Western Railroad Discussion > Beaumont Hill Bonanza (SD70AH, CSXT, GECX)

I ended up in Southern California last weekend, when I managed to get a last minute day off on Monday to make a 3 day weekend by combining Veteran's Day holiday. I was hoping to meet up with friends at Pepper Ave. on Sunday, but UPP 210 and the PTC test train showed up at Burbank Airport, just as I was picking up my rental car. So I spent most of the day in Ventura County instead, chasing around the SD59MXs and the PTC test train.

Monday is typically a slow day on the Sunset Route, so I was going to chase whatever showed up in the morning then maybe hunt for a local to chase.

"UP Detector Milepost 545.3... Track 2..."

UP Omaha Dispatcher 44 ran westbounds on Track 2 and eastbounds on Track 1 through San Timoteo Canyon in September during my last visit, so I wasn't sure which way this train was going, but I headed east from San Bernardino to investigate anyway, hoping for an eastbound. It was an eastbound alright, a slow-going 458 axles 2x1x0 manifest heading to Dallas (Miller Yard, Texas). I caught up to it past Ordway, and was all smiles when I saw a brand new SD70AH, UP 8898 on the point. Yup, "10" on the RSD5's locomotive rating system.

First clip in the video is dedicated to FiveChime. I promised him a video of an SD70AH with a brand new K5LLA, and here it is, even if it took me quite a while to fulfill the promise.

My smile got bigger when I overheard "CSXT 3110 East" on the radio earlier, asking to go through Form B limits near Mt. Vernon. UP 8898 was grinding slowly up Beaumont Hill, and when I saw the train stop near El Casco, I guessed that the dispatcher was setting up a faster train to overtake it, and it was going to be CSXT 3110. I was very surprised by the consist, CSXT/KCS/CSXT, no Armour Yellow! That's the second clip.

I get a quickie video clip of the consist in the third clip.

- Grab shot of the brand new SD70AH, UP 8898, after I recorded the first video clip.
- CSXT 3110, KCS 4605, CSXT 206 lead a Dupo, Illinois bound intermodal train (Z train?)
- Video clips described above and below.

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I headed to the Centennial Memorial Bridge since the light was still decent there, to record some video clips. Fourth clip is of the CSXT 3110 leading a non-Armour Yellow consist under the bridge.

I patiently waited for UP 8898 to show up next, and met a railfan who was chasing the new SD70AH, too. He missed the CSXT 3110, but he told me there was a westbound with a CSXT leader about to show up soon. He also told me there will be an eastbound with a GECX 2024 as leader coming out this way later in the day.

UP 8898 finally shows up at the bridge, fifth clip. The westbound CSXT stacker (CSXT 5223) shows up for a meet, after the mid-train DPU disappears from view.

I turned back and headed west to chase the CSXT 5223 half-heartedly, with the GECX 2024 being my real target for the next chase of the day.

- CSXT 3110 viewed from the Centennial Memorial Bridge near Beaumont.
- Consist view from the rear.
- Westbound CSXT meets the DPU of the UP 8898. Oh well, had to shoot shadows.

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I was that railfan you met. Lol. It was a good day to be on Beaumont Hill. :)

Very nice video, Charles. Awesome catch in great light of the CSXT 3110 passing the UP 8898! As always Southern California is very good to you, looking forward to the GECX installment of your trip.

Thanks for sharing,
~Ryan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/14/14 06:15 by Cajon92.

Nicely done, Charles.

tacobell Wrote:
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> I was that railfan you met. Lol. It was a good day
> to be on Beaumont Hill. :)

Nice meeting you, and thank you for the great intel. That Englewood-bound manifest led by UP 5335 having a UDE created a railfan-friendly bottleneck at Hinda, delaying a couple of eastbounds for hours.

I was trying out a secondhand Panasonic HDC-SD9, one of the very few handheld HD 3CCD camcorders on the market. I don't think you are worried about your video setup, since you seem to have a professional grade equipment, which I saw you use at the open field just west of El Casco.

- Tacobell in action, who should've gotten a sweet video of the GECX 2024.
- One of the trains behind UP 5335, with a crew getting fresh air.
- Next train behind the one above. Few more behind this, including an autorack repo and GECX 2024.

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erielackawanna Wrote:
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> Nicely done, Charles.

You're welcome Charles, and here's a little promo for you. Had the Beaumont Hill Bonanza not happened Monday, I would have used your great book ("Southern California Local Freight Trains 2013/2014") as a reference to hunt down some locals. I bought both editions.

I heard the YWC86 ("Old Colton Job") run in the morning, and saw the YWC54 ("Lowes Local") parked near Beaumont Tuesday with a standard cab SD60 as the east-facing leader. The job went on duty for the return trip while I was chasing the westbound Robertson Rock Train (RWCWCC) down Beaumont hill.

I chased the Lowes Local ("Mountain Local" was the old SP name, I was told) few months ago, and hope to post a quick video of that in another report.

That closing shot has so much detail in it. You have the CSX-KCS-CSX consist passing the mid-train DPU-good enough already-then, the lead locomotives of the manifest can be seen in the distance, rolling past the crazy consist's stacks. Very nice!

Tor in Eugene

Excellent Charles. Like I've said before, you know your way around down here better than most of us natives.

Bob

Cajon92 Wrote:
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> Very nice video, Charles. Awesome catch in great
> light of the CSXT 3110 passing the UP 8898! As
> always Southern California is very good to you,
> looking forward to the GECX installment of your
> trip.
>
> Thanks for sharing,
> ~Ryan

Thanks Ryan, and here comes the GECX installment.

While heading west through San Timoteo Canyon, I was pondering whether I should grab some nose-darkened shots of the westbound CSXT, or go for a full-blown chase of the GECX 2024, nose-darkened or not. I didn't want to waste time waiting for the CSXT 5223 West to clear the congestion at Hinda, then miss the GECX 2024 at locations further west.

Few weeks ago, thanks to Cajon92's intel, I headed south from the Bay Area to Merced to intercept the GECX 2024 leading the IDIOAX. Unfortunately, the train arrived after darkness. I waited at Merced a bit too long, instead of taking the risk to head further south for at least a dusk shot. So I had a bit of a revenge railfanning mentality, and decided to go as far west as I can, using the possible crew change at Cedar (West Colton Yard) as a hedge in case I missed the train and needed to catch up. My mind was made up when I overheard Los Angeles Dispatcher 50 call GECX 2024, who I guessed must have been near Reservoir (Pomona) when I was near Redlands.

"UP Detector Milepost 526.8... No defects... Total axle: 274..."

Well, DOh! I JUST missed the train while I was heading to Guasti, sneaking by me between there and Kaiser, where the Alhambra Sub is out of view from I-10. I immediately headed back east, and instead of the usual Pepper Ave. shot, I decided to try Mt. Vernon for a coming-down-the-flyover shot, first clip. The westbound parked there is the rear of the CSXT 5223.

The UP 5335-induced congestion was in full effect, so I easily beat the GECX 2024 to the San Timoteo Canyon Rd. crossing at Redlands, who was running yellow all the way. The train stopped just before the crossing behind an autorack repo parked about 1/4 mile ahead. The conductor came out for a rollby of the westbound Z train, and we chatted a little bit. He was obviously a non-foamer crew, as he would have preferred the third unit, brand new GEVO UP 8208 as the leader, so he didn't have to think "GECX" instead of "UP" when he had to talk on the radio. He preferred the comfort of the new GEs, including the GECX 2024, where the noise is better-isolated inside the cab compared to EMDs and other older locomotives.

Second clip is of the GECX 2024 departing Redlands, after getting signal indication from DS 44. Can anyone identify the horn? The closest sounding horn might be the K3HL mounted on many "Big Radiator" C6044ACs, but the pitch sound rather different. I also got a video of the entire westbound Z train, which I'll post later if people want to see it.

- GECX 2024 (bound for Dallas Intermodal Terminal) at Redlands.
- Huge Radiator angle of the Tier 4 test unit.
- Video described above and below.

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oyw Wrote:
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> Excellent Charles. Like I've said before, you know
> your way around down here better than most of us
> natives.
>
> Bob

Thanks Bob! That's very flattering, especially hearing that from you, but I'm never 100% confident I picked the right location, unless I already see you there.

After getting an easy intercept at Redlands, I immediately headed to that fashionable S curve east of Ordway, where I get the third clip. I did my "standard chase" and went to the open field west of El Casco for the fourth clip, where tacobell was already set up with his professional-grade camcorder.

After getting a quick pace shot, fifth clip, I saw the UP 8213 STILL parked there, waiting for the Hinda congestion to clear, so I recorded the nose-darkened GECX 2024 passing that train, sixth clip. You hear more of GECX's unidentified horn (probably a 3 chimer) in this clip.

I returned to the Centennial Memorial Bridge, seventh clip, and went for a side-angle "roster video" to minimize the dark nose. I believe tacobell set up further east for much better light, just past the turn at Oak Valley Pkwy junction with I-10.

With the afternoon winter light, I wasn't going to get the nose lit anymore, so I headed to Cabazon (Robertson, where the rock train originates), and got a partially-lit nose there, to end my chase of the GECX 2024, eighth clip, with the locomotives on dynamic brakes.

- GECX 2024 and the "Redlands Pride" water tank.
- That fashionable open field west of El Casco.
- Going away shot, Centennial Memorial Bridge.

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I hope these videos are VOTD! Nice chase and thanks for doing it!

John.

3 GE'S from 2 different railroads, all with radial trucks, out this far West....TOGETHER! Kinda rare.

cchan006 Wrote:
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> tacobell Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I was that railfan you met. Lol. It was a good
> day
> > to be on Beaumont Hill. :)
>
> Nice meeting you, and thank you for the great
> intel. That Englewood-bound manifest led by UP
> 5335 having a UDE created a railfan-friendly
> bottleneck at Hinda, delaying a couple of
> eastbounds for hours.
>
> I was trying out a secondhand Panasonic HDC-SD9,
> one of the very few handheld HD 3CCD camcorders on
> the market. I don't think you are worried about
> your video setup, since you seem to have a
> professional grade equipment, which I saw you use
> at the open field just west of El Casco.
>
> - Tacobell in action, who should've gotten a sweet
> video of the GECX 2024.
> - One of the trains behind UP 5335, with a crew
> getting fresh air.
> - Next train behind the one above. Few more behind
> this, including an autorack repo and GECX 2024.


Scarry... Plumbers crack on Tacobell! Pull yer pants up!

GOOD stuff...!!! Thanks for posting.

Great photos, Charles. Looks like you had a nice trip. It seems so long ago now that we went up to Donner the day before Winterail.

Rich

Amazing videos and images.
I just live how you guys know the areas so well that you manage to catch the same train in several areas and with great light.
I guess scouting and planning and being able to decipher what you hear in scanners is all part of the process.
Simpky awesome results!
Thanks for sharing!

cchan006 Wrote:
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> ... It was an
> eastbound alright, a slow-going 458 axles 2x1x0
> manifest heading to Dallas (Miller Yard, Texas). ...
MWCDA

> ... CSXT 3110, KCS 4605, CSXT 206 lead a Dupo,
> Illinois bound intermodal train (Z train?) ...
KLBDU

> ... That Englewood-bound manifest led by UP 5335 ...
QWCEW

> ... GECX 2024 (bound for Dallas Intermodal Terminal) at Redlands. ...
Can't help you on that one. There's 6 different IxxDI trains, plus extras.

Thanks for all the effort you put into these views!

mapboy

Horn sounds horrible

Posted from iPhone

DRGW5502 Wrote:
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> Horn sounds horrible
>
> Posted from iPhone


Welcome to the future Komrade!!