Western Railroad Discussion > Summit Road Crossing To Close.

Posted on the stop signs at the Summit Road crossing of the BNSF tracks in Cajon Pass is a notice of closure of the road. While talking with the security guard posted there, he informed me that the date of closure is December 4, 2002 and it is for safety reasons. The notice further says that if anyone has issues, or reasons that they should be exempt, they should contact BNSF. This will probably wind up in the courts again as it took a court order to open the gates previously.

Likely a few of the people living in Oak Hills that use that road will voice their need to keep it open.

Summit Valley Road, which parallels the BNSF from near Summit to Hesperia has been hard surfaced recently. Not asphalt, or concrete, but a solid surface that is smooth and good for about 45-50 mph. A great improvement from the rutted, dusty road of past. I hope that it holds up over time.

I wonder how the UP is going to get their crews up to Hiland to make a 12-hour relief with the road closed. That will make the crews really happy after they go dead on the 12-hour law and nobody can get to them without great difficulty. The dispatchers won't know that it's closed until somebody tells them or it's too late to do something about it, i.e., tie the train down at Phelan or go to Canyon to get relieved.

steamjocky....over and glad I don't work that job any more!

Hi!

GP40X wrote:
> safety reasons.

How many accidents have occured at
this crossing since it was put in?

Tony Burzio
San Diego, CA

Tony,

To my knowledge, there hasn't been any grade crossing at this location. At least on the SP side of the road and I've been going up and down that part of the pike since 1969.

steamjocky....over, and hope there are never any accidents at this, or any other location.

Security at Summit will likely have a key to open the gates as they have done in the past for the Hiland crew changes and emergency vehicles.

The only grade crossing accident that I can recall in the last 30 years in the general area was 8 miles east at the aqueduct road in Hesperia where a woman was killed in 1993. This was a dangerous location with a blind spot looking east, and now padlocked. BNSF successfully closed the nearby Martinez spur road, just east of Summit, but it was very rarely utilized by locals.

If they close the road again and they use Switch locks. Try to get a BNSF 105 or a 106 Key from either BNSF's A yard or West Colton, only if you don't have them. BNS usually locks everything except signal equipment with a Switch lock.

Second District out - this is For Rail's only!

There's a Universal Forest Service Key that will work too! You can get them at most hardware stores. FWIW, I think the rails know which keys they need and the rest of the information was too much, no?

I didn't say what they look like. That would be too much info.

SecondDistrict out - Staying Quiet

LA2ndDistrict wrote:

> I didn't say what they look like. That would be too much
> info.
>
> SecondDistrict out - Staying Quiet
>
> [%sig%]
Don't worry you didn't say too much. There is a universal key that works on most locks...bolt cutters. If someone really wants in they are getting in.

For those of you espousing getting keys from the B Yard or the local hardware store, my suggestion to you is "Don't". Any civilian caught with a RR key is subject to arrest for possession of stolen property, as the RR doesn't give those keys away nor do they sell them. Railroaders also don't have the authority to "lend" the keys to a friend. You are supposed to sign for it when you get it.

Railroaders on the property without authorization are subject to official action. As to bolt cutters, don't even go there. It will cause you nothing but grief if a Gum Shoe catches you.

The crossing is being closed for a specific reason and as the RR owns the crossing, they can do it. We, as Railfans, have nothing to say about it, no matter how inconvenient it is for our train watching.

Just food for thought.

Work & Play Safely,

Greg Stevens

...which was posted on 11-04-02. Picture taken today.

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