Western Railroad Discussion > US Gypsum Tank Car Run

Back in 2013, I rented a Jeep Liberty to attempt to scout the entire route of the US Gypsum operation out of Plaster City. I first chased UP's Plaster City Local in the morning, then once I found out the US Gypsum train wasn't running that day, I drove leisurely along the ROW toward the gypsum mine.

The 4WD Jeep Liberty easily conquered the "minor" sand traps along the way, but less than a mile past "The Trestle" (it's marked in Google Maps that way), I encountered a major, impassable sand trap which stretched as far as the eye could see. I couldn't make it to the mine, so I turned back.

Last year, I rented a "Mid-Size" SUV out of San Diego, and got a Toyota RAV4. RAV4 is known for drivability over sand due to its light weight, but unfortunately, the rental car agency only had a 2WD version. I thought the light weight and the ground clearance were enough to overcome the "minor" sand traps, but I got stuck in one of the "minor" sand traps about 1/2 mile from The Trestle.

Ground clearance allowed me to dig myself out, but I had to turn back again. I salvaged a video of the US Gypsum train at a much shorter trestle closer to the plant (in Plaster City), which I'll post last in this report.

I wasn't planning on chasing the US Gypsum train when I visited San Diego last January, but yield-pricing induced $40 per day (plus fees) to rent a Jeep Wrangler out of San Diego Airport changed my plans for a public transit-only getaway. Once I landed at Lindbergh Field in the morning, I drove the Jeep ("Sahara Edition") straight to Plaster City, with a mission to scout the entire route, train or not, and blaze my own trail if necessary.

The mission was successful. Furthermore, the employees told me #111 was going to run later in the afternoon. After returning from the scouting trip, I grabbed lunch, came back to the plant and watched #111 switch some gondolas around. Where was the water tank car?

I stayed around, not expecting the #111 to leave Plaster City, but after the crew finished switching, #111 took off light engine toward the mine! While it's possible to take regular roads to beat the train to the mine, I put the Jeep to good use and chased #111 along the ROW.

I didn't know what was going to happen once I got to the mine. After only a few minutes, #111 took off and returned toward the plant with the water tank car in tow. Sun had already set by then, but I took advantage of my camcorder's fast lens to get some low light video.

- Snapshot of the WAMX 1528 at Plaster City.

- Jeep Wrangler "Sahara Edition" rental for the January trip.

- Video of DL535 #111 doing a tank car run.
 

---

---

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

I caught the #112 last weekend, a day before visiting OERM's (Orange Empire Railway Museum, a.k.a. Southern California Railway Museum) swap meet at Perris.

While I lost the rental car agency upgrade gamble and got a compact car instead of a SUV, I used my knowledge gained from scouting the route 2 months ago in a Jeep, and pulled off a carefully-driven (and slower) chase, to take advantage of excellent morning light.

I got the empties at The Trestle, then at the last curve before entering the mine. Instead of chasing, I slowly drove back to The Trestle while the gypsum was being loaded at the mine, and got the loaded train crossing The Trestle.

Off topic, but the area is closely patrolled by Border Patrol Agents now, and I encountered them during this trip and also last January.

- Jeep Wrangler "Sahara".

- Bombing range is right near the ROW on the Plaster City side.

-Video of US Gypsum's morning train, as described.
 

---

---

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Here are two clips from my visit to the area in 2018.

As I was driving toward Plaster City, I caught UP's Plaster City Local returning to El Centro, led by a pair of maroon HLCX Geeps, first clip. I caught US Gypsum's empties leave Plaster City in the second clip, by one of the short trestles. The car in the background is the 2WD Toyota RAV4 that got me stuck in the sand.

That's all folks.

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Nicely done, Charles, and congrats on shooting them with the nose door closed!
GK

Darn nice work Charles! If I've already said it, it bears repeating...you are able to find locations that many of us locals are unable to capture. You have a special gift.                                                 

Why would any of us be interested in the last operating narrow gauge industrial railroad in the US with unique motive power
and cool scenery? Seriously, really nice stuff and that access road is way better than it used to be.

Out



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/18/19 10:21 by callum_out.

Charles sounds like an adventure but the video's were worth it. Thanks for covering a neat operation out in the desert.

CS

Curious, what did Border Patrol say, if anything?

TheNavigator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nicely done, Charles, and congrats on
> shooting them with the nose door closed!
> GK

Thanks Gary, and thanks Bob.

In January, the temps were in the mid-80s, so the crew opened the nose door for the return trip back to the plant. It was cold and windy last weekend, so they kept it shut.

callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seriously, really nice stuff and
> the that access road is way better than it used to
> be.

Somebody removed most of the sand from the "impassable" sand trap recently. I conversed with the Border Patrol Agent about that, and he said that happened recently, like within the last year or so.

TO member Dave has posted that access can be had with 2WD, but last weekend, my compact rental (Ford Focus) was scraping the sand and gravel at some spots, so beware of changing road conditions due to sand drifts. However, road conditions are better than 2013, and probably way better than when you were last there.

utwazoo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Curious, what did Border Patrol say, if anything?

In January, the agent I ran into was a 17 year veteran, working  for IOU during the government shutdown. His finances were in order, so he was able to work without a paycheck. He told me some of the younger agents were hurting, and some support staff (like the vehicle mechanics) were staying home. All moot now.

He was driving a Ford Raptor, which has been field-tested in the area to be able to drive safely at freeway speeds. He saw my Jeep from his lookout atop a nearby hill, so he ran down, and caught up with me in his Raptor. I was driving at a good pace with the Jeep, so yeah, the Raptor would be a great chase vehicle.

The Raptor came standard with leather seats, but the bureaucratic morons insisted on cloth seats "to save money." However, Ford charged the same price for the cloth seats because that was a custom order (duh). So he shared some "dumb management" stories for laughs.

Politics-wise, he didn't say anything troll-worthy for TO. He explained that the agents were on patrol due to human trafficking activity in the area, and he intercepted such an operation just days ago. He shared with me some of the agency's strategies, but I won't post those, since they are not train related. He had no problems with my cameras. He had no problems with the gun owners, either, as they set up impromptu shooting ranges in designated locations, some close to the railroad tracks.

There is a fairly new Facebook group dedicated to this short line, if any of you are interested. Fans of the Plaster City Narrow Gauge is the name to search for.
 

Great catch! Chased today’s train to the mine and they added a flat car with a small tie load to the rear in addition to the tank car. USG maintains the access road to some degree using their grader. I’ve seen it out working several times. The railroad mechanical department uses the road for daily inspections. If you are a Facebook user I would strongly encourage you to share your videos in the “Fans of the Plaster City Narrow Gauge” group.

Posted from iPhone

Always wanted to see the operation for my self, but will gladly take photo/video until then. Is the water car for the mine, and how often do they take it up there?

CPRR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Always wanted to see the operation for my self,
> but will gladly take photo/video until then. Is
> the water car for the mine, and how often do they
> take it up there?

The tank car supplies the quarry with potable water from Plaster City as there is no water source there. Normally the car is attached to the rear of the daily gypsum train, sometimes muliple times a day. Upon arrival at the quarry, the locomotive runs around the train and cuts the tank car off and spots it next to the quarry water tank for unloading. The tank car is empty in the time it takes to load the train with gypsum (usually 1 hour 15 mins). The crew then reattaches the tank car to the rear of the train for the trip back to Plaster City. If the water supply is running low at the quarry, the cycle is continued on each train that day.

-Jarod



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/19 12:18 by Dave.

---

---

---