Western Railroad Discussion > Coast Line Route/SB Sub Question

I just saw from Google Maps. There appears to be a new Spur.
That is just on the southwest edge of Vandenberg AFB.
About a mile south of the Lompoc/Surf Train Station

And looking at the satellite image, The Spur looks to be brand new.
I dont remember seeing it there before. Nor do I remember the building there.
It is roughly 3000 feet from the Main Line. And has plenty of room
for a few freight cars to be parked on it.

Does anyone know if this Spur is new or old?
And do we know what is being shipped to and or from this spur?


https://www.google.com/maps/@34.6679524,-120.6025021,758m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDYyOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

I wonder of this will be for the new Blue Origin pads.  B

The tracks look pretty overgrown to me--meaning they seem to have been there a while, not used.

This was previously talked about on 02/01 of this year

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,6133820,6134598#msg-6134598

Its likely to be used to transport rocket parts. 

The facilities at Vandenberg get repurposed/demolished/rebuilt all the time. Nature of the beast when it comes to aviation and space.
For example Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC6) was originally built by the Navy, it was then taken over by the Air Force when Point Arguello NAS was incorporated into Vandenberg AFB.
It was then heavily rebuilt for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program for the Air Force, rebuilt once again to be the West Coast Space Shuttle Launch Facility for NASA, rebuilt again as a Atlas Launch Facility for ULA and finally taken over by Space X who just dropped all of the "historic" launch facilities so they can build new ones to launch their Falcon 9's and maybe their Starship vehicles.
It seems that the only constant is change.

I also see net to the Narlon Siding area, there is another spur. 
At the Jct with the main line. Looks like it had not been used. 
But the rest of the spur. Looks to have new track and ballast.
Maybe they are planning to have some shipments. Sent via rail
in the future. 

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The facilities at Vandenberg get
> repurposed/demolished/rebuilt all the time. Nature
> of the beast when it comes to aviation and space.
> For example Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC6) was
> originally built by the Navy, it was then taken
> over by the Air Force when Point Arguello NAS was
> incorporated into Vandenberg AFB.
> It was then heavily rebuilt for the Manned
> Orbiting Laboratory program for the Air Force,
> rebuilt once again to be the West Coast Space
> Shuttle Launch Facility for NASA, rebuilt again as
> a Atlas Launch Facility for ULA and finally taken
> over by Space X who just dropped all of the
> "historic" launch facilities so they can build new
> ones to launch their Falcon 9's and maybe their
> Starship vehicles.

So many mistakes/misinformation in that post.

Then enlighten us with facts.

longliveSP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The facilities at Vandenberg get
> > repurposed/demolished/rebuilt all the time.
> Nature
> > of the beast when it comes to aviation and
> space.
> > For example Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC6) was
> > originally built by the Navy, it was then taken
> > over by the Air Force when Point Arguello NAS
> was
> > incorporated into Vandenberg AFB.
> > It was then heavily rebuilt for the Manned
> > Orbiting Laboratory program for the Air Force,
> > rebuilt once again to be the West Coast Space
> > Shuttle Launch Facility for NASA, rebuilt again
> as
> > a Atlas Launch Facility for ULA and finally
> taken
> > over by Space X who just dropped all of the
> > "historic" launch facilities so they can build
> new
> > ones to launch their Falcon 9's and maybe their
> > Starship vehicles.
>
> So many mistakes/misinformation in that post.

AS FAR AS I CAN TELL FROM READILY AVAILABLE PUBLIC INFORMATION:

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The facilities at Vandenberg get
> repurposed/demolished/rebuilt all the time.

Not true. 6 changes in 75-80 years does not equal "all the time".

> For example Space Launch Complex 6 (SLC6) was
> originally built by the Navy,

Not true. That land was purchased by the US Army in the mid 1960's. US Navy never had anything to do with it.

> it was then taken
> over by the Air Force

Not true, see above.

> when Point Arguello NAS was
> incorporated into Vandenberg AFB.

There is no such thing as Point Arguello NAS. Never was.

There was a Naval Missile Facility, Point Arguello, within the Vandeburg property, but it had nothing to do with SLC6. In 1964, it was officially "closed" and transferred to the Air Force under federal military realignments. No missiles were ever launched by the Navy.

> It was then heavily rebuilt for the Manned
> Orbiting Laboratory program for the Air Force,

It began in 1966 and was canceled in 1969. It was never fully finished and never used.

> rebuilt once again to be the West Coast Space
> Shuttle Launch Facility for NASA,

1972, then abandoned in 1989. No Shuttle ever launched from there.

> rebuilt again as
> a Atlas Launch Facility for ULA

1999 modified and configured for the Delta IV and then the Atlas 5

> and finally taken
> over by Space X

2006. Not true. At no time did SpaceX "take over" Vandenberg Space Force Base. Initially, SpaceX leased SLC-3W, then moved to SLC-4E

> who just dropped all of the
> "historic" launch facilities so they can build new
> ones to launch their Falcon 9's and maybe their
> Starship vehicles.

2023. Not true. SpaceX has not created any "new" launch area. SpaceX has leased SLC-6 and has modified and rebuilt it for its purposes.
 

Tangair below Narlon was South Vandenburg spur

WAF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tangair below Narlon was South Vandenburg spur

I’m afraid that’s inaccurate, Tangair is separate from South Vandenberg. South Vandenberg is the small collection of spurs just below Honda. Interestingly enough, it actually was known as South Vandenberg even back in SP days when north&south were not used as timetable directions.

Sounds like ALOT of tax dollars wasted at Vandenburg, building, then not using, then re-building, then barely or not using.  Such a waste, and only adds to our huge national debt.

in the space air and even rail development tons of wasted money, if it where so easy you would be doing it


when i went to pizmo, i think iwas kinda close, would pizmo be neat to watch the launch?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/26 14:03 by dan.

The spur track you are talking about is east of Surf and west of Honda. Believe it was 1991 was working the Surf turn out of Oxnard. Our crew was instructed to pick up a few railroad cars from this spur. Ran the engine up to the door. We were greeted by USAF armed guards. Better known as the Space Fuzz. I remember the look of puzzlement of their faces when we rang the bell for entrance. The big doors opened and inside the building were specialized flat cars for rocket motor shipments. The engines were sealed in protective environment complete with a refrigeration unit. As I recall the cars had DRGW lettering. Asked where the engines were going and the answer was Florida. My feeling that these were the Space shuttle engines. Hope this answers your questions.

Posted from Android

I love the memory about the pickup on the base. Good stuff. 

Unrelated but worth a read is this urban/industrial exploration site's essay on an excursion onto the base to access old Titan II missile silos. This is basically two college or postgrad students risking life. limb, and liberty to take some pictures: https://www.terrastories.com/bearings/vandenberg-abandoned-missile. 

They cross the Coast Line bridge over San Antonio Creek and just miss having to dodge a Surfliner while doing so. 

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/26 12:11 by phthithu.

phthithu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I love the memory about the pickup on the base.
> Good stuff. 
>
> Unrelated but worth a read is this
> urban/industrial exploration site's essay on an
> excursion onto the base to access old Titan II
> missile silos. This is basically two college or
> postgrad students risking life. limb, and liberty
> to take some
> pictures: https://www.terrastories.com/bearings/v
> andenberg-abandoned-missile. 
>
> They cross the Coast Line bridge over San Antonio
> Creek and just miss having to dodge a Surfliner
> while doing so. 
>
>  

It's a lot easier, safer and legal to go get your pictures at the Titan Missile Launch Facility just outside of Tucson, AZ.