Western Railroad Discussion > Long Beach Airport UPRR Spur

Diverging from the Harbor line and leading to the Boeing plant; North side of Municipal Airport at Long Beach CA. What are the operations on this track? There is a switch and actually two gated entrances to the airport property. A few boxcars are spotted on a side track just north of Conant St. The tracks look a bit decrepit but serviceable; the protection at some of the crossings actually looks pretty new but lacking the usual white "power on" lights.

UP used to, or maybe still do, bring in wing assemblies when the plant was McDonnell-Douglas. Some would ride standard 60' flats, but the larger wing assemblies for like MD-80s would ride in special 89' well-gondolas with DCCX marks. I'm sure UP still brings in some stuff for Boeing.

I believe UP runs 3-4 trains a week to Boeing. Usually a couple of Well Cars carying wings.

Every once in a while, you will see a Skybox, but not everytime.

They also serve a few lumber trans loading companies on the track. One just South of Carson St. & the other just North of where the spur ends, at Cherry Av.

In the past they used to spot Covered Hoppers with plastic pellets at Carson St. also, but haven't seen those there lately.

During December there is usually a Boxcar behind the Palm Reader selling Christmas trees right from the side of the car.

If you can catch a train, it usually has a caboose, due to the reverse movements.

Unfortunatly this track doesn't see the kind of service it once did, as the LA&SL Mainline to the Long Beach Harbor.

Foamer

I have not seen the wings railed in as they once were when they used to be produced in Canada. I usually see the wings trucked into the plant in large crates; not the rail cars. The current manufacturer is Hyundai. This leads me to believe that the crates are offloaded at the port and trucked up.

I have not seen any of the UP jobs cross into airport property. The ones I have seen of late, stop at the lumber yard, south of Carson, and leave a couple spline cars and pick up the empties. Also, I don't remember seeing a caboose.

If anyone would care, I could wander over and grab a few shots of a local.

Here is the train sitting at Mead Yard in Long Beach after returning from Carson St.

Usually they run the caboose behind the engines, with the cars trailing.

I guess crews these days just think it is one more car they have to lug around, and never set out.

Foamer

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