Western Railroad Discussion > A Short Permanente Local Chase

Yesterday, TO member Maxwell and I met up to catch the return trip of the Permanente Local from the Lehigh cement plant in Cupertino, CA, to the yard in Milpitas. We knew that the crew was bringing empties back from the cement plant, but we were surprised when the crew told San Jose Control (Caltrain) dispatcher that they has 21 empties, which is more than usual for recent years. The Perm Local crew grabbed a pair of GEVOs for this run, UP 5429 and UP 5420, to provide adequate horsepower on the run up to the cement plant.

We caught the return trip to Milpitas at two locations in San Jose, the wye at CP Arena and the Brokaw Road grade crossing, both on the Warm Springs Sub. Much thanks to Maxwell for driving on this short chase. I shot still images at CP Arena then tried something different by shooting video with my DSLR at Brokaw Rd.

1: Coming off the south leg of the wye onto the Warm Springs Sub.
2: Rolling by CP Arena.
Video: The Perm crossing Brokaw road with its decent length train of 21 hopper empties.

Thanks for looking,

John

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Very nice pictures and video, John. It was fun seeing you yesterday.

Posted from Android

I thought the line was closed that goes south out of Milpitas and into San Jose??? Wouldn't this be the line that crosses Lundy Road in SJ (and eventually crosses Brokaw Road)? I could have sworn that line was officially shut down---so it's still open?

Did you get a chance to see the rails in Saratoga? I'm wondering if those old wobbly tracks are completely gone now with CWR as the replacement. Last I heard, they had dropped the rail but I don't know if it's been put in yet. It would be amazing to see six-axle GEVOs cruising along that old line.

coaststarlight99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought the line was closed that goes south out
> of Milpitas and into San Jose??? Wouldn't this be
> the line that crosses Lundy Road in SJ (and
> eventually crosses Brokaw Road)? I could have
> sworn that line was officially shut down---so it's
> still open?
>
> Did you get a chance to see the rails in Saratoga?
> I'm wondering if those old wobbly tracks are
> completely gone now with CWR as the replacement.
> Last I heard, they had dropped the rail but I
> don't know if it's been put in yet. It would be
> amazing to see six-axle GEVOs cruising along that
> old line.

The line that crosses Lundy Rd. in San Jose is the ex-WP line, which is shut down. The Warm Springs Sub is the ex-SP, located west of Lundy and they don't cross. The territory went dark and all the signals decapitated, but the line is in use almost on a daily basis by a couple of locals, and an occasional light engine movement or a work train.

No more wobbly jointed rail as far as I know, as the entire Vasona Branch has been replaced with ribbon rail, including through Saratoga. Pair of GEVO's spread the rails apart and derailed at the Vasona Jct. several years ago, but that was before the ribbon rails. Haven't had any major mishaps since then, and even bigger monsters (SD9043MAC's) have gone up and down the cement plant on several occasions.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/12 20:58 by cchan006.

Thanks Charles. I'm going to have to look at Google Maps to see the difference between the WP and SP lines that run south of Milpitas. I thought that the Lundy crossing was the only way to get into San Jose from there. Thanks for the scoop!

Okay, I just looked at the map and I think I have almost everything figured out---except for one item. How do the trains that run out of Milpitas get from the old WP line west, over to the old SP line? Those tracks run parallel, even though they are very close together, but I don't recall seeing any location where you can switch from the WP to the SP from Milpitas. How is this accomplished?

coaststarlight99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, I just looked at the map and I think I have
> almost everything figured out---except for one
> item. How do the trains that run out of Milpitas
> get from the old WP line west, over to the old SP
> line? Those tracks run parallel, even though they
> are very close together, but I don't recall seeing
> any location where you can switch from the WP to
> the SP from Milpitas. How is this accomplished?

On the south end of Milpitas Yard, there's a connector to the ex-WP tracks, which a local uses all the time to access the Milpitas Industrial Lead. I recall there was a crossover further north, somewhere between Dixon Landing and Abel Rd. overpass, but the ex-WP line has already been torn out to make room for BART, so don't hold my memory to that one. I'm sure a railhead who knows the territory will chime in.

The Warm Springs Sub actually diverges south to San Jose, north of Milpitas Yard (which is ex-WP), so the Perm Local in the video actually has to shove back to the yard after going past the switch there.

By the way, John, nice quick report and video!

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> coaststarlight99 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Okay, I just looked at the map and I think I
> have
> > almost everything figured out---except for one
> > item. How do the trains that run out of
> Milpitas
> > get from the old WP line west, over to the old
> SP
> > line? Those tracks run parallel, even though
> they
> > are very close together, but I don't recall
> seeing
> > any location where you can switch from the WP
> to
> > the SP from Milpitas. How is this accomplished?
>
> On the south end of Milpitas Yard, there's a
> connector to the ex-WP tracks, which a local uses
> all the time to access the Milpitas Industrial
> Lead. I recall there was a crossover further
> north, somewhere between Dixon Landing and Abel
> Rd. overpass, but the ex-WP line has already been
> torn out to make room for BART, so don't hold my
> memory to that one. I'm sure a railhead who knows
> the territory will chime in.
>
> The Warm Springs Sub actually diverges south to
> San Jose, north of Milpitas Yard (which is ex-WP),
> so the Perm Local in the video actually has to
> shove back to the yard after going past the switch
> there.
>
> By the way, John, nice quick report and video!


There is no "connector" south of WP Milpitas Yard, there is only a crossover North of the yard over to the SP.

alamedafrank Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> There is no "connector" south of WP Milpitas Yard,
> there is only a crossover North of the yard over
> to the SP.

Okay, that was my memory as well. I was trying to picture a connector south of the yard, but the only thing south of the yard is Montague Expwy, and then the wye (if the wye is still there). So then in order for a Milpitas job to go south into San Jose, they must go NORTH first? And once they hit the switch, they can then start south on the SP line? Do I have that right? If so, then that would mean whenever a job leave the Milpitas yard to go south, they will go north, get on the SP line, and they will actually go through the crossing at Curtis Street where the SP trains used to run, and then through the Great Mall intersection, etc....Do I have that right?

coaststarlight99 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Okay, that was my memory as well. I was trying to
> picture a connector south of the yard, but the
> only thing south of the yard is Montague Expwy,
> and then the wye (if the wye is still there). So
> then in order for a Milpitas job to go south into
> San Jose, they must go NORTH first? And once they
> hit the switch, they can then start south on the
> SP line? Do I have that right? If so, then that
> would mean whenever a job leave the Milpitas yard
> to go south, they will go north, get on the SP
> line, and they will actually go through the
> crossing at Curtis Street where the SP trains used
> to run, and then through the Great Mall
> intersection, etc....Do I have that right?

That is correct. The switch is just south of the Abel St overpass by a few hundred feet.

Okay, great--got it. Thanks!

Charles--take note of the connector north of the yard, and thanks for the info.