Western Railroad Discussion > Permanente Local Madness (CA)

Lately, the Permanente Local ("Perm") makes the 22 mile trek from Milpitas to the former Kaiser Permanente cement plant (now Lehigh Cement) once a week or less, usually on Fridays. The crew will often grab whatever 6 axle road power available in Milpitas Yard especially when taking loads, but occasionally, they'll take just the 4 axle Geeps, going up light power, and coming down with empties.

Back in late September, on a Friday, The Perm grabbed a couple of new SD59MX from the MRVMI which had just come in earlier the same morning, and headed light engines to the cement plant. It came back down with 32 empties. Shed47 was out there chasing it, and it IS a badge of honor to run into him. He can be elusive as he doesn't waste any time at a location during a chase:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2883269

First clip is at Hamilton Ave., where The Perm meets the VTA Light Rail. I met it at Vasona Junction next, then headed to Saratoga, where the second clip shows the SD59MX descending toward Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd. On the third clip, I zoom out and pan the SD59MX's crossing Arroyo de Arguello.

Fourth clip is kind of special for me, since this is near where I saw The Perm for the first time with a scarlet and grey SD9 on a Sunday many decades ago. Normally, the morning sun makes this all shadows, but the neutral light from overcast made it easier on the eyes.

On the fifth clip, taken just around the corner from the cement plant in the hills of Cupertino, the Perm is starting its return trip to Milpitas with the 32 empties, but the entire train is not shown. I was able to meet it just in time at Cristo Rey Drive, where it's the only area on the Vasona Branch going through Los Altos.

The sixth and final clip is at Saratoga Ave. where the Highway 85 construction about two decades ago had dramatically changed the landscape. This is where I ended the chase and rushed to work.

- Video of the SD59MX's on The Perm.

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I've always wanted to catch the SD9043MAC's running to the cement plant. Shed47 has already caught it at least once:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1906450

I missed that chance, and also another chance when Maxwell caught it (report not posted) earlier this year.

I didn't expect much action on a Friday week after Thanksgiving, as The Perm already took up 21 loads the Monday before, to catch up after the holidays. I held out hope just in case, and listened to radio chatter on rainy Friday morning. The Perm indeed was on duty, and the conductor identified himself as UP 280, just a GP38-2. I guessed incorrectly that he was just going up light engines to pick up the 21 cars, as he declared to the Caltrain dispatcher that he had 11 loads.

Earlier in the morning, AGBMI had come into Milpitas with an SD9043MAC leader, UP 8067. I didn't think much of it, but I had a suspicion that the crew might have grabbed some 6 axles so they don't have to double-over the hills of Cupertino. So I was hoping to see a consist of both 4 and 6 axles in Cupertino as I headed out in the rain.

I spent a little extra time posting on headsupnorcal before heading out, and it almost cost me, as the train was already crossing Stevens Creek Blvd. (old Monta Vista station) when I got there. Fortunately, I found an "emergency chase location" few weeks ago near Somerset Park, and used it. What I didn't expect was a pair of SD9043MAC's elephant style leading the train and highballing the foamer. That's the first clip.

Second clip shows the train climbing the last grade before entering the cement plant, with a crew coming out of the nose of the MAC to get ready to line the Derail normal.

I ended my chase there as I headed out to see if I can find other trains to chase, and I sure did, a Herzog ballast train, a bizarre light engine move with AMTK 94, and a 83xx SD9043MAC on the MRVSJ. That'll be another report, another day.

That's all folks.

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Nice video... I lived in the 'Creston' subdivision just up the hill from where the relocated line goes under Foothills Expressway, just up the hill from the I-280 interchange. Right after they completed the rerouted line they had a run away train with a number of loaded cement hoppers derail just under the Foothills over pass. I don't remember how old I was but I came across the derailment while riding my bike and asked the fireman standing there what happened. He told me the train ran away and the brakeman who rode the cut down, trying to tie hand brakes died in the derailment under the spilled cement.

Thanks for posting. Not quite as cool as watching 6 SP SD9s pulling hard up the hill with 2 or 3 of them dead by the time they got to top, but I'll take this as great to still have trains running in the west valley. That was just raw grunting up the hill back then in the SP days.

Bryce

I loved the sound of those two geeps throttling up the grade. Sounds like there may have been a stuck brake or something towards the end of the train.

-Alex

Does the cement plant still have the EMD switchers?

Awesome videos as usual, Charles! It's hard to beat the sound of the MACs and Geeps both throttling up on the grades. I always look forward to seeing your videos posted after hearing about your chases.

John