The Foothill Extension Is Now Taking Shape!
Update as of Friday, June 20, 2014
Part XI (of VII-XIV, Overall I-XX)
Arcadia-Monrovia-Duarte, CA
A very heavy inbound telephoto (westbound) view: Construction workers are seen.
Metal poles for future vehicle stoplights:
Continued in Part XII
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 XII (of VII-XIV, Overall I-XX)
The rails on wheels:
Continued in Part XIII
Part XIII (of VII-XIV, Overall I-XX)
At Buena Vista Street and Duarte Road: The grade crossing, looking inbound (westbound) into a setting sun.
Outbound (eastbound):
Continued in Part XIV
Part XIV (of VII-XIV, Overall I-XX)
The Buena Vista St. pedestrian crossing gate:
This one faces the other way (note the painted white line).
It is hard to envision 50-60 years ago F-units leading Santa Fe’s Super Chief and El Capitan use to traverse through here.
Many a famous Hollywood ‘knight in shining armor’ actor and glamorous actress rode through here!
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Continued in Parts XV-XX scheduled for posting Sunday, July 6, 2014 by 9:00 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, but may be posted up to 12 hours early. Coverage: Duarte-Irwindale-Azusa (Foothill Blvd.)
Part XV (of XV-XX, Overall I-XX)
Duarte-Irwindale-Azusa, CA
At Highland Ave. a construction sign is present.
Another standard brown grade cross electrical box:
The Highland Ave. station and ramp:
Strangely, this station stop apparently has NO vehicle parking spaces!
Continued in Part XVI
Part XVI (of XV-XX, Overall I-XX)
The station stop north track looking west.
Looking east:
In the distance, the two-tracks curve to the right while rising.
Near Highland Ave. are where all those ties are stacked up, and a new fence.
The 605 Freeway is in the background of the just above photo.
Continued in Part XVII
Part XVII (of XV-XX, Overall I-XX)
Irwindale Ave. bridges over the ex-AT&SF line as well as over the I-210 Freeway. It is the location of color light signals.
It is another location where a station stop is being put in WITHOUT public parking!
Continued in Part XVIII
Part XVIII (of XV-XX, Overall I-XX)
Some more Irwindale construction photos:
A bunch of concrete ties are staged very nearby.
Just above, note that the catenary tower bases (hence the platforms too) are away from the BNSF track (bottom). So, boarding and alighting Foothill Extension passengers would have to cross the BNSF track, which situation argues again the BNSF line ever being extended southward along the 605 Freeway to the UP Sunset Route in El Monte.
Of course, the powers that be probably haven’t seen the benefit of that yet …
Continued in Part XIX
Part XIX (of XV-XX, Overall I-XX)
At Foothill Blvd. in Azusa, the two new, additional bridges are in place now. The original Santa Fe freight 2nd District (Pasadena Sub) is the center bridge.
The new inbound (westbound) light rail bridge is not as heavily structured as the old bridge, as it does not have to support heavy coal trains as the center bridge use to be able to do.
Continued in Part XX
Part XX (of XV-XX, Overall I-XX)
The NEW freight bridge is heavy duty also even though it will be lightly used and probably never see loaded coal cars traverse it.
The walling for the new BNSF track, north side of Foothill Blvd.:
The new BNSF track walling, south (west) side, in a residential-business properties environment:
Looking west, Foothill Blvd. still has only one lane in each direction open for vehicle traffic.
The sun had nearly gone down, and evening was setting in.
This will conclude the series.
This is moving along quite briskly now, track is complete most all places I can see, some stretches along the 10 fwy are having the catenary system begun. I think they'll be testing trains by Thanksgiving.
Have fun with your trains
Update as of Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Two Areas of the Foothill Extension
Part “A” (of A-E)
Arcadia and an Extra Plate Girder Bridge
There is a long standing single-track AT&SF plate girder bridge that goes diagonally over the intersection of Huntington Drive and Second. Ave. in Arcadia.
That bridge is now being modified and a second bridge is forming on the southwest side of the original bridge.
Continued in Part B
Part “B” (of A-E)
Some views from underneath (while the blue sky can still be seen through the bridge):
Continued in Part C
Part “C” (of A-E)
East of Second Ave. from Huntington Drive looking southish:
West of Second Ave. from Huntington Drive, a northward view. A flatbed 18-wheeler has brought concrete ties up the west ramp-grade.
Vehicle traffic is always heavy at the bridging site.
Continued in Part D
Part “D” (of A-E)
Myrtle Ave. in Monrovia
The two new tracks are in, looking inbound. The old Santa Fe Monrovia depot is on the upper background right.
A station stop (south, outbound side) is forming around the curve from Myrtle Ave.
A heavy telephone of the line going semi-northwestward to Pasadena: The north side inbound platform is seen on the right.
Continued in Part E
Part “E” (of A-E)
Eastward, outbound views from Myrtle Ave.:
As seen above, while no catenary has been strung yet, the support poles for it are in place now, at least here.
This will conclude the short series.
The Foothill Extension in Azusa
Is the East Side of Town …
… a Future Place for Space Travel?
On Monday, September 1, 2014 the Azusa, CA area of the Foothill Extension was focused on for photos. A strange stairway was under construction on the east side of town, in a very residential area, near to the future last stop eastward.
It apparently is a future limited way to gain access to the last Foothill Extension stop. But, that developing stop presently does not seem to have any other access! No access? Is the last stop a secret interplanetary launching and landing rendezvous site for space aliens? K.P. was starting to think so … but found a semi-secluded spot with a sign announcing a future stop (exclusive to humans, by the way).
Major construction advances have taken place since the last Azusa posting a number of months ago.
A report on the Azusa area is presently being work on, but is sufficiently progressed to post this schedule:
Parts I-V: West of, east of, and at Virginia Ave., Sunday, September 7, 2014 by 9:00 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time.
Parts VI-XI: Downtown Azusa east to the end of the line, Tuesday, September 9, 2014 by 9:00 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time.
Postings may be up to 12 hours early.
Update as of September 1, 2014
Part I (of I-V, Overall I-XI)
This presentation will generally be from west to east.
The Virginia Ave. grade crossing on the west side of Azusa is presently a strange site to see. ALL flashers are new and turned aside, i.e., aren’t hooked up yet.
Above, for all the flashers to be out of service, apparently even BNSF local trains are not using this trackage.
Looking north, the east side sidewalk is closed.
The open west sidewalk side, looking north:
Continued in Part II
Part II (of I-V, Overall I-XI)
The Virginia Ave. grade crossing electrical box is on a walled elevated area.
Looking westbound (inbound), the new BNSF track is fenced off from the Foothill Extension tracks.
A westbound (inbound) commuter tracks telephoto:
Continued in Part III
Part III (of I-V, Overall I-XI)
The above view (Part II, last photo) as progressively seen closer to Virginia Ave.:
The BNSF track (far left, other side of fencing).
Continued in Part IV
Part IV (of I-V, Overall I-XI)
Since the last time K.P. was at Virginia Ave., because of grading the right-of-way has had dramatic alterations, and no longer is a rising, embanked single-track area but a wide multi-track one. Looking eastbound (outbound):
Continued in Part V
Part V (of I-V, Overall I-XI)
A last eastward Virginia Ave. shot: A signal (right) is now in place.
On Foothill Blvd., now down to one lane per direction again, looking east, the new bridge spans are being painted tan.
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Continued in Parts VI-XI about downtown Azusa east to the end of the line, scheduled for posting Tuesday, September 9, 2014 by 9:00 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, but could be posted up to 12 hours early.
Part VI (of VI-XI, Overall I-XI)
At Azusa Ave. and the Target store, construction is well along.
The BNSF track, looking westbound:
The Foothill Extension tracks, looking west:
Low signals (forefront and background), looking west.
Continued in Part VII
Part VII (of VI-XI, Overall I-XI)
Looking eastbound (outbound) from Azusa Ave.
Looking south: Temporary fencing is present:
That ‘low’ signal again … With ONE light! Likely, flashing white for go, solid white for stop.
Continued in Part VIII
Part VIII (of VI-XI, Overall I-XI)
Several blocks to the east, as elsewhere, the right-of-way is completely fenced.
Continued in Part IX
Part IX (of VI-XI, Overall I-XI)
Looking through the fencing shown above, a switch motor is seen, and what may be a crate for switch parts.
The Foothill Extension tracks are highly ballasted. The BNSF track is in the background.
Now, we come to a rather strange area: An underpass with stairs being put in.
Its strangeness will become apparent in a moment.
Continued in Part X
Part X (of VI-XI, Overall I-XI)
We now go over to the next grade crossing to the east, quite a ways, to Barranca Ave. The Foothill Extension will end before this grade crossing.
Looking east: Old Santa Fe Super Chief route had jointed rail.
Looking west:
Continued in Part XI
Part XI (of VI-XI, Overall I-XI)
Around the curve the Foothill Extension ends.
That grade crossing from the north:
K.P. found NO access to the LAST station stop. Whoever heard to a station stop with no access? Will the stop be for interplanetary space traveling aliens? K.P. could find no other explanation!
As he was leaving the area, he did spot a large sign announcing the future stop!
So, apparently the stop is for humans (!) and will be hard to see, and not obvious like most stops are.
This will end the series.
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