Western Railroad Discussion > S.F. Peninsula Dirty Dirt Chronicles, Cont'd.

Union Pacific's South San Francisco, CA-based YSF-70 job hauled 34 more contaminated dirt loads out of San Francisco's Pier 96 today which combined with 40 from Friday now warrants enough loads for another USFCO unit dirt train to Columbia Jct., UT. The five big units for that train reported here on TO as being down at Newhall Yard in San Jose yesterday were nowhere to be seen in South San Francisco today so any outside chance for a daylight run down the Peninsula to San Jose this afternoon has vanished. A very late Monday/early Tuesday run now seems far more likely.

With the UP2073-1923-1980-1046 for power today's YSF-70 curves past the decaying ruins of Bayshore Yard through the old SP location of Visitacion along Caltrain's great four track boulevard of steel. Photos are taken from the "new"(built in 2007) Tunnel Road bridge with its spacious pedestrian sidewalks on each side. There are even interpretive displays on the bridge depicting the wildlife you can see in the Brisbane Lagoon so languishing a bit with a camera up there brings no special attention or concern.

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Nice coverage of this unique operation. Prefer your shots of half train with Geeps over road power.
JB

Nice to see the GP60's in there. Haven't seen any in a while.

SW1200

Did 1347 escape from SSF over the weekend, or did it just not make the trip up to The City for the dirt?

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
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> Did 1347 escape from SSF over the weekend, or did
> it just not make the trip up to The City for the
> dirt?

UP1347 was parked solo at SSF this morning. After today's 70 job arrived just after noon the crew m.u.'d up the 1046 to the 1347--should be the power for tonight's Broadway Local with the three GP60's working the Mission Bay.

Excuse my inattention...
Where is the contaminated dirt coming from?
Where is it going?

shed47 Wrote:
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> Evan_Werkema Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Did 1347 escape from SSF over the weekend, or
> did
> > it just not make the trip up to The City for
> the
> > dirt?
>
> UP1347 was parked solo at SSF this morning. After
> today's 70 job arrived just after noon the crew
> m.u.'d up the 1046 to the 1347--should be the
> power for tonight's Broadway Local with the three
> GP60's working the Mission Bay.

I didn't watch the entire dance at Santa Clara last night, but it looked like 1046 was transferred from the Salinas Hauler to the Mission Bay last night. It led the Mission Bay to SSF.

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OK...Why is dirt from Pier 96 being hauled to Utah?

Abqfoamer Wrote:

> OK...Why is dirt from Pier 96 being hauled to Utah?

The dirt comes from "contaminated" sites all over the tip of the SF peninsula - it just gets loaded at Pier 96. It goes to Utah because that's where there's a dump licensed to dispose of contaminated soil.

And the "contamination" could be heavy metals? oils? PCBs?

Mission Bay crews have requested the use of GP60's as regular power in the area for the last year due to Tons per Powered Axle requirements imposed over old TPOB calculations.

Thanks, Evan

At this rate, how long until the area is below sea level?
...Lorenzo