Western Railroad Discussion > CA coast margarita local with "unusual"power

In the land of ever present yellow GP-60's and GP-40's on locals,  anything different is worth a pic.
The Margarita Local runs from Watsonville Jct, CA, about 120 miles south on the ex-SP coast line to Paso Robles, CA...and back.  Saturdays only,
April 20th,  the power was UP1005, in the orig SSW paint (mostly), and one of the 8 UP ex-Kennecott copper GP-39's.   1st time ive seen one of the GP-39's down here in 20 years.  And no graffiti. 
Im down at the south end of the run at Paso Robles.  There are 3 consignees down here that get lumber...
 

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Nice pic.

Do you know what their normal run time is from Watsonville to Paso?

Highspeed Wrote:
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> Nice pic.
>
> Do you know what their normal run time is from
> Watsonville to Paso?

120 miles from WJ to Paso at 40 mph is 3 hours.   They work 2 ot 3 industries on they way down... thats another 1 to 2 hours.
Plus if they have to meet amtk 14 (they usually do), thats at least another 30 minutes.  And then there's the speed at which the crew works. A slow crew can easily take an hour more to work down to Paso than a quick crew.   Id say 5 to 5 1/2 hours on average...

pdt Wrote:
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> In the land of ever present yellow GP-60's and
> GP-40's on locals,  anything different is worth a
> pic.
> The Margarita Local runs from Watsonville Jct, CA,
> about 120 miles south on the ex-SP coast line to
> Paso Robles, CA...and back.  Saturdays only,
> April 20th,  the power was UP1005, in the orig
> SSW paint (mostly), and one of the 8 UP
> ex-Kennecott copper GP-39's.   1st time ive seen
> one of the GP-39's down here in 20 years.  And no
> graffiti. 
> Im down at the south end of the run at Paso
> Robles.  There are 3 consignees down here that
> get lumber...
>  

pdt, 

So this runs ONLY on Saturdays now?

J.

J.Ferris Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> pdt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > In the land of ever present yellow GP-60's and
> > GP-40's on locals,  anything different is worth
> a
> > pic.
> > The Margarita Local runs from Watsonville Jct,
> CA,
> > about 120 miles south on the ex-SP coast line
> to
> > Paso Robles, CA...and back.  Saturdays only,
> > April 20th,  the power was UP1005, in the orig
> > SSW paint (mostly), and one of the 8 UP
> > ex-Kennecott copper GP-39's.   1st time ive
> seen
> > one of the GP-39's down here in 20 years.  And
> no
> > graffiti. 
> > Im down at the south end of the run at Paso
> > Robles.  There are 3 consignees down here that
> > get lumber...
> >  
>
> pdt, 
>
> So this runs ONLY on Saturdays now?
>
> J.

They were running just to San Lucas on wednesdays, but seems tha keeps changing...and maybe they are running down to san lucas during the week as needed?    IDK    Down to Paso Robles is Sat only.   I think its been that way since some time during the 2008-2014 recession.

Where does that crew come from? I can’t believe UP keeps a crew base in Watsonville.

Posted from iPhone

I could be wrong (UP spent years messing with crew duty rigs at Watsonville Jct. trying to save a nickel, and making a mess of things in the process)

AFAIK ....4 crews based out of watsonville jct,,,,  Rock train (NB loads out of the Graniterock Logan quarry) , the Hauler to Warm springs and back , Hollister local that works north, and monterey (salinas)  local that works south

Salinas, Rock, and Monterey are the only jobs in Watsonville anymore. The Monterey got combined with the Hollister, and the Rock got combined with the Margarita with the implementation of PSR.

Brody Wyrick
Reno, NV

I wouldnt call "implemantation of PSR" the cause.   Ist of all, PSR is just a euphamism for "excessive business shrinking to reduce employees at any cost".    Its not a think.  Its BS that for some reason the Railfan community is buying.

The real reason for the cutbacks is the continued shrinking of consingees.  IDK if its the UP just chasing away carload freight, or what.  I believe  the RR pushes agri customers to load in vans and drive them to TOFC terminals.

The Margarita used to be 2 days a week to Paso, and 3 days a week to Davenport.    And from what I can see, carload traffic in Salinas has been shrinking..so now they can do Hollister/gilroy  3 days a week and salinas 3 days a week, or something like that. 

From the bay area to Los angeles, the state is just littered with the remains of once flourshing businesses.    It sucks , but no easy answers.  Business, especially big business in the country now is all about short term gain, not log term sustanability.