Western Railroad Discussion > Cajon Marbles Origin?

I have obtained a decent number of large semi-clear, light aqua colored, 1-1/4" glass marbles from trackside at Cajon Pass over the years and have forgotten the origin of these marbles. As a child living in Pomona, CA I frequently collected the exact same kind of marbles from alongside the tracks that ran through the downtown area, usually by the side of the SP tracks.

Most were congregated by a siding that used to cross at Palomares Street, located East of the SP passenger station and which ran to a point near the Garey Avenue overpass. I believe I was told that the marbles were either a byproduct of glass or steel manufacturing and know for a fact that steel trains sometimes passed through or used the siding as I collected steel slag balls for use as slingshot ammunition at the same spot for years. Anyone care to set the record straight as to the origin of the marbles and why they show up still at Cajon now and then? Thank you for replying.

Loco Bil

Funny you should mention those things. I have several dozen I've picked up along the tracks over the years. I asked one of the Santa Fe guys about them and he told me they're used to shake loose any residual talc, borax, trona, cement or other kind of fine powder when they put the hopper cars in those car shakers at various unloading terminals. He said they load them on top of the bulk and as the stuff is shaken down to the bottom openings they shake all the stuff sticking to the inside of the car. They empty out into the oggers and are ground up with the materials. They're very brittle and he warned me not to give them to little kids as marbles because they can shatter very easily and cause some serious cuts and internal damage if the pieces are swallowed. I know that's probably a simple explanation, but that's how it was told to me.

So kinda like the marble in spray cans......

Back in the 80's, I seem to recall seeing open hoppers full of glass balls. I believe that is how they shipped bulk glass. Back then the things were all over the right of way. I do not know if they still ship this way.

Scott

I picked my marbles up around Barstow and Daggett.

Did you ever get the rest of them, or are you still missing a few?

heh heh

I hope this joke doesn't keep me from riding the San Diego light rail sytem again!

Hoggers explanation is pretty much dead on, excepting the fragility of said marbles, they seem to hold together quite well after bouncing out of the hoppers and off the ballast.
There is usually a screen before the augers to remove them at unloading points.
You'll usually find them near switches as the concussions jar them loose and they fall out.

TCS

The 'urban/rail ledgend' of the glass marbles;
I too had heard bulk glass-
Glad to hear they still exist

Philadelphia marbles, processed iron ore pellets, can be found under the high line. Walking on marbles ain't easy.

I lost my marbles at Barstow....

The marbles are used to make fibreglass - they are shipped in bulk in covered hopper cars and at destination, are heated and forced thru a huge press to make glass fibres which are used in insulation. There used to be lots of them around Corona, where Johns-Manville had a large insulation plant, back in the days when we had factories and made things in this country...

TIOGA PASS

Nice story.

I know a lot of people who have lost their marbles over time! Some people tell me I am one of them.

Happy Holidays to all.

Jim
Hatboro, PA

72368 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I lost my marbles at Barstow....
>
> The marbles are used to make fibreglass - they are
> shipped in bulk in covered hopper cars and at
> destination, are heated and forced thru a huge
> press to make glass fibres which are used in
> insulation. There used to be lots of them around
> Corona, where Johns-Manville had a large
> insulation plant, back in the days when we had
> factories and made things in this country...
>
> TIOGA PASS

Glass fibre insulation has lost a lot of market share in recent years due to superior insulation materials being available.

There was an insulation plant in McPherson, KS can't remember if it was Owens-Corning or Johns Manville. We used to switch them in the early 80's and they got loads of glass balls like that.

What a treat for this old thread to appear now. A few days ago I found one of those marbles
amongst my stuff in a drawer. I recall first finding it in 1995 at Amboy, Calif. while I was riding the Santa Fe's
Cadiz Turn. We were in the hole for some hot numbered trains to pass, so I was out walking around and
found a few. Had always wondered what they were for.

I saw some iron ore pellets in the ROW at Downingtown, about 30 miles east of Philadelphia, about 2 years ago. Remnants of PRR/PC/CR imported ore moves over the Main Line.