Western Railroad Discussion > Update on new CA steel mill

A new steel micromill has been planned near Bakersfield and discussed recently here on TO. An update shows that approvals have been granted and it looks like the project will move forward, although its impact on and relation to area railroads is yet to be seen. BTW, a micromill (as opposed to a minimill) is an electric arc furnace facility that usually produces less than 500,000 tons per year of product, while the minimills make more than that. If interested, read the update here:

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/kern-supervisors-approve-permits-for-first-california-steel-mill-in-decades/article_c5fe7874-e64f-11ee-a88a-cfb2c60a69dc.html

Here's the link to the original TO discussion if you missed it:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,5818969,5818969#msg-5818969

JG



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/24 17:48 by jgilmore.

It's not near Bakersfield. It's 70 miles southeast of Bkfld. 5 miles south of Mojave. I guess that's near Bakersfield if you were making a 1000 mile trip.

WJEX Wrote:
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> It's not near Bakersfield. It's 70 miles southeast
> of Bkfld. 5 miles south of Mojave. I guess that's
> near Bakersfield if you were making a 1000 mile
> trip.

Exactly, I noted the precise location in my original post. I used Bakersfield as the major reference point because that's what most people are familiar with...

JG

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any rail connection being mentioned in the news article.

But if they had any rail service. I think the Mojave Yard will get more cars to shuffle 

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

jgilmore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WJEX Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's not near Bakersfield. It's 70 miles
> southeast
> > of Bkfld. 5 miles south of Mojave. I guess
> that's
> > near Bakersfield if you were making a 1000 mile
> > trip.
>
> Exactly, I noted the precise location in my
> original post. I used Bakersfield as the major
> reference point because that's what most people
> are familiar with...
>
> JG

Most railfans have a pretty good idea where Mojave is.

Even most non rail fans know where Mojave is located.
Specially those to visited Edwards Air Force Base.
And the Mojave Airport/Space Port.

Also many people who drive through Mojave to get to Barstow, Bakersfield or even towards LA


PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jgilmore Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > WJEX Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > It's not near Bakersfield. It's 70 miles
> > southeast
> > > of Bkfld. 5 miles south of Mojave. I guess
> > that's
> > > near Bakersfield if you were making a 1000
> mile
> > > trip.
> >
> > Exactly, I noted the precise location in my
> > original post. I used Bakersfield as the major
> > reference point because that's what most people
> > are familiar with...
> >
> > JG
>
> Most railfans have a pretty good idea where Mojave
> is.

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

Mojave is an actual corporated community, located a little over 60 miles east of Bakersfield along Route 58. Mojave is located about 27 miles north of Lancaster, CA. There is a town in California called Lancaster and it's the end of the line for Metrolink Commuter Rail's Antelope Valley Line. It's a railroad town, served by I believe the UP Palmdale Sub and then you have a BNSF Line(I think the Mojave Sub) coming from Barstow that meets the Palmdale Sub in Mojave. West of Mojave, it is both joint UP/BNSF Property through Tehachapi and then up to Bakersfield. It will be very interesting to see how well the steel mill does out there as there aren't many jobs out there, like in the Greater LA area.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/24 05:38 by Passfanatic.

Palmdale Sub? It's the Union Pacific Mojave Subdivision from West Colton to Bakersfield.

"If you build it, they will come".

Passfanatic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mojave is an actual corporated community, located
> a little over 60 miles east of Bakersfield along
> Route 58. Mojave is located about 27 miles north
> of Lancaster, CA. There is a town in California
> called Lancaster and it's the end of the line for
> Metrolink Commuter Rail's Antelope Valley Line.
> It's a railroad town, served by I believe the UP
> Palmdale Sub and then you have a BNSF Line(I think
> the Mojave Sub) coming from Barstow that meets the
> Palmdale Sub in Mojave. West of Mojave, it is both
> joint UP/BNSF Property through Tehachapi and then
> up to Bakersfield. It will be very interesting to
> see how well the steel mill does out there as
> there aren't many jobs out there, like in the
> Greater LA area.

Absolutely. It's quite rare to learn about a steel mill opening up these days as many have shut down. Distribution centers are cropping up all over the place and in the Mojave and Lancaster area, there is a lot of space for them to be built. I believe that there is an inland port that is being built in Mojave. I know that the containers heading to the inland port will travel by train from the Ports of LA and Long Beach up to Mojave. It will be interesting to see which routes they will take.

WJEX Wrote:

> It's not near Bakersfield. It's 70 miles southeast of Bkfld. 5 miles south of Mojave.

7 miles south of Mojave.


 jgilmore wrote:

> I noted the precise location in my original post.

"location is near Tehachapi" is hardly the "precise location."  That's almost as bad as saying it's near Bakersfield.


 Passfanatic wrote:

 > There is a town in California called Lancaster and it's the end of the line for Metrolink Commuter Rail's Antelope Valley Line. It's a railroad town ...

Lancaster isn't really a "railroad town" since it wasn't founded by the railroad.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/24 14:51 by johnsweetser.

johnsweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  Passfanatic wrote:
>
>  > There is a town in California called Lancaster
> and it's the end of the line for Metrolink
> Commuter Rail's Antelope Valley Line. It's a
> railroad town ...
>
> Lancaster isn't really a "railroad town" since it
> wasn't founded by the railroad.

I believe in his comments, Passfanatic was referring to Mojave being a railroad town and not Lancaster.  For the record, its the Union Pacific Mojave Sub passing thru Mojave and the BNSF Mojave Sub coming into town from Barstow.  Ultimately it doesn't appear this micro mill will be served by either railraod at least as it is planned but that could easily change.  Adding a railroad spur to the property would be easy compared to clearing all the environmental issues.

johnsweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "location is near Tehachapi" is hardly the
> "precise location."  That's almost as bad as
> saying it's near Bakersfield.

You crybaby, provincial Californians need to chill out, smoke some weed or something to get your panties out of a wad. I noted the precise location in my original post by linking the news article, which stated: "The plant would be located on two individual parcels about halfway between Mojave and Rosamond. The land is bordered on the west by Sierra Highway and on the east by 10th Street West. Its northern border is Sopp Road." If I had picked that part out and wrote it in my post, how many people reading it would know where the heck that is? They can, however, quickly place it in their head by seeing Tehachapi, or even Bakersfield. Funny thing, this news was covered by a website called bakersfield.com, because it IS near Bakersfield and, yes, a little nearer to Tehachapi. Anyone who really, really wanted or needed to know the exact location could easily find it by reading the link. No, but folks would rather relieve their uncontrolled urge to complain and needlessly pick things apart by whining the location that I gave wasn't exact, which ironically I knew when I wrote "near Bakersfield" someone would actually do that. Thank you for verifying my hunch, and continuing the long and proud TO/railfan tradition of getting all bent out of shape over nothing. Not to worry, TO is working perfectly normal, as we can all see...

JG



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/24 16:51 by jgilmore.

GP25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Even most non rail fans know where Mojave is
> located.
> Specially those to visited Edwards Air Force
> Base.
> And the Mojave Airport/Space Port.
and according to some, a lot of space aliens are hip to it too.
 

Now that you mention it, I've seen railfans out there who might qualify.

Out 

jgilmore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> johnsweetser Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > "location is near Tehachapi" is hardly the
> > "precise location."  That's almost as bad as
> > saying it's near Bakersfield.
>
> You crybaby, provincial Californians need to chill
> out, smoke some weed or something to get your
> panties out of a wad. I noted the precise location
> in my original post by linking the news article,
> which stated: "The plant would be located on two
> individual parcels about halfway between Mojave
> and Rosamond. The land is bordered on the west by
> Sierra Highway and on the east by 10th Street
> West. Its northern border is Sopp Road." If I had
> picked that part out and wrote it in my post, how
> many people reading it would know where the heck
> that is? They can, however, quickly place it in
> their head by seeing Tehachapi, or even
> Bakersfield. Funny thing, this news was covered by
> a website called bakersfield.com, because it IS
> near Bakersfield and, yes, a little nearer to
> Tehachapi. Anyone who really, really wanted or
> needed to know the exact location could easily
> find it by reading the link. No, but folks would
> rather relieve their uncontrolled urge to complain
> and needlessly pick things apart by whining the
> location that I gave wasn't exact, which
> ironically I knew when I wrote "near Bakersfield"
> someone would actually do that. Thank you for
> verifying my hunch, and continuing the long and
> proud TO/railfan tradition of getting all bent out
> of shape over nothing. Not to worry, TO is working
> perfectly normal, as we can all see...
>
> JG

Rosamond....now you're talkin'   Home of Willow Springs Raceway where many racers honed their craft.  It served as the late great Riverside Raceway in the recent film "Ford vs Ferrari"

masterphots Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Rosamond....now you're talkin'   Home of Willow
> Springs Raceway where many racers honed their
> craft.  It served as the late great Riverside
> Raceway in the recent film "Ford vs Ferrari"

Willow Springs was built as the replacement for the late, great Riverside International Raceway. 

Willow held its first race on November 23, 1953,  five years earlier than Riverside, which opened in 1958.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/24 10:34 by masterphots.

There's been comparison's with the Electric Furnace plant in McMinnville Oregon. Drove through McMinnville last week and that plant is not the classic 'steel mill, almost missed it. It seems to be doing a very lively business though.

Big industrial open sheds, lots of steel in the open yards, definite rail presence. Near by big time electrical transmission towers.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> masterphots Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Rosamond....now you're talkin'   Home of
> Willow
> > Springs Raceway where many racers honed their
> > craft.  It served as the late great Riverside
> > Raceway in the recent film "Ford vs Ferrari"
>
> Willow Springs was built as the replacement for
> the late, great Riverside International Raceway. 

Please, it would be better if you stick to things you actually know something about, rather than embarrass yourself by posting misinformation once again.

Riverside International Raceway was built in 1957 and closed in 1989.

Willow Springs International Motorsports Park was built in 1952-1953.