Nostalgia & History > Hard to do this shot today...

What will Southern California fans miss more? Warbonnets, or the classic Santa Fe signal bridges which provide a great "This is Santa Fe" backdrop.

Witness this photo from the late 1990s of a westbound Santa Fe intermodal train approaching Placentia, California, in the home stretch for Hobart Yard, blowing for the Kramer Blvd. grade crossing at mp. 42.54 of the San Bernardino Subdivision, her locomotive consist having just passed the classic signal bridge at 42.4, displaying "approach" for an eastbound on Main 2.

The signals were replaced shortly after this photo was taken and a new aluminum bridge installed about a mile to the west. Code line and poles were removed. Today, Kramer Blvd. is closed for construction of a grade separation project, and BNSF trains pass this point perhaps 20 yards to the south on a shoofly. Maybe others can chime in on the exact date this signal disappeared and the crossing project began.

This tangent around mp 42 was always one of my favorite photo locations in northern Orange County...east and westbound trains could be photographed here passing a classic signal with foliage neatly placed to mask any signs of the otherwise suburban look. Westbounds shot with a telephoto during the "straight-on" afternoon light of the summer months appeared to have the north slope of Sierra Peak pasted right behind the train.

Interestingly, until the whole idea went down the tubes in a city hall uproar, Placenta city fathers wanted to create a mini-Alameda Corridor here, placing the main line for several miles in a concrete ditch a la Alameda Corridor, Reno, Alhambra, etc. Had the project received enough funding, this area would be near the midpoint of the "ditch" project.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/12 14:13 by Alco251.

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Signal Bridges (and pole lines).

BCH

Former Southern Californian now in Arizona.

This signal bridge as well as an identical one at Harbor Blvd were replaced by the single signals near downtown Placentia probably around eight or nine years ago lengthening each block by about a mile and creating a single intermediate signal between the control points at Atwood and Fullerton Jct. The crossing you were at was also made a quite crossing around the same time which made the apartment dwellers to the north quite happy I am sure.
JB

Knew JB would have an answer...

Very nice pic. I used to work in Brea, and sometimes on my way to work I would stop at this location and see if anything would roll by. There was a good view of the eastbound signal if the sun was not too bright. I would see Amtrak #3 if it was running late.