Western Railroad Discussion > In honor of World Bee Day...

The United Nations has apparently designated May 20th as "World Bee Day" (visualize whirled bees?)  So in honor of our local pollinators and dispensers of sharp warnings, here are a few of their favorite subjects posed beside one of mine: Union Pacific's local job serving Chino, CA.

1, 2) What I'm guessing is a Hong Kong Orchid Tree (anyone?) grows in somebody's backyard right beside the Chino Ave. crossing, making a nice photo prop for the inbound Chino. 

3) Closer to the industrial park where most of the Chino's customers are located, a Yellow Azalea (?) grows next to the Schaefer Ave. crossing, its bright yellow putting UP 1414's faded yellow to shame.  The 1414 started life as SP 7663 and this is an ex-SP branch so...maybe that's a Yellow Mott-Azalea? ;^)

Thanks for looking but not touching.

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Nice photos and good find of beauty in somewhat drab area.
Units didn't look to have too much lovcally modified paint either!
Regards, Jim Evans

Great shots!! Yes definitely the tree in the first 2 photos is a purple orchid tree ( Bauhinia Purpurea) The last flowering shrub is a Tacoma Stans (yellow bells) love both of those varieties and use them most often in my landscape designs. Thx for sharing!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/23 20:39 by SPgoletablock.

SPgoletablock Wrote:

> Great shots!! Yes definitely the tree in the first 2 photos is a purple orchid tree ( Bauhunia
> Purpurea) The last flowering shrub is a Tacoma Stans (yellow bells)

Thanks for the identifications!

FiveChime Wrote:

> Units didn't look to have too much lovcally modified paint either!

There's a reason I only posted pictures from the days 1414 leads, and only the engineer's side.  The Chino's power gets turned in the course of a day's work, so the lead unit alternates each day.  The unit at the other end of the set right now is GP60 #1060.  I haven't tried calling the phone number yet, but I'm getting tempted...
 

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Nice post with wonderful colors.
​—Mac
“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left." ― Albert Einstein



Evan_Werkema Wrote:
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> The United Nations has apparently designated May
> 20th as "World Bee Day" (visualize whirled
> bees?) 
 

I'm impressed the trackage of the Chino Branch can handle the weight of GP40-2 and GP60 units.  I remember back in the early 1980's watching the Chino local working the branch with SP SW1500's.  That seemed to be the standard power back then and the trackage seemed very light.  At the time, I figured the line couldn't handle anything heavier.

WP921 Wrote:

> I'm impressed the trackage of the Chino Branch can handle the weight of GP40-2 and GP60 units. 

UP rebuilt a lot of their marginal branches in California with heavier, welded rail in the early 2000's, including the Chino Industrial Spur.  That's how the "100-year handshake" shown in this old thread came to be:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,5492907

UP still doesn't generally send 6-axle power down here, presumably due to some tight curvature on the wye and elsewhere, but it has been known to happen when they run out of geeps.

"UP rebuilt a lot of their marginal branches in California with heavier, welded rail in the early 2000's, including the Chino Industrial Spur."  Thanks for the update Evan.  I did notice in one photo of the linked thread the 80 lb. 1905 rail joining with the heavier UP installed 2003 rail.  I remember a lot of that 1905 rail back in the day.

Gary

Interesting trains and we sure need the bees, stingers and all.

Larry

I'll bee forever grateful to you for this post!

mapboy

And the wheel Arrangement on those units would be 'B'+'B' if they were GE see!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/23 22:17 by RailRat.

What?
No 'B' units?
...Lorenzo

567Chant Wrote:

> No 'B' units?

No, but I think I stepped on a yard slug while taking photo #2.  If I had stepped on one while taking photo #1, it would have been a road slug.