Western Railroad Discussion > SP Creeping Over The SN Line, New On-Line Customer?

Okay, it’s really the Cotton Belt on the Sacramento Northern, but close enough. It has been reported that there are only 5 of these patched SSW GP60 units left still running around (unrepainted) and 3 of them have cycled through Ozol Yard in Martinez , CA over the in recent weeks. There is also at least one UP repaint GP60 also in the mix. I am happy to catch these units a few times on the various locals out of Ozol.
Today, we are again focusing on the UP LRJ46 Pittsburg Switcher that had an empty to pick up over at Angle Board in Bay Point, CA. This requires the switch back moves from the ex-SP Mococo Line (UP Tracy Sub) onto the last remaining in-service/revenue segment of the former Sacramento Northern Rwy line in the SF Bay Area. UP calls it the Bay Point Industrial Lead. It is quite interesting to watch because of the very old rail that requires a slow methodical tip-toeing. I suspect that the GP60’s are about the largest units that UP has run over the light uneven rail.


But wait… It looks like something is up on the line out there, maybe a new customer on the SN trackage? As I wrote this up and have connected pieces of a puzzle, it does look like UP may be having an new customer on the line, maybe just temporarily, but something is stirring. I know clues when I see them. You will have to read through my story for more:)


My story is back on Friday, 04/06/18. It was a rainy morning mid-way through the Pineapple Express storms we were having. I didn’t bother to get up and go out quite as early, just because it was actively raining, but I did head out to my usual spot along the BNSF/UP lines out in Bay Point. I was hoping to be able to catch at least one of the two UP locals. I ended up getting both, as you will soon see. It was raining (mostly light) the entire time, but it added to the mood and atmosphere. This also made it easier to see more of the track detail that would not be possible on a bright sunny day. Here are the highlights:


Photo #1) 04/06/18 0850 Hours – McAvoy Rd, Bay Point. I arrived just in time to catch the UP LRJ88 local heading east on the BNSF enroute to the Hill Yard in Pittsburg/Antioch. UP 1096, a GP60 repaint leads the train.


Photo #2) 0955 hours – I sat around long enough waiting for the LRJ88 to head back west, when I heard a horn in the distance from the other direction. It had to be the LRJ46, so I had to hurry down to a decent spot to catch it. I didn’t sit at my usual spot at Nichols Rd, just too remote and creepy down there on a rainy day. At 0955 hours, the eastbound LRJ46 crests the top of the hill along a (small) rollercoaster profile, led by two of the remaining unrepainted SSW GP60’s. You can really tell which line was here first and which builder had money. The SN line to the left was last and most basic. This section is still connected but WAS out of service, BUT there was evidence that this segment had been highrailed within the past few days, probably the first time in decades. That seemed VERY strange, BUT they just started heavy construction on a property that is being developed just out of sight to the left (behind the bushes). Could this segment of track NOW be back in service to allow construction material be brought to the site? Could it be for a new rail connection to the new industry being built? You heard the rumor here first (I just started it)!


Photo #3) LRJ46 starts the slight downhill glide at a whopping 10-20 mph, with a train that has a very pleasing matched profile. I spent so much time at the spot after the train went by looking at the various trash piles (not pictured) that I almost missed the fact that the train had stopped, usually indicating that they were going to tie the train down and cut off to serve the SN side.

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Photo #4) 1008 hours – The power has cut off the train and pulled forward and will soon be backing off the main line, through the middle track to get to the track in the for ground.


Photo #5) 1012 hours, the power is now on the connector track backing towards me. If it looks like the 1004 is leaning toward the camera, It Is. There were a couple pieces of track equipment parked in that spot two weeks. Wonder if it was used to make some track adjustments to the out of service portion of the track? Since no work was obvious, I just expected they did some work on the main line.


Photo #6) 1014 hours, the power continues backing into the old SP/SN interchange track. Up till a couple weeks ago, there was a “red board” sign placed squarely in the middle of the rails at the far end of the little “yard”, indicating the end of “in service” trackage. The removal of the sign would have allowed the distant trackage to be high railed. Is it back in service now? Also added within the last couple weeks are the fouling point indicators on this trackage. One can be seen on the left track in the distance and one is visible behind the trailing truck of the closest locomotive. Why would they need fouling point indicators on tracks that don’t get used by current traffic. Wonder if they will be bringing building materials to the construction site by train on this track?


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Photo #7) Almost clear of the switch, they will soon pull forward very carefully taking the switch to enter the SN mainline. The lens does exaggerate the twists and bumps in the tracks, but this is still very old rail.


Photo #8) The power is now entering the SN mainline. If it looks like the power is leaning a bit toward the left, It Is.


Photo #9) 1017 hours – The power is now rocketing down the SN mainline. The old SN line looks like had an intentional lean into this curve, where the interurbans probably had a decent speed limit. The switch they will reverse direction through is at the bottom of the curve. Something of interest is coming in the distance!

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Photo #10) 1019 hours, Just as the LRJ46 is about to clear the switch into Angle Board, the westbound LRJ88 is making mainline speed on the BNSF tracks. This is the best I’ve done catching the two trains passing each other on separate lines. The LRJ46 tends to run when nothing else is close by.


Photo #11) 1021 hours, the LRJ46 backs down the spur into Angle Board. This shot is not practical on a sunny day.


Photo #12) 1022 hours, the LRJ46 has come to a stop just outside the back door of Angle Board. It will soon back about ¼ length of the first unit inside to couple up to the CN boxcar.

Continued One More Time ......

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Last One.....

Photo #13) 1030 hours, having quickly pulled the boxcar, they now moving back out. The squeal on the rail was extremely loud, even from a distance.


Photo #14) 1037 hours, now backing slowly through the switch into the “yard”, boxcar first. Train is on a slight down hill angle from the mainline track to the connector track. You can see a lot more of the foul point markings and markers.


Photo #15) 1038 hours – having successfully negotiated all of the worst portions of the trackage, the train is now headed back out to the Mococo main track, having cheated derailments another day.


Thanks for looking.


Gary

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i am going loco over these

WOW! Great catch!

Great photo essay!

Great catch and series!

PQM

Nicely done. That is a puzzling area.
t4p.

I went back out there this morning to see if all the pieces of my hypothesis that an additional 1/2 mile of out of service SN track is now back in service for future traffic. It might just be.

The condition of the “out of service” track looks very similar to the condition of the “in service” section, so probably not a lot of work is required. The interesting thing is the property that they are grading once had a rail spur onto the property. So the grade and fenceline entrance are already there. Aerial photos shows a small remanant of the spur remains just outside the gate. All UP has to do is put in a switch and then lay new rail on to the property.
Seems improbable, but?

Also, the switch would face the opposite direction that allows for UP to enter the Angle Board spur, so the power would need to run around its cars to serve the new customer. Perhaps that is why it looks like the SN yard tracks have foul point markers now, because they will be using it to run around their cars.

The property in question can be found on a map if you search Port Chicago Highway and Nichols Rd.
Follow the SN track eastward from Nichols Rd and you will find that old spur about 15-20 car lengths from the crossing. The crossing is at the end of useable track. They would have to do some serious work to make the crossing useable again.

Gary

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/18 11:49 by SN711.

The connector track between the former SP's Mococo line and the ex-SN main track is what used to be the SP-SN interchange at a station called "McAvoy" on both RRs. Both the SN and SP served this industrial area, separately. The SP's lead is (or was) the big curve which swings around the south side of where SN track goes down into to the subway. There were also few diamonds in locations where the two RRs served the same customers.

That area is indeed very interesting. A few years back, myself and a friend did a whole day's exploring around there, walking the SN rails, even the lead to the ferry (San Ramon) loading dock, at least as far as possible. It was an experience I will never forget.

SN711 Wrote:
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>
> The property in question can be found on a map if
> you search Port Chicago Highway and Nichols Rd.
> Follow the SN track eastward from Nichols Rd and
> you will find that old spur about 15-20 car
> lengths from the crossing. The crossing is at the
> end of useable track. They would have to do some
> serious work to make the crossing useable again.
>
> Gary
>
> Posted from iPhone

Found it on Bing Maps...interesting stuff, thanks for posting.

I just was able to get a better map view of the property that they are grading. It appears that the old ties for the switch are still in place. If they are in fact going to put that spur back in, they may just have to change the rails for the switch.

I went looking for around to try to find someone at or near the construction site, but they had the gates to the site closed (not a good neighborhood to leave things lying around). Sometimes the UP maintainer is on the area, but not today.

Gary

Posted from iPhone

What's the deal with the dead animals in pic. # 10? upkpfan

upkpfan Wrote:
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> What's the deal with the dead animals in pic. #
> 10? upkpfan

You mean the dead Yeti’s in front of the fence?

Just tumble weeds. It is a little wild out there. You can find just about anything, but so far I haven’t found any dead large animals or humans.

Gary

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/18 19:15 by SN711.

Are you referring to the bunches of tumbleweeds against the fence?
G

Great coverage I never had that much luck when I loved on the line, Do you have any of the new construction photos to post?

Superb job Gary!