Nostalgia & History > Santa Fe Potash

Santa Fe and export unit trains of Potash/Soda Ash are no stranger to the Surfline. Over a span of 5 years I captured many of these movements.

If memory serves me right I can remember my cousin was with me when I shot the first shot. He isn't much of a railfan but he was amazed with the growl of these EMDs. We heard these babies thunder for well over 10 minutes before it passed us. Most are unaware how steep the grade coming out of Tustin really is. I would guess the train passed us doing roughly 25-30 MPH.

The next shot is another San Diego bound train leaving San Onofre after meeting a San Diegan bound for LA.

Last shot is around MP 208 near the 'Western White House'.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/14 09:33 by NightCoast.

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NICE!!!!!

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

Here's the same train as the one passing MP 208 at a location formally known as Agra. There once was a siding here up until the 1970s. As the train dips into one of the many sags the engineer lightly comes off the throttle easing the train towards Oceanside.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/14 09:30 by NightCoast.

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Slick train. Are those the same off-white hoppers I often see sitting in Mojave? Should have a symetrical red logo with the possible reporting marks of TLDX ?

Yes the most likely are . These trains are now UP run to Metrostecedore at Long Beach

northislands Wrote:
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> Yes the most likely are . These trains are now UP
> run to Metrostecedore at Long Beach

Still interchanged to BNSF at San Berdoo when Long Beach is at capacity and when contracts call for trains to go to San Diego.

Axy

Fizzboy7 Wrote:
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> Slick train. Are those the same off-white
> hoppers I often see sitting in Mojave? Should
> have a symetrical red logo with the possible
> reporting marks of TLDX ?

I think those are the DGHX cars (there's another reporting mark with the red logo as well, but I've forgotten that one - my bad). SEE PIC HERE of one of the DGHX cars:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=196201

rbx551985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fizzboy7 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Slick train. Are those the same off-white
> > hoppers I often see sitting in Mojave?
> Should
> > have a symetrical red logo with the possible
> > reporting marks of TLDX ?
>
> I think those are the DGHX cars (there's another
> reporting mark with the red logo as well, but I've
> forgotten that one - my bad). SEE PIC HERE of one
> of the DGHX cars:
>


I'm pretty sure those are the cars I had in mind, although the logo in that pic is pretty trashed. The logo should look like some sort of odd shape with two sharp edges at the top and bottom with an opened, unpainted area in the center. The cars were new in the mid to late 80's.

Axy_Dent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> northislands Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yes the most likely are . These trains are now
> UP
> > run to Metrostecedore at Long Beach
>
> Still interchanged to BNSF at San Berdoo when Long
> Beach is at capacity and when contracts call for
> trains to go to San Diego.
>
> Axy

i check out the san diego webcam once or twice a week ... there hasn't been any potash at the unloading facility for the port in over year going on 2 ... it usually takes 2 and rarely 3 days to unload a 60 car train ... with the empties going back the 3rd day ... about 2 years ago BNSF paved the staging tracks for the facility and i haven't seen any hoppers there since but before that there were cars stored all over port trackage waiting to be unloaded but i guess that all went to UP as was stated above ... right now it looks like some kind of work work is going to commence with work equipment on the staging tracks

http://live6.truelook.com/face/newface.jsp?func=live&name=/ecodb/coronado/camera1&pan=69.668045&tilt=-5.1607966&panfov=1.8043479&tiltfov=1.3532609&overlay=default&skin=OctSOSD2006&useapplet=true&time=1317325171651&width=640&height=480&quality=65&catalogname=catalog&imagemap.x=-751&imagemap.y=-563&imagemap.w=2142&imagemap.h=1606

... the SD&AE yard on the other side of blvd is empty and it looks like it going to be rehabbed ... there are rails laying on a track in the yard and grading equipment ... whether the BNSF work equipment in their own yard is connected to the work in the SD&AE yard i don't know

http://live6.truelook.com/face/newface.jsp?func=live&name=/ecodb/coronado/camera1&pan=57.940956&tilt=-8.111567&panfov=5.2483463&tiltfov=3.9362597&overlay=default&skin=OctSOSD2006&useapplet=true&time=1317326148659&width=640&height=480&quality=65&catalogname=catalog&zoom=7.907253&imagemap.x=316&imagemap.y=262

> ... the SD&AE yard on the other side of blvd is
> empty and it looks like it going to be rehabbed
> ... there are rails laying on a track in the yard
> and grading equipment ... whether the BNSF work
> equipment in their own yard is connected to the
> work in the SD&AE yard i don't know
>
> http://live6.truelook.com/face/newface.jsp?func=li
> ve&name=/ecodb/coronado/camera1&pan=57.940956&tilt
> =-8.111567&panfov=5.2483463&tiltfov=3.9362597&over
> lay=default&skin=OctSOSD2006&useapplet=true&time=1
> 317326148659&width=640&height=480&quality=65&catal
> ogname=catalog&zoom=7.907253&imagemap.x=316&imagem
> ap.y=262

This rail is more than likely being used on the
rehabilitation of the 'Blue' line of the SD Trolley,
the old SD&AE mainline to the border. MTS, SD Trolley,
SDIV/Railamerica will not spend money putting
welded rail in the freight yard portion of
the facility!!
Mike

2720 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > ... the SD&AE yard on the other side of blvd
> is
> > empty and it looks like it going to be rehabbed
> > ... there are rails laying on a track in the
> yard
> > and grading equipment ... whether the BNSF work
> > equipment in their own yard is connected to the
> > work in the SD&AE yard i don't know
> >
> >
> http://live6.truelook.com/face/newface.jsp?func=li
>
> >
> ve&name=/ecodb/coronado/camera1&pan=57.940956&tilt
>
> >
> =-8.111567&panfov=5.2483463&tiltfov=3.9362597&over
>
> >
> lay=default&skin=OctSOSD2006&useapplet=true&time=1
>
> >
> 317326148659&width=640&height=480&quality=65&catal
>
> >
> ogname=catalog&zoom=7.907253&imagemap.x=316&imagem
>
> > ap.y=262
>
> This rail is more than likely being used on the
> rehabilitation of the 'Blue' line of the SD
> Trolley,
> the old SD&AE mainline to the border. MTS, SD
> Trolley,
> SDIV/Railamerica will not spend money putting
> welded rail in the freight yard portion of
> the facility!!
> Mike

i have to ask Mike why is the yard empty ... there'd be no need to empty all the tracks ... it's usually full of cars

Out_Of_Service Wrote:

> i have to ask Mike why is the yard empty ...
> there'd be no need to empty all the tracks ...
> it's usually full of cars

Lack of, or loss of business, mainly in Mexico.
Mike

> http://live6.truelook.com/face/newface.jsp?func=li
> ve&name=/ecodb/coronado/camera1&pan=69.668045&tilt
> =-5.1607966&panfov=1.8043479&tiltfov=1.3532609&ove
> rlay=default&skin=OctSOSD2006&useapplet=true&time=
> 1317325171651&width=640&height=480&quality=65&cata
> logname=catalog&imagemap.x=-751&imagemap.y=-563&im
> agemap.w=2142&imagemap.h=1606

Using this provided link, there is an auto rack that has
been sitting in the yard for months with severe damage to
the end doors and roof. Its is over by the section of
track being tamped.
You have to wonder, What hit this car, or conversely,
What did the car run into, to causes this kind of damage??
Mike