BastaTimEgad another hideous wall that will be another tagger heaven, like the photo-blog and thanks for sharing.
It was either that or a tunnel under Islander Park. Oops, attractive nuisance alert.
K. P. Harrier ... snip ... Another possibility is back at Marlborough Ave. where that San Jac type train was parked blocking the line while the power was off switching industries on the old Riverside Industrial Lead some distance away. A controlled, CTC siding could be put in there.
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! ***
Egad another hidious wall that will be another tagger heaven, like the photo-blog and thanks for sharing.
The Highgrove Area to the Box Springs Area
Riverside, CA
Part “H” (of E-H, Overall A-H)
Another inbound (westbound) view with the present, old grade crossing box:
Lastly, looking inbound, the indented walling again with the line’s present joint rail going back around the curve and towards Blaine Street.
It would seem (“seem,” not that it will) a siding could be put in somewhere in this area. But, there are a number of grade crossings west of Mt. Vernon Ave. that would be a problem. Another possibility is back at Marlborough Ave. where that San Jac type train was parked blocking the line while the power was off switching industries on the old Riverside Industrial Lead some distance away. A controlled, CTC siding could be put in there. It shouldn’t be too terribly long now before the track layout becomes obvious as to how things will be.
This will end the series.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 “G” (of E-H, Overall A-H)
Looking inbound from Mt. Vernon Ave., note the stack of plastic rapped bricks on the left.
Another view:
The new walling takes an odd indentation going towards the tracks (photo center), and then returns to following the boundaries of the right-of-way (line of vertical rebar on upper left).
Continued in Part H
Part “F” (of E-H, Overall A-H)
A burial base has been put in.to the east of Mt. Vernon Ave., probably 50-100 feet from the grade crossing itself, likely for a signal.
The burial base is on an uphill grade and near a partial U-shape, steeply elevating route (see top of below photo).
That walling again, on the photo left, with the track on the far right.
Continued in Part G
Part “E” (of E-H, Overall A-H)
We now move over to the Mt. Vernon Ave. grade crossing, and much activity is taking place there. The most glaring is the new walling being erected. Looking outbound:
Other activity is present too. Outbound views still.
Continued in Part F
Part “D” (of A-D, Overall A-H)
A number of construction workers were at the Marlborough Ave. future Metrolink station site.
Just above note the CP signals in the way, far background. The back one has TWO heads. The foreground signal (just above, right), has a lower head too! Therefore, it would seem a siding of some sort could (“could”) be built behind the camera. We have a year of construction ahead, and many surprises and unexpected track arrangements may (“may”) present themselves.
The red, elevated water tank with the Ames Construction “A” insignia rests in an area that now looks like a construction zone.
-----------
Continued in Parts E-H, about the Mt. Vernon Ave. grade crossing vicinity at the foothills of the Box Spring Mountain area, to be presented Monday, December 15, 2014 by 6:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time.
Part “C” (of A-D, Overall A-H)
The immediate area:
The tied down cars …
… were there because the rest of the train was on that ex-Riverside Industrial Lead where engines were switching the business park type trackage about a mile away. Note the switch is locked in reverse.
Continued in Part D
Part “B” (of A-D, Overall A-H)
Just south of Citrus Ave., a short runaround track is present. Apparently it will not be a controlled, short siding, as it is too close to the CP behind the camera.
Southward about three or four blocks is Marlborough Ave. (camera location, looking north).
Looking south, a group of cars are parked, and another signal is present.
Just behind that mast signal is an old ballasted strip, where the old Riverside Industrial Lead once crossed.
(In 1905 when the Los Angeles & Salt Lake (LA&SL) started operations, for several months their trains passed on the ballasted, now trackless strip until an agreement could be worked out with the Santa Fe for trackage rights between Riverside and Colton. There was a switch in Colton by what is now the Colton Flyover on the Sunset Route.)
Between those signals is a switch (second photo in this Part), with a new track curving into what was the Riverside Industrial Lead (upper right).
Those new signals may (“may”) NOT be part of a CP interlocking plant, but merely protection on each side of the spur track switch. On the other hand, a siding may be put in here southward in the light that San Jac type freights need to park here to switch the industries on the Riverside Industrial Lead's tail end. Time will tell on that, though.
Continued in Part C
Update as of Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Part “A” (of A-D, Overall A-H)
Just north of Citrus Ave. in the Highgrove area, the future interlocking has two signals that have been erected. View looks north.
From off the BNSF Transcom (out of view on the west), the future line (lower left grading) will curve into this interlocking (right).
Continued in Part B
As reported elsewhere the Orange Empire Railway Museum and the City of Perris just kicked off the start of a fund raising campaign to build the new grade crossings for the museum's track. This will cost several hundred thousand dollars, so please support the museum if you can. Hopefully more details will appear on the above linked web sites.
Coincidentally, a Metrolink contractor will be closing local grade crossings periodically this month to upgrade them for the new Perris line service.
Driving Over the Iowa Ave. Overpass
I drove over the Iowa Ave. overpass Saturday afternoon, November 15, 2014, and it was noted that the WEST connection between the BNSF Transcon and the Perris Valley Line was graded. The east connection, to BNSF’s San Jac Line, did NOT seem to have a corresponding grading.
K. P. HarrierK.P. originally thought that those rail carrying 18-wheelers were heading to the Perris Valley Line, but they followed I-15 to an unknown destination. Anybody know where such lengths are currently being utilized at?
Unexpected Sighting: Can Any Trucker Share His
Knowledge?
This MAY OR MAY NOT involve the Perris Valley Line.
Circumstances developed very quickly, and on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 K.P. found himself southbound on the I-15 Freeway in Cajon Pass in an atmosphere where seemingly half the vehicles were 18-wheelers and the other half were autos, with extreme bunching with everybody moving about 40 M.P.H with the I-15 / I-215 interchange in Devore just a few miles ahead. Suddenly the No. 4 lane was blocked because a couple of guys had stopped and were looking for something in the trunk … In all this there were three flatbed 18-wheelers that I passed, their loads being lengthy new rails! K.P. has heard the maximum legal length of a truck trailer is 48-feet. The rails extended maybe 15 to 20 feet beyond with the obvious red flag on the end. (Can any trucker share the technical legal details on this for us?)
K.P. originally thought that those rail carrying 18-wheelers were heading to the Perris Valley Line, but they followed I-15 to an unknown destination. Anybody know where such lengths are currently being utilized at?
The Class I railroads have track laying machines (and use them very often on their tens of thousands of miles systems) …
Union Pacific laying a second mainline by Salton Sea, CA in 2012
… but contractors for such small entities as Metrolink for their Perris Valley Line probably find owning such machines totally impractical and cost prohibitive.
A never before posted photo of a short section of the new track in Perris
It is hoped the forum found something enlightening and educational in K.P.’s experience.
mvs (11-9):
Yes, it is great to finally see tangible construction progress on the PVL.
Friday, November 7, 2014, I was dispatched to deep within Riverside Country with none of the regular free time by the PVL. On I-215 between the I-215 / Highway 60 junction and Perris I did see a couple of construction works high up on one of those new intermediate signals, likely wiring that one up.
Take care,
K.P.
K.P.,
Thank you for the great updates here and with the bridge work in Riverside. Isn't it nice to see tangible progress on the Perris Valley Line?
Nope, landline, its the site since the 'upgrade', most definetly. When it works - its fine, but some of the time I go to post and all I get is the spinning wheel, this especially happens when I try to edit something. Then sometimes the dialog box opens up, but my cursor/keyboard/everything is frozen out, or only the box opens but none of the tools/options open, just the twitterish box and I can only post text. Then I come back later and its fine! It gets exasperating at times.
Have fun with your trains
vsmith (11-6):
‘Works or not depending on the weather’ … Hmmm … Sounds like you might have your Internet via DirecTV satellite instead of a landline.
For months I’ve not had a hookup problem. But, the TRAINS forum has given me convulsions of late.
Jeffhergert came up with something that works, though it is a chronic nuisance to do, i.e., ‘refreshing’ the editing post page each use, and all function button that go missing reappear.
I see the writing on the wall, though, with there now being no ‘search’ ability. So, the inclined is to just give up now.
Best,
....It is unfortunate that now that things are getting interesting on the PVL construction-wise, the TRAINS Magazine forums have taken a drastic turn for the worst. K.P. will thus do little documenting the scene this upcoming trip, unless something is found overly interesting …
A South Perris to Riverside Review
Part 3 (of 1-3)
In Riverside now, in the Box Springs Canyon area, from the steeply graded and angled Blaine Street grade crossing …
… residential walling is seen as having been put up.
Those above views had a north side perspective. The south walling (behind the camera) is not in yet, but is only in the early stages of being put up
Somewhere near the junction with the BNSF, a train heading towards Perris got ‘stabbed,’ i.e., blocked by construction on the line, and it had to ‘cut a grade crossing’ and wait and wait.
In the area of the junction with the BNSF, and traversing northward on Iowa Ave. over the BNSF, it was seen that NO transition curving or switch connection with the BNSF had been made yet.
This will conclude the series.
------
As of the date of this posting, K.P. expects again to be in the Perris Valley Line (PVL) area sometime between Friday and Sunday, November 7-9, 2014, but no specific arrangement has been set in stone yet. It is unfortunate that now that things are getting interesting on the PVL construction-wise, the TRAINS Magazine forums have taken a drastic turn for the worst. K.P. will thus do little documenting the scene this upcoming trip, unless something is found overly interesting …
Part 2 (of 1-3)
Several blocks north of the Nuevo Ave. overpass a short gap in the new track laying exists, and signals have been erected.
On the Nuevo Rd. Bridge, looking north, those above signals’ CP (whatever it will be identified as) appears to be an unusual CP, in that the Metrolink trains will take the turnout route, at least it looks that way at this point in time.
There is now an intermediate signal (left) south of Placentia Street, the first overpass north of Nuevo Rd. The track and future alongside track now jog there.
After conversing with a supervisor near downtown Perris that said the Metrolink speed limit on the tracks along the paralleling I-215 Freeway would be 55 M.P.H., it was thought that motorists on the freeway have a 65 M.P.H. limit, and may snub their noses at slower Metrolinks. On the other hand, Metrolink passengers will sail right by the gridlocked Highway 60 / I-215 interchange …
Continued in Part 3
On Friday, October 24, 2014 K.P. was in the Perris area, with a lot of free time here and there that allowed him to document much of the Perris Valley Line construction. In organizing a presentation for the forum, thirteen parts had been composed, with probably seven more to be work-up. Then the drastic change in the TRAINS Magazine forums occurred, a change to the negative. Thus, only a few significant highlights will be presented, in only three parts, in light of the difficulty that posting has become …
Part 1 (of 1-3)
The South Perris station, by Case Rd., is now having construction activity take place thereat.
From Perris Blvd. in the Case Rd. area, looking inbound at the new track that replaced the old one:
Now on the north side of downtown, at San Jacinto Ave., looking south towards the transit mall in the upper right distance. A new track’s alignment closer to the platforms is partially graded.
Continued in Part 2
Memo to mvs (10-25):Technically, the Perris Valley Line will be only Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) with intermediate signals between CP’s. The comment about Automatic Block Signals (ABS) was composed somewhere around 3 A.M. when K.P.’s brain circuits weren’t working so hot … Got the picture?Concerning the regular route being the turnout route near downtown Perris … That is what it presently looks like it will be. That could change, but track and ballast seems to suggest the turnout option is the way it will be.A construction supervisor I talked to said the line along I-215 was going to have a speed limit of 55 M.P.H. I had thought it would be much faster, but I guess planners of the rebuilt I-215 Freeway had no concept the line would someday have commuter trains on it, hence, routed some track around on and off ramps instead of routing the freeway around those on and off ramps.Even at 55 M.P.H., the turnout route might be that way to cue outbound engineers that the Perris stop is around the curve and it is time to slow down. Unfortunately, the new signals won’t be set up as Union Pacific’s higher speed signals, i.e., a RED OVER green to go BOTH ways through a turnout. Outbound through the turnout route will only have a single head signal, as with green, and the engineer will have to know there is a turnout ahead and to go through it at the appropriate turnout speed.Anyway, until the actual switch is brought to the site and installed, we are dealing with an element of uncertainty.Take care,K.P.
K. P. HarrierThe Perris Valley Line is currently having both Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) and Automatic Block Signals (ABS) installed....snip...Track is being laid also, though at the above signal’s CP the track has NOT been laid and is incomplete. At this point in time it appears (“appears”) that at the above signal’s CP that the higher speed Metrolink commuter trains will take, unbelievably, the turnout route!
Seeing signals on the Perris Valley Line is an accomplishment in itself!
I'm very surprised that ABS would be in effect on the Perris Valley Line. Equally surprised that the fast trains would have to take the turnout route. I think it would be worth the extra $$$ to have two upgraded main tracks through there.
Signals Have Arrived!
The Perris Valley Line is currently having both Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) and Automatic Block Signals (ABS) installed.The above mast signal is probably a half mile north of Nuevo Rd. in Perris, along the I-215 Freeway.Track is being laid also, though at the above signal’s CP the track has NOT been laid and is incomplete. At this point in time it appears (“appears”) that at the above signal’s CP that the higher speed Metrolink commuter trains will take, unbelievably, the turnout route!On Friday, October 24, 2014 K.P. was in Riverside County and on a few periods of free time was able to check out much of the Perris Valley Line’s construction, which has taken on a more visible, substantive pace. An assessment report should be forthcoming within a week.
mvs (8-29):
About a “maintenance facility” at South Perris … It seems I read something about that once too, but everything is blending together and not distinctive in my mind. But, such a South Perris facility wouldn’t strike me as prudent. There has been some ‘fork’ talk, a line forking off from Perris and extending to Hemet, as well as another fork to Murrieta where the I-15 and I-215 Freeways come together. So, in the long run a maintenance facility in the Perris area might not fit in nor be practical.
Long range I see someone trying to lay track between Murrieta (on a Perris Valley Line fork extension) and Oceanside, partially over the old, long abandoned California Southern route. If that ever happened, the joint maintenance facility with the Coaster people in the Oceanside area …
Coaster in San Diego
… would seem to make a choice of Perris for maintenance look not wise.
A commuter car at the end of the line in Perris needing urgent maintenance could simply be moved to the Colton maintenance facility in the San Bernardino area.
If you find anything on all this, please let us know.
K.P., I thought I read somewhere that a maintenance facility would be constructed at the South Perris station, but a cursory search of Google gives no clue.
Update as of Friday, August 22, 2014
The Two Eastern Stops
Perris, CA
Part “C” (of A-C)
The yellow line suggests that the Perris Valley Line will have a new track put in.
Above, the old track may remain too, and CTC’ed so freights that pass may be away from waiting passengers. Or, maybe an additional concrete platform will be put in. But this is only conjecture. Conjecture too is that Metrolink trains will not tie-up for the night here, but go straight through to the South Perris end of the line
The transit mall is service by Riverside Transit Agency buses, spiffy new ones.
All the previous RTA buses seemed to have all disappear en masse all at once.
The new buses have 5-digit numbers.
With a number like that, are transit officials expecting hundreds of Metrolink trains needing thousands of feeder buses? The Perris Valley Line is supposed to be a single-track line, so hundreds of trains seem unlikely. But, a bus with a 5-digit number makes one wonder …
This will end the three part series.
Part “B” (of A-C)
A bunch of Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) is now along the southeast end on the line.
A few pieces of heavy grading equipment are now at the site (far right).
Over in downtown Perris, concrete ties are now stacked up by the transit mall, by the future downtown Perris stop.
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