Update as of Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The Milliken Ave. Flyover … and the Track That Is No More
Ontario, CA
Part III (of I-V)
More on the pile driver’s work:
There was smoke on each loud bang.
Continued in Part IV
Update as of Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The Milliken Ave. Flyover … and the Track That Is No More
Ontario, CA
Part IV (of I-V)
An accumulation of the long items awaiting their turn for being driven into the ground (lower center): Because of the compaction effect of a telephoto lens, the square rod-like beams were probably twice as long as they appear.
Also in the above view, note the now cleared pathway of the old track.
A west side view from the south looking north
The south side pathway looking west: The hill in the background seems to have had vertical landscape tubing laid. Usually such things are laid horizontally.
Continued in Part V
Update as of Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The Milliken Ave. Flyover … and the Track That Is No More
Ontario, CA
Part V (of I-V)
More decretive piece tops are on site now, to be put on top of the columns.
A south side eastward view:
While trains are using the Main 2 flyover, there are things to finish on it. As discerned in the photo above and other herewith, there is plenty of equipment and workers continuing throughout the area, especially with the north side Main 1 Flyover construction just beginning.
Salton Sea and the Colton-Bryn Mawr Stretch
On Friday, August 24, 2012 K.P. returned to Salton Sea in the way south of California, with a specific focus on the Bertram area (around M.P. 648) as well as the Corvina Beach general vicinity (M.P. 637), where two-tracking between those points is currently taking place. It was anticipated that new signals would have been erected on this whole stretch by now, but that was NOT the case … However, a single pair of new signals (with heads turned aside) had been erected a couple of miles to the west of the current east switch Bertram!
While the north (future Main 1, above photo’s top center) mast’s LOWER west side (left) eastbound head had a typical single bulb unit, the south (future Main 2) west side eastbound signal’s lower head had a unit for TWO-bulbs! At this point, it is unclear what such will be used for.
On the way to Salton Sea, a quick visit to the Colton (M.P. 539.9) to Bryn Mawr (M.P. 543.1) area was also made, with mixed interpretations resulting also. While the NEWLY erected signals by the east side of the Santa Ana River (M.P. 540.1) on Colton’s east side were old target signals, those at Bryn Mawr were the new color light units!
It will take a few days to sort through all the photos and compose report posts … but, expect something probably Tuesday, August 28, 2012.
K.P.,
Thank you, as always, for the great pictorial reports. It looks like construction is ready to begin on the second Milliken Avenue flyover.
In other news, it looks like a railroad flyover is the cheapest alternative for the UP Alhambra Subdivision over Fairway Drive in the City of Industry.
Near the new PHIMF trash-by-rail facility, progress seems to be barely creeping along. No grading seen east of Mission Mill Road (project west limit). The Peck Road bridge is undergoing some minor looking mods, nothing like footings for a new bridge. Likewise, the triple track RR bridge for the road under the tracks is not complete (impossible to see north side construction). West of Workman Mill Road ballast has been filled in: 
East of WM, they’ve been busy building more of the world’s most expensive retaining wall: 
East of the SR-60 freeway looking west at the new tiebacks, they still aren’t close to ground level: 
Further east, it is hard to see any new grading for the siding. No new transmission towers have been erected to move the HV line away from the ROW; it almost looks like the project scope has been reduced.
The Salton Sea Trip
This report series will focus on three basic areas by Salton Sea (Bertram, new signals west of Bertram, and Corvina Beach). Also, the Colton to Bryn Mawr old target signals area and activity there will be focus on as well.
Part “A” (of A-K)
The Bertram Area
In the general vicinity of M.P. 648 is the east switch of the current Bertram siding. New track from the Corvina Beach area (M.P. 637) has reached all the way to here at Bertram.
Looking eastbound:
Continued in Part B
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “B” (of A-K)
The Bertram Area
Eastward telephotos:
Looking back west, a piece of track equipment is on the future Main 1.
The above photo has strange illusions to it. The power line poles are very wind brown and lean over. The mild grade is intensified by the heavy telephoto lens.
Continued in Part C
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “C” (of A-K)
The Bertram Area
Looking back eastward:
A strong telephoto: K.P. has had trouble distinguishing between 40 M.P.H. switches and the 50 M.P.H. type, and so too here. Because this is fast running territory, more than likely the turnouts are of the 50 M.P.H. type.
On the west side of Ranch Rd., the new second track was obviously just minimally bolted together for the time being. It has been K.P.’s experience that permanent connections between two sections of rails are with welds.
Continued in Part D
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “D” (of A-K)
The Bertram Area
On the north side, just west of Ranch Rd., was an accumulation of rails and a few I beams for an unknown purpose.
More short rails were on the east side (lower right), along with a number of concrete ties.
A number of 141-pounds per yard color coded white insulated joints where at the Bertram site:
As well as switch stands, most likely for temporary two-tracking cut in switches.
Continued in Part E
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “E” (of A-K)
The Bertram Area
Probably a thousand feet west of Ranch Rd. is a duplicate CP-like graded area. It is currently partially fenced and seems to be used as a staging area.
More on this in a few moments …
Briefly, a Bit to the East
For the record, K.P. traveled several miles east of Ranch Rd., to Hot Springs Rd. (Previously shown eastward photo.)
Rail laying has not progressed this far east yet, but presently is concentrated between Corvina Beach and Bertram.
Continued in Part F
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “F” (of A-K)
New Intermediates West of Bertram
In the post announcing this series, the following photo was posted.
The area is in reality a wide open one.
The right mast (the future Main 2) has a lower west side left eastbound two-bulb head.
In assessing the unusual situation, K.P. has concluded the farther back mast (above) will be for intermediate signals, whereas the near side mast will be for absolute signals, accounting for the need for an extra bulb, a red.
Such would allow a Main 2 switching movement to pick up or set out maintenance-of-way cars in the staging area west of Ranch Rd., a few miles to the east, WITHOUT tying up the
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “G” (of A-K)
Railroading in a Contradictory Wet-Dry Area
Union Pacific straddles the northeast shores of the “wet” Salton Sea, a body of water about 200 feet below sea level. When it rains in the area, sometimes big gullies form, or those that are already there often are intensified. A southwest view by the dirt shoulder of the paved Highway 111:
But, looking the other way, northeastward towards the tracks, a contradictory dry reality is seen in a sometimes very hot area. Quite a place to be laying a second–track through!
Continued in Part H
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “H” (of A-K)
The Corvina Beach Area’s Future CP
At M.P. 637 a CP of unknown name is going in. Since it basically is across from Salton Sea’s Corvina Beach, we’ll just say in the ‘Corvina Beach’ area, as with the previously posted December 12, 2011 photo below.
There is very little to report by Corvina Beach, as little appears to have transpired. However, laid ballast made it virtually impossible to see the new track (left of the present single-track line).
Continued in Part I
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “I” (of A-K)
The Corvina Beach Area’s Future CP
On June 23, 2012 this previously shown photo was taken.
On this August 24, 2012 outing that piece of equipment was still present in the same Corvina Beach area.
The railroad must have found this location a strategic one for this piece of equipment for whatever reason.
Continued in Part J
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “J” (of A-K)
The Colton-Bryn Mawr Area
We now head over to Colton, where the Colton Flyover is under construction. A westward view shows dramatic progress, even to the point of the wood framing being removed at the ends of the concrete layers. Even the background yellow concrete-work cannot be totally seen anymore.
On the WEST side of the Santa Ana River, where a signal burial base was put in by CP SP540 MT VERNON, no further work seems to have been done.
The same applies to the EAST side of the Santa Ana River (CP SP541 ICE DECK), where target mast signals have been erected so the signal bridge can be taken down.
Hunts Lane was visited, and the vertical part (in a reshown photo) …
… of the future cantilever signal bridge on the west side CP SP542 LOMA LINDA remain absent the horizontal “cantilever” portion.
The Salton Sea Trip
Part “K” (of A-K)
The Colton-Bryn Mawr Area
A point was made to visit the PRESENT absolute “Holding” signals at CP SP543 BRYN MAWR, where a signal bridge is also present that dates to this section’s being two-tracked circa 1976. Masts had been erected here too, but unlike at CP SP541 ICE DECK, these Bryn Mawr masts have color light heads on them.
It could be all this is temporary and merely duplicates what is presently there, including the lower SINGLE-bulb heads!
Single-bulb lower heads for absolute signals are being superseded with two-bulb heads, such as with this present target to color lights conversion presently taken place at Dike on the Palmdale Cutoff (reshown), at the southern foot of Cajon Pass
Update as of Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The Colton Flyover
Colton, CA
The flyover’s side walls between La Cadena Dr. and Mt. Vernon Ave. are getting ever higher. What K.P. calls the center portion between La Cadena Dr. and the BNSF Transcon is now having the initial stages of side walling put in for that section. And, the piers west of Colton Crossing are having more and more with concrete filling them.
A limited amount of photos will be forthcoming in a day or two.
Some Replies …
MikeF90 (8-17):
I’ve seen a few of those I-5 Corridor trains in the High Desert, on the Palmdale Cutoff. And, man, they are long and fast! It seems they had loaded double-stack well cars on them too, but don’t quote on that. That is on my hot list now for getting a photo of such.
cacole (8-17) and Everyone Else Too:
Thanks for the Marsh Station Rd. area update.
You mentioned UP removed the rail from the bridge they now don’t use over I-10. Have they removed the rail over the entire abandoned line too, or just over the I-10 bridge?
I’ve been working behind the scenes regarding the second-track in and on either side of Benson, AZ, and have been personally surprised (perhaps more like can’t believe it!) at what has surfaced CTC crossovers-wise in aerials. Enter a tad bit of history that K.P. lived through years ago, and the forum may see that area differently! Watch for a post(s) on t
Update as of Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The Colton Flyover
Colton, CA
Part I (of I-IV)
A good lighting view of the new structures in the diamonds area of Colton Crossing:
In the above view, it may be only an illusion, but the rebar towers (photo center) seem to not align with the rest of the flyover construction. Also, the BNSF goes between the rebar towers and the left wooding.
As viewed from the southeast quadrant, the pier towers to the west:
Also from the southeast quadrant, the side walling has started to be laid between La Cadena Dr. and the BNSF Transcon. Up till now, side walling has only been worked on between La Cadena and Mt. Vernon Ave. on the far eastern end.
Continued in Part II
Update as of Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The Colton Flyover
Colton, CA
Part II (of I-IV)
The south side walling just east of La Cadena Dr., the upper part has taken on a new, different pattern.
Up till now, this has been the only pattern. On the south side, looking north near 9th St., I-10 is in the background.
A heavy south side telephoto looking northeastward: It is unknown what the black rolls are for.
Continued in Part III