Western Railroad Discussion > Colton "Diamonds" and SD70Ms (SoCal)

Before the westbound "monstacker" showed up at Pepper in my previous report, I overheard the dispatcher talk to a SD70M about to head east out of Old Colton Yard, then head west. Dispatcher (LMC, for those who know who she is) then reviewed the "game plan" and the SD70M was eventually going to head to the Los Angeles Sub.

So I quickly left Pepper and went to the Colton "Diamonds." Not a real diamond anymore, as the UP has a doubletrack flyover, and the single track that crosses the BNSF have the train's flanges "ride over" the BNSF tracks, instead. I posted a video of the "diamonds" 2 years ago - just view the first 55 seconds and listen to the lack of clickety-clack:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,5541554

I sense a growing nostalgia for the SD70Ms, so I'm posting this video preemptively. Light engines, after doing work at Old Colton Yard which I did not witness.

That's it for the quick report.

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Those SD-70M's are the last, great EMD engine ever made.

Very Enjoyable post! and the links going Back to the Lack of Clickity Clack Track!
Just learned something here about not really diamonds any more!

My memory from childhood up inside Colton Tower was definitely double Clickity Clack and feeling that too under my feet at the time.

Wow a different kind of diamond nowadays, I had no idea.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

RailRat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very Enjoyable post! and the links going Back to
> the Lack of Clickity Clack Track!
> Just learned something here about not really
> diamonds any more!
>
> My memory from childhood up inside Colton Tower
> was definitely double Clickity Clack and feeling
> that too under my feet at the time.
>
> Wow a different kind of diamond nowadays, I had no
> idea.

It's a OWLS (One Way Low Speed) crossing. The BNSF tracks have no flangeways to clank across. Much less wear and tear.

RailRat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very Enjoyable post! and the links going Back to
> the Lack of Clickity Clack Track!
> Just learned something here about not really
> diamonds any more!
>
> My memory from childhood up inside Colton Tower
> was definitely double Clickity Clack and feeling
> that too under my feet at the time.
>
> Wow a different kind of diamond nowadays, I had no
> idea.
Ditto for me. I have the same memories you do. My dad worked there all through the 50's till about 63 or so. Wag

Thank you for not including a recording of the radio transmission from LMC. Like fingernails on a chalkboard.