Western Railroad Discussion > UP's Permanente Local Knocks off the Rust

Union Pacific's Milpitas, CA-based LRB-32 Permanente Local knocked some of the rust off the rails as it made its first run up the Vasona Industrial Lead in over two weeks today. M/W had the branch out of service during this time with much of the work appearing to take place in the Lehigh Cement yard at the end of the line. Some variety has returned to the freight consist: in addition to 12 of the typical open hopper loads there was a centerbeam load for Economy Lumber in Campbell and 11 covered hopper empties--cement loads originating at the plant have been rare in recent years.

UP4056 led another SD70M and the 23 car train(the lumber load was setout an hour before) is seen in three views making its final charge up the hill less than a half mile from destination, the Lehigh Cement plant in the hills above Cupertino, in Silicon Valley's little version of mountain railroading.

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75 minutes earlier the 24 car train is seen approaching the Hamilton Ave. grade crossing in Campbell. One of these days I'll get a side by side closeup of VTA and UP on this shared corridor........

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Very nice pix! So glad the Perm is still running.
I used to love going to see it when the SP still
ran the snow, with those great Geeps and SDs.

I hope you do get that side-by-side sometime
soon!

shed47 Wrote:
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> 75 minutes earlier the 24 car train is seen
> approaching the Hamilton Ave. grade crossing in
> Campbell. One of these days I'll get a side by
> side closeup of VTA and UP on this shared
> corridor........

Thanks for the usual timely coverage of the area's train events.

Things are looking good if the cement hoppers are coming back to the cement plant. I came within a few seconds of getting the VTA and UP together, and I think you were there with me when that happened.

I haven't been in the mill in probably ten years, even then the mill trackage needed
work. Hopefully it's a sign that the mill might be around for a few more years.

Out

that used to be a good job , haven't worked it in several years , good to see the job still goes up there .

I guess that explains why I haven't heard him blow for Quito Rd from West Valley College for a while. I took today off, unfortunately.

My wife says she saw power going through Japantown (San Jose) this evening, so that was likely the perm returning.

Good photos, shed47.

Jim B

As always, Shed 47, nice photo assay, great pics!

Love the first few photos of the hill in Cupertino (Monta Vista if you prefer) That is one steep hill. When I lived in the area in the mid '80's I used to watch the SP break the coal trains in two at Simla to get the loads up the hill and to fit in the yard at Permanente. Nothing better than 5 geeps in run-8 pulling the hill twice in a 90 minute period!

Mike in Tracy

I check the leaves and debris piling in the flanges at the Hamilton Avenue crossing quite often and have noticed no train in quite a while. But I heard the horn yesterday afternoon, so knew there was finally a train.

Thanks for the pictures, Shed!

Stan

Was always my favorite job as a brakeman, even though you had to tie-down every car. Used to live near the branch when I was a kid & saw the steam-to-diesel thing. Your 24 car train was pretty respectable, but far short of a 51 car early morning Perm that blocked my way to school in late 1967 or early 1968. That one caused me to be late to class, my first dose of "railroad" discipline.

Nice to see that the tradition lives on.

-E.O.

hogheaded Wrote:
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> Was always my favorite job as a brakeman, even
> though you had to tie-down every car. Used to live
> near the branch when I was a kid & saw the
> steam-to-diesel thing. Your 24 car train was
> pretty respectable, but far short of a 51 car
> early morning Perm that blocked my way to school
> in late 1967 or early 1968. That one caused me to
> be late to class, my first dose of "railroad"
> discipline.
>
> Nice to see that the tradition lives on.
>
> -E.O.

The current crew really enjoys this job as well, and they've been holding it down for a few years now. The previous crew held it for many years as well. It seems to be a fairly popular assignment for crews because of the nice call time and amount of work.

Great coverage, Shed! I really like the angles you chose on this chase. Talking with the Perm conductor two weeks ago, he said there were a lot of cars waiting to head up to the cement plant--he wasn't kidding!