I'm curious about the old Santa Fe branch to Cushenbury. Which today serves a large Mitsubishi Cement Plant. During the early years of Santa Fe. Was there any plans to turn this branch into a "Barstow Cutoff" per say?
The Cushenbury branch was established very late (1950's I think).
1956 (LS-7601/Lucerne Valley District)
The only times I was ever out there as an Asst. Rdm was to deal with the falling apart track at Pfizer's (now Specialty Mineral Co)mining operation close to Hesperia in the late 80's. It was always an industrial branchline engineered to a lower standard AFAIK.
Mitsubishi is the old Kaiser operation [both are limestone/ crushed calcium carbonite mining operations)....that white dust was invasive nasty stuff when it got wet and hell on track, especially the ballast section and ties...nothing drained
Appericate the info MC, and DC
croteaudd Your question, SD60MAC9500, surprised me. Personally, I had never heard of such an idea. In reference to a coined ‘Barstow Cutoff,’ it is assumed that you envision a past thinking of rerouting of the Southern Transcon through the Lucerne area. A cursory look at an aerial, one will see there are rugged mountains to the north that ranges to the far west and to the far east. It would appear there would be no advantage in rerouting the Southern Transcon via Lucerne / Cushenbury under such conditions. Also, from Barstow the Mojave Sub heads to the Bay Area via Tehachapi Pass. To have two lines, the present route and via Lucerne / Cushenbury would make no sense. For the sake of argument, let’s say the railroad had built such a line and took up the present tracks. To connect it back to the over Tehachapi line, the route would prove so circuitous as to make it impractical. Not that someone didn’t come up with the idea, but the fact such was never built suggests the railroad never gave serious consideration to it. Also, it must be realized the present line Mojave-Needles via Barstow actually was built by the Southern Pacific! To make a line longer via Lucerne / Cushenbury would totally make no sense.
I wasn't thinking of rerouting away from Barstow. ATSF would still have it current route through there. I was thinking in the same vein as the Belen Cutoff was built. MC, and DiningCar answered, and corrected my question. I didn't realize the Branch was built much later. I assumed it was built much earlier than the 1950's and maybe was a proposal but never completed.
You mention looking at aerial of the terrain. That's what sparked my question.
mudchicken 1956 (LS-7601/Lucerne Valley District) Mitsubishi is the old Kaiser operation [both are limestone/ crushed calcium carbonite mining operations)....that white dust was invasive nasty stuff when it got wet and hell on track, especially the ballast section and ties...nothing drained
Natures concrete. A few of the gravel roads in our county up north were laid with crushed limestone. Get a nice rain and the road would harden up pretty good. No ruts and rode pretty smooth.
croteaudd SD60MAC9500: In my Southern California railfanning over the decades, the Cushenbury line has been much neglected, and the handful of visits has been limited to just near Hesperia, and never went all the way out to Cushenbury (except on the back way to Big Bear on Highway 18). One bridge of significance is on the eastern side of Hesperia. It is longer than most and wooden without handrails, so the bridge cannot be safely walked across. Quite a contrast to most of today’s BNSF mainline bridges that have handrails and crew members can safely cross the bridge while walking an entire train. That Cushenbury Branch bridge on the east side of Hesperia (You’ll need to copy and paste in a non-TRAINS window): https://goo.gl/maps/y5GBfhXDUPog7fxz7 You probably knew of all this, SD60MAC9500, but it may be of interest to non-locals that find branch lines mesmerizing. If one follows the branch eastward on the above link, they may be very surprised that the branch is not called the ‘Twist and Turns Branch’! Quite a contrast compared the generally straight Southern Transcon to the north.
Prior to this exchange I knew very little of the Cushenbury branch. I knew of it's existence. Between you, MC, and Dining Car. I've gathered some good info. Thank you! Next time I'm out in SouCal I'll be sure to visit.
Speaking of SouCal that's my childhood home. Born in Los Angeles. Most of my childhood I grew up in Whittier. Were we lived, we were only about 7/8 of a mile from the Santa Fe main Through Santa Fe Springs, and SP's La Habra Branch.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss seeing those hotshot ATSF TOFC trains and SP local's.
The Cushenbury branch is BNSF's Lucerne Valley subdivision, about 29 miles in length. It has some pretty steep grades, mostly eastward (to Cushenbury), which can approach 2%, but most of the loads go west - back to the main line at Hesperia. (The low point of the subdivision is about 2,900 feet at the Mojave River bridge at Hesperia with the high point at the end of the line at Cushenbury - nearly 4,300 feet.) It's not downhill all the way westbound, either, as the track climbs on a 1.4% grade for about 3 miles from the bridge over the Mojave River to the junction of the Cajon subdivision in Hesperia. Current track speed is 20 MPH for just about the whole subdivision. Much of it was 35 MPH in the last ATSF timetable.
--Mark Meyer
Thanks Mark great info as always.
Mudchicken I think I've read in the past here on the forum that you were on the Harbor Subdivison at one time. Got a few questions for you. Do you remember where the Harbor Line crossed Slauson Ave. before Western Ave? There was a shipper right there at the curve. I remember seeing a boxcar every now and then back in the 80's. Do you recall who that shipper was?
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