Western Railroad Discussion > White Whale at Walnut

For over three years now my father and I have been attempting to get a westbound on the UP Alhambra subdivision at Walnut, California, just east of City of Industry. However, despite our many attempts to do so (combined with a lack of ATCS server coverage for this portion of the subdivision that only was extended in the past year), we've never caught a train that really made the location shine. Because of how the trackwork is laid out through the area, the shot in question requires a relatively long train in order for it to work, one that unfortunately enough had not appeared in our previous attempts. However, a quick trip over to Walnut this afternoon yielded substantially different results than our previous trips to this spot, and while I have not personally read Moby Dick, the analogy was too perfect not to pass up. In the course of three hours we caught no less than 5 westbound movements through the area surrounding Walnut, more than any time we've been there. Without further ado, here are our White Whales!

• Metrolink has placed around half of their leased AC4400CW's into storage with the intention of phasing them out completely in October, so catching one on the point of a train is becoming a rare treat. A westbound train heads through Grand, California, on its way to City of Industry and eventually Los Angeles.
• The first of four westbound UP trains coasts through Walnut behind an SD70ACe. Thinking this was as good as it was going to get, we hiked back to the car and turned on ATCS, checking for another train just in case. Seeing a westbound lined up we raced to the crossing only to find...
• An eastbound hauler out of COFI behind an ex Conrail DASH 8-40CW heading towards West Colton. I've heard that CSX recently retired their standard cab DASH 8's, so seeing any kind of old GE is quickly becoming less of a given, even on the eastern roads.

There's more...

Zachary
http://www.z-trains.com

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• The westbound that had been waiting for the CSX-led train to pass turned out to be a light engine movement to COFI, lead by an ES44AC with an interesting bit of railroad related grafitti on the cab.
• Checking ATCS again, we found out that three more westbounds were on their way through the area. Running at track speed with a Jenks repainted SD70M on the point, the westbound ISCLB charges through Walnut on its way to Long Beach.
• Following closely behind the westbound stacker was another Jenks repainted engine, its train barely long enough to make the curve in the background. We had one more train left, but it ended up taking the parallel LA subdivision.

There's more...

Zachary
http://www.z-trains.com

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• The last of the westbounds drifts through Grand as it passes by the south campus of Cal Poly Pomona. After this train passed we headed for home.

I hope the metaphor wasn't too cheesy or sentimental for y'all. It's been a great summer being back in California but all good things must come to an end, and on tuesday I'll be leaving the golden state for points east. It was definitely satisfying to finally slay this metaphorical white whale, especially with only a few days to go until I pack up and head out.

Have a great weekend!

Zachary
http://www.z-trains.com

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Where in the heck is Grand???    Are you talking about Walnut, CA near where Grand Ave and Valley Blvd meet?
 

PHall Wrote:
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> Where in the heck is Grand???    Are you talking
> about Walnut, CA near where Grand Ave and Valley
> Blvd meet?
>  

Control point on the LA subdivision about a quarter mile southeast of the shots that I took on the Alhambra subdivision.

Zachary
http://www.z-trains.com

CP Grand was formerly known as CP Diamond Bar at mp 26, give or take a tenth of a mile or two. It is roughly where the east end of Walnut siding was back before the double-tracking of the LA sub. There is no GRAND on the Alhambra Sub. Looks like you were near the east end of Walnut Siding on the Alhambra sub just east of Brea Cny Rd.

KC -  so many changes in that area from the "good 'ol days"
 

Some additional information:

CP Walnut on the UP LA Sub is about 2 miles West of where the pictures were taken. It is also slighty further West geographicly than is CP Walnut on the UP Alhambra Sub.

The Metrolink was on the UP LA Sub, not the Alhambra sub.

Does anyone know why UP decided to keep a CP City of Industry and CP Walnut on both the LA and Alhambra subs? Seems to me the one on the Alhambra sub should be changed to CP COFI and changed to CP Grand.

Also, does any have any updated information on when UP will start using the diverging route from the Alhambra sub to the "third" track of the LA Sub between CP Walnut of the LA Sub to West Pomona of the LA Sub?

jst3751 Wrote:
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> Does anyone know why UP decided to keep a CP City
> of Industry and CP Walnut on both the LA and
> Alhambra subs? Seems to me the one on the Alhambra
> sub should be changed to CP COFI and changed to CP
> Grand.

Technically speaking, neither control point exists on either subdivision because UP does not use station names as control point designators. 
Walnut is CP AL506 on the west end, and CP AL508 on the east end.  Both are associated with station name Walnut and identified as such in the timetable, but no CP Walnut exists.  Likewise, station "Industry" is associated with CP AL503 on the Alhambra Subdivision.  City of Industry is a non-station "business track" location on the Los Angeles Subdivision if you believe the UP timetable.


> Also, does any have any updated information on
> when UP will start using the diverging route from
> the Alhambra sub to the "third" track of the LA
> Sub between CP Walnut of the LA Sub to West Pomona
> of the LA Sub?

They're doing work on it again.

Effective 0700 on July 16, 2016:

Existing MT 2 between Grand and Oak will be shifted southward to new MT 2 location.
Track will be shifted southward between MP 27.73 and MP 30.75.

Intermediate Signal removed from service on existing MT 2:
MP.........Signal...............................Track
27.70......278-2 Eastward / 277-2 Westward......MT 2

Intermediate Signals placed in service on new MT 2:
MP.........Signals..............................Track
27.92......280-2 Eastward.......................MT 2
28.17......281-2 Westward.......................MT 2
29.66......296-2 Eastward.......................MT 2
29.70......297-2 Westward.......................MT 2