Western Railroad Discussion > More Trains Galore (Pumpkins)

Here's a sequel to the "Trains Galore" thread I posted couple of days ago. That report was getting long, and I hadn't finished with all the trains I saw in 2 days, last Sunday and Monday... hence this thread.

"Pumpkins" refer to the orange paint scheme of BNSF locomotives. I didn't go to BNSF's San Bernardino or Cajon Subs to catch these trains. They came to me while I was loitering at Pepper Ave., east end of UP's (and ex-SP) West Colton Yard.

While waiting for EMD Tier 4 UP 3076 to come down to Pepper, M-BARWCL (Barstow to West Colton manifest, "Barwinkle") showed up. It was led by a slippery pumpkin ES44C4, but the rest of the consist was colorful and non-pumpkin, a faded Warbonnet and 2 KCSs.

UP locomotives showed up, they came and shoved to build a train while M-BARWCL accelerated west toward Cedar.

- M-BARWCL consist coming back to Pepper after setting out the cars in the yard.
- Same set from the other side.
- Video of Sunday's M-BARWCL

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Monday's M-BARWCL was all Pumpkins, H2-H3-H3-H2 with an ugly, fouled horn on the H2 leader. Very short train.

- Don't know when this set came in, but it was getting ready for the M-WCLBAR Sunday.
- Close up of BNSF 792.
- Quick video of Monday's M-BARWCL.

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A southbound on the Mojave Sub went east on the Yuma Sub using the east leg of the wye, Slover to Rancho Sunday afternoon. I reported on a similiar train about 5 months ago, but in the PSR era, trains using the east leg of the wye have become common.

So yawn, I was going to let this train pass... until I saw the pair of DPUs - NS (catfish) and BNSF (pumpkin).

MRVEP (Roseville to El Paso) was led by UP 5633, a C44AC. The trailing SD70ACe (UP 8350) was "surging" and giving engineer trouble going up San Timoteo Canyon. I made a conscious decision to go for "speed" to make this video short, so I took 2 photos while the train was climbing, and I drove ahead to Banning to catch the train running quicker for my video.

- Near El Casco. Conductor is walking to the troublesome UP 8350.
- Catfish + Pumpkin DPUs past Centennial Memorial Bridge near Beaumont.
- Video of fast running MRVEP, west of Banning.

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An OTNLB-4 (Trona to Long Beach) showed up on Sunday, heading west on the Alhambra Sub. I caught the counterpart 4 years ago, pulling the same AJPX covered hoppers north on the Mojave Sub but empties.

Heard on the radio chatter was MEWRV-26 (Englewood Yard, TX to Roseville) on Sunday led by UP 7809. It was doing a "Mira Loma set out" near Mt. Vernon. I was busy chasing trains up and down San Timoteo Canyon so I don't know what cars or where (toward the Ice Deck? in Old Colton Yard?) the set out occurred.

Also heard was a Ft. Worth to Long Beach manifest, and MRVLB - seems some trains continue onto Long Beach after a "West Colton set out?"

- OTNLB-4, no chase, no video, just one shot at Pepper. Not shown, but 1 DPU on the rear.
- Another CN pool power at Mt. Vernon, a west or northbound. Didn't chase it, and no video.

That's it for this report. I'm editing videos right now for the next sequel, Z trains.

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Interesting collection of old paint, soon to be gone paint (KCS), and paint in need of washing. The view from Pepper Ave sure has changed since SP days.
—Mac 

Nice group from around West Colton, Charles.  You have much better luck than I do with the foreign power.  It seems whenever I've gone to San Timoteo Canyon over the past few years I mainly catch nothing but yellow and gray.

Rich