stand still in place on 4th two blocks east of the Perris depot, remember seeing it back in the late 70's.
I was also out there today; the OERM swap meet is always worth hitting.
You noted two pieces of good news from the town:
--Yes, OERM definitely is on its way to having a track connection at the old ATSF depot in Perris, where MetroLink will make stops. This should be a nice step forward for the museum.
--And the Tastee still stands, and serves up some good-tasting fast food. For someone my age (66), eating there is like a trip back in time.
Second Section
A few of the below photos appeared recently in the “Sunset Route Two-Tracking Updates” thread. Near the Iowa Ave. overpass (that goes over the BNSF Transcon’s three mains), the future junction switch for the connection to the Perris Valley line was laying trackside.
The Perris Valley line goes over a culvert area just before the BNSF connection.
The switch will probably be inserted into BNSF Main 3 (foreground), where the right-of-way was made to widen (lower right) with new grading.
Above, the Iowa Ave. overpass in seen on the background left.
Conjecturally, the present new track-relaying by Mt. Vernon Ave. and the Box Springs grade will probably reach the above junction switch area by month’s end, making the new switch laying trackside presently quite timely.
Presently, the BNSF tracks are Mains 1, 2, and 3 (top to bottom, ABOVE photo) by Iowa Ave. Presently, too, Main 3 tends to be used by westbound BNSF’s, and Main 1 by eastbound traffic. K.P. envision three-tracks being extended northward (eastbound) to by the Barton Rd. overpass (camera position, looking south), so all three new truss bridges over the I-215 Freeway have a BNSF live track through them.
He also envisions the tracks rearranged, so Main 3 turns into Main 3 (above photo, forefront left). There presently is NO Main 2 between Highgrove (far background) and Colton (a few miles behind the camera), just Mains 3 and 1 (left to right). That way Main 3, while being available for freights, will have Metrolinks using Main 3 (and the Perris Valley Line connection) with little freight interference.
Time will tell if these things turn out that way.
Update as of Monday, March 2, 2015
The Mt. Vernon Ave. / Blaine Street Area
Riverside, CA
Part IV (of I-IV)
Concrete ties are also stationed by Blaine Street.
The walling that is up by Mt. Vernon Ave. continues past Blaine Street for a number of blocks, maybe a half a mile to a mile.
This will end the series, but a related Second Section follows.
Part III (of I-IV)
Along Watkins Drive, a few blocks away from the Blaine St. grade crossing, there is a stack of ties ready for the track renewing project.
This is the rail crossing of Blaine Street, with Watkins Drive (lower part of photo) paralleling the track.
Above, as slightly discernable in the view, from left to right, the track elevates steeply.
Also above, note the TREE on the other side of and by the track on the photo far left. It was very recently trimmed. I conversed with a driver who got trapped on that track very recently, when the truck ahead of him had to surprise stop for a crosswalk-pedestrian crossing Watkins Drive. That driver was so disturbed by the experience he contacted Metrolink. Metrolink may have been the entity that trimmed the tree in response to that driver’s contacting them. Super ironically, it was just a few days later (from the contacting Metrolink) that the statically dangerous grade crossing in Oxnard had a train vs. vehicle incident that derailed the commuter train, some cars landing on their sides, and sending half the train’s passengers to the hospital. The engineer (overseeing a student engineer) died from injuries a week later.
This Metrolink cab car No. 645 (going away from the camera) was photographed at the State College Blvd. grade crossing in Anaheim on Sunday, February 15, 2015.
Nine days later it was involved in the Oxnard collision and landed turned around on its side (photo left).
The person that K.P. conversed with envisions a like grade crossing incident at Blaine Street in Riverside, with a vehicle trapped on the tracks because of a vehicle ahead surprise-stopping for a pedestrian, and a downhill cab car led Metrolink clobbering the vehicle and likely derailing and sending scores to the hospital too. It should be noted that the track crosses Blaine Street probably at a 45 degree angle, with future Metrolink inbound trains (to Los Angeles) approaching from behind a vehicle driver’s field of view.
Continued in Part IV
Part II (of I-IV)
K.P. does not have a track redoing schedule, but Mt. Vernon Ave. west (inbound) possibly to the next grade crossing, Blaine St., should be next.
Continued in Part III
Part I (of I-IV)
From the Mt. Vernon Ave. residential grade crossing outbound up the Box Springs grade, the redoing of the track is finished.
Continued in Part II
On November 16, 2013 the Union Pacific steam people were involved in the slow movement of their then newly reacquired UP Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 at the Pomona, CA fairgrounds. That painstakingly slow movement process was over the parking lot pavement. So, to have pavement under the weight of a train is not new. A little different, but not new!
Metrolink power and commuter cars are nowhere near the weight of UP 4014, but, nevertheless, freight trains on the line and special movements to the OERM facility are possible, and will go over that blacktop under certain sections of track in Perris.
Many Surprises during the Friday …
… February 20, 2015 Outing
Perris-Riverside, CA
Part “N” (of H-N, Overall A-N)
The ballast pickup spot.
And heading to the unloading spot.
And around and around they went!
A bunch of concrete ties were also by Mt. Vernon Ave.
Likely that continued to take place into the night, during a window when BNSF locals would not be using the line for the weekend.
Footnote: K.P. had a surprise dispatch Monday, February 23, 2015, and while he did not visit the above area, he DID see a northward BNSF San Jac train in Highgrove, just down the way. So, the totally gone track obviously had been relayed and back in service!
This will conclude the series. However, a brief Second Section follows.
Part “M” (of H-N, Overall A-N)
In lowering sunlight, there was a flurry of activity, with new ballast being placed over the whole section EAST of Mt. Vernon Ave. Each truck took its turn and backed into a ballast loading area, and then exited to deliver its load somewhere around the curve.
Continued in Part N
Part “L” (of H-N, Overall A-N)
The track is out of service and totally gone close to the bottom the Box Springs grade, at the Mt. Vernon Ave. grade crossing. View looks south.
The bus bench is for Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) patrons.
K.P. tends to park at a convenient church’s parking lot, and hike in a few hundred feet to the PVL track. The church had someone hosing down things, and K.P. was expecting for them to ask that I park elsewhere. But, they said nothing. Was he a railfan too? Perhaps he was just a nice guy!
Continued in Part M
Part “K” (of H-N, Overall A-N)
In the Box Springs Mountain area of Riverside, near the top of the grade, the supposedly to be closed grade crossing, now has grade crossing panels in it! Looking inbound (west)
Outbound:
Continued in Part L
Part “J” (of H-N, Overall A-N)
Outbound towards the South Perris station, those two old and rickety wood timbered bridges are now being replaced with pre-stressed concrete ones.
Welders seemed to be having a welder’s party, with each support being welded close to the same time.
The new track abruptly stops by the new bridges, and old track off the ways.
Continued in Part K
Part “I” (of H-N, Overall A-N)
K.P. is not sure what the black wrapped items are coming up from the ground.
Looking north:
Just above, judging from the position of that blacktop patch just above the left isolated track, the PVL track will swing leftward up to that patch, with the OERM track curving over to it. We’ll have to wait and see if it works out that way.
Continued in Part J
Part “H” (of H-N, Overall A-N)
At 7th Street, a group of workers were finishing off some type of work at the grade crossing, possibly the installation of grade crossing panels.
Looking southeast at the OERM track. The PVL track is on the far left, visually under the left crossing gate mechanism.
Looking southwest:
The OERM track is in the background.
Continued in Part I
Laying blacktop on the subgrade has been seen in other projects, most notably BNSF's doubletracking of the Transcon in the Abo Canyon area. By sealing off the subgrade it ensures that drainage will be to the side of the track, not into the mud underneath. On projects like Abo Canyon it also provided dust control and an effective haul road for construction equipment. Obviously the short segments here aren't needed for that.
K.P.:
You have provided many hundreds of interesting, highly documentative posts in this and your other SoCal railroad threads, but this has to be one of the most interesting. My, what curiosities and oddities you found!
First, how exciting to see a community's rail link come back to life! It is many a rail-fan's dream that passenger connections would come back to abandoned stations and isolated towns that they have known; and here you've cought it taking place! Imagine...you will be able to reach New York by rail from Perris, CA soon! I hope that the obvious signs of immediate change have sturred some excitment in the community.
The black-top surfaces are a mystery! It is obvious what the surface will do, but WHY? Poorly draining soil? I hope the forum can provide some answers.
That odd turnout arrangement is curious also. It would seem that a less aggressive approach would aid in passenger comfort (...or is that just your telephoto lens causing a bit of a compression to make the jog of the track look a bit more severe?).
Looking at all the odd jogs, strange turnouts, and odd inclusions, I have to chuckle-- I am reminded a novice model railroader doing very un-prototypical things on their first real layout.
And the label on the crate was very cool, too!! Again, a most interesting set of posts! Thank you!!
John
Part “G” (of A-G, Overall A-N)
A crate by and for that switch!
The sticker has a great enlightening for us!
So, it is a low speed right-handed manual one!
An overview looking north: left of the background Perris depot is a new grade crossing box (unhooked up yet), and a stack of new wood ties on the right.
Just above, that far from the depot east crossing gate is seen, and the fence (far right) that the old non-mainline track through the grade crossing straddled.
--------
Continued in Parts H-N, scheduled for posting Thursday, February 26, 2015 by 6:00 P.M. Pacific Time
Part “F” (of A-G, Overall A-N)
Parts and concrete ties for assembling a switch!
Just above, look! A Union Pacific-like spring frog!
Part “E” (of A-G, Overall A-N)
Looking north from 6th Street, a blacktop area has been put down, as if a switch was going in here.
Also, west of the grade crossing a big pile of ballast is now present.
Do you see what K.P. sees across the way?
Part “D” (of A-G, Overall A-N)
That strange alignment inspired a more down on look from the Nuevo Road overpass.
So, the Metrolink commuter trains will not take the turnout route as previously thought, but they will take the NEW, ANGLED STRAIGHT SWITCH ALIGNMENT.
Looking the other way, southward, the I-215 Freeway is on the left, the track on the right. All the concrete ties and ballast are in place, but NO counterpart single-direction head(s) signal is present, at least yet.
We now go back to the downtown area, to 6th Street. Looking south-like to the OERM track and the 7th Street grade crossing, where construction workers had laid new grade crossing panels for a nice vehicle ride over the tracks.
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