Interesting that this ‘Cajon sub’ thread has moved west onto the San Bernardino sub. Perhaps if more activity was happening on the latter, a new topic would be very worthy. In the meantime …
IMO BNSF is letting the very slow pace of taxpayer funding pace the SB sub upgrades while spending its capital budget on the Northern Transcon. Starting from the east end …
Between CP Gonzales and Highgrove only a new I-215 bridge u/c supports a third MT. SANBAG tells me that I-10 widening is in the works before 2025, so maybe some support pier rearrangement will help. However a new Santa Ana River RR bridge and Barton Road overcrossing are MIA.
About five grade separation projects are actually underway [:O] between CP Esperanza and Fullerton Junction. After the early 2018 ish completion a third main track is likely.
The one mile 3MT ‘gap’ spanning busy Rosecrans Ave is problematic. Despite the heavy Amtrak and Metrolink LOSSAN traffic, taxpayer funding has barely trickled enough to finish a three mile gap to the west after many, many years. Not holding my breath for the crossing rich city of Santa Fe Springs.
In this three-track Cajon Pass age, the old, 101 years old steel bridge exclusive to Main 1 just north of Highway 138, has finally been replaced by a safe walkway and handrail equipped, concrete structure.
In 2008 before the third-track had been laid but with grading in place, the old bridge WITHOUT handrails or safe walkways, was a menace to train crewmembers that had to walk their trains, or track workers that had to cross the bridge.
That Main 1 old bridge without handrails as a UP westbound passed alongside it several years ago.
A train’s tail end passes the new bridge and old cutup pieces.
A truck from a popular grocery market chain passes on Highway 138. Any vehicles going over the bridge over Mains 1 and 2 get a good down on view of the new bridge and the old pieces.
“A good down on view” but just for a moment … That above Stator Bros. truck after going over the BNSF steeply swoops down to go under the UP Palmdale Cutoff.
So, the new and old bridges can’t be seen as to study the matter, unless one hike in, like K.P. did.
Above, trainmen on UP’s Palmdale Cutoff get a good down-on view of the BNSF bridge replacement activity.
Those from outside the area, and many that live in Southern California but haven’t traversed Cajon Pass lately, would NOT recognize some sections of freeway now in the Devore area, such as southbound approaching where the I-215 branches off from the I-15 Freeway. Walling and bypasses are being constructed.
The upper Cajon Blvd between Kenwood Ave. and halfway to Devore is presently all tore up and is being rebuilt for a through-route. That will be a major boon for train watchers and chasers!
The security that has been at both Summit and Cajon for years is still operating. A night view of the Cajon site:
K.P. has not heard of any reports of any further triple-tracking on Cajon Pass. Operationally, things are continuing rather free flowing on both the triple-track west side and two-track east slope.
On Highway 138 K.P. passed by that new replacement bridge on Friday, September 26, 2014. A medium sized truck was about to enter Highway 138 from the new bridge site. That truck had a section on the old bridge on it! So, apparently pieces of the old bridge are now being carted off, and soon will have vanished from Cajon Pass.
The below reshown April 7, 2010 photo shows a scene little changed, if any, from the latter half of 2008 when the Cajon to Walker section on the North Track route had another main put in service. A new walling is present, with the bottom of the walling with slanted dirt sloping outward.
It has remained as such up till recently, when something new popped up! This was seen on December 7, 2014:
As seen above, a bunch of riprap has been added to a small section. It is unknown what inspired this, but it has been raining extensively in the Cajon Pass area this past week. The walling area also had a generally rundown look that hasn’t been seen before, likely weather related. What this forebodes for the future is not clear, but this area K.P. hopes to keep an eye on for a while.
K.P. checked on the status of the Palm Ave. overpass as well as the Devore Road / Glen Helen Parkway overpass constructions, both in the Devore area. It was found major progress has been made on both, with the Palm Ave. Bridge now having pavement over it. A brief update on the overpasses is hoped to be posted in a day or two.
Technically in San Bernardino, near Devore (railroad west of Devore but physically east of), the Palm Ave overpass is nearing completion. The overpass is OVER what is know as the control point VERDEMONT. View looks south, with Palm Ave. the road this side of the white barricades.
Above, on the right a BNSF westbound (leftward) is seen with J.B. Hunt containers on it.
The alignment of Palm Ave. will be altered. Once traffic is routed over the overpass the roadway’s full with will be completed.
Just above, at the fencing on the top of the overpass, only the east side (left) of Palm Ave. (with top curved fencing) will have a sidewalk, so only photos looking east will be able to be taken. West side photos won’t be legal (NO sidewalk), unless a photographer has a hovercraft!
The present Devore Rd. overpass over the I-215 Freeway (center) is out of service now, and the new overpass (lower left) is partially open.
That now closed overpass is seen on the lower right, and the BNSF and UP tracks are more clearly seen in the background.
The new Devore Road overpass (over the I-215 Freeway) is partially open (lower left), with the present Glen Helen Parkway grade crossing in the upper background.
The landscape of the old Devore is changing quickly, with BOTH the Devore Rd. / Glen Helen Parkway AND I-15 / I-215 Freeways that junction nearby undergoing major revisions.
K.P., in the evening darkness, while northbound on I-215, passed the new Palm Ave. overpass that is on top of BNSF’s CP VERDEMONT in San Bernardino, near Devore, and the overpass lights were all lit up! He looped back, and found the overpass open! But, it was too dark for photos. In the next week or so it is hoped to walk up on the overpass, and shoot a number of angles, some photos never before possible.
The grade crossing within CP VERDEMONT, M.P. 74 of the Cajon Sub, is history, and while hiking up, on, and down the new overpass Monday, December 29, 2014, photos were taken of the taking down of crossing gates.
A series is planned on the views from up on the new overpass, and the track-work present as never before seen from above. Expect a series probably in a week. (It is behind the Sunset Route and Foothill Extension threads.)
The west side of Palm Ave. (looking railroad eastbound) has fencing only and NO sidewalk, so technically railfans will not be able to take pictures from that side of the bridge. The southbound sidewalk-less single traffic lane is rather narrow for autos making it unsafe to take photos from that side.
The east side northbound traffic lane does have a sidewalk (right) and top-curved fencing protecting trainmen from pedestrians dropping items on trains.
The roadway looking southbound: The road curves slightly in a reverse “S” manner, and goes under UP’s Palmdale Cutoff.
In comparing the two just above photos, a new road called Institution Road “T” intersects into Palm Ave. and curves back to Cajon Blvd. Hard for old timers to get used to!
By that Institution Rd. looking back at the new Palm Ave. overpass:
