posted
For those who don't regularly frequent Trainorders.com, there are a lot of pix there from yesterday of current S.A. Branch upgrade work in vicinity of Santa Fe Springs and Carmenita, worth a visit.
Posts: 216 | From: San Carlos, CA, USA | Registered: Jul 2000
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The inbound Anaheim Hauler has been running real late again after a few weeks or normality. On Tuesday it arrived after 1800 and last night the crew died on the law at around 2300 and tied up in La Mirada, unbeknownst to the outbound Hauler crew who were expecting their power at any moment. The outbound Hauler crew advised the inbound crew to pull up to the front of the station and they would take over from there. That's when they were advised of their predicament. I never heard any further radio traffic nor did I ever hear the arrival of the Hauler, nor did I make the small effort to take a walk to Anaheim Station, so as far as I know, it may have never arrived. Does the crew still get paid even if they don't have a train?
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Not exactly on the Santa Ana branch, but there are a couple of heavy duty flats in Anaheim. The four-truck kind, each of which is carrying something that resembles either a generator or a large diesel engine. Visible from the I-5.
Posts: 37 | From: Orange, CA | Registered: Nov 2002
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Those 2 heavy loads have been sitting there for a week now. I'm curious where they might be headed.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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No problem John, the Ttrack along the freeway was the Santa Ana Branch before the name change to an industrial spur
Posts: 50 | From: Orange Calif | Registered: Oct 2002
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Usually the heavy generators go to So Cal Edison on the HB Branch. I've never seen anything of that kind on either the Marlboro or the Costa Mesa.
Posts: 246 | From: Anaheim, CA | Registered: Apr 2002
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Years ago the So Cal Edison station in Orange had a spur coming off the Tustin branch. I never saw any cars on it and it was removed years ago when the trackage east of the ATSF Olive sub was removed.
[This message has been edited by john1082 (edited 09-22-2003).]
Posts: 37 | From: Orange, CA | Registered: Nov 2002
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When the SP applied to abandon the track from Marlboro (ahort distance east of the Olive Dist. crossing) to Villa Park after the Villa Park Orchards closed the packing house there, So Cal Edison protected the ababdonment. The limited amount of traffic that SCE 'generated' did not justify keeping the track and maintaining the grade crossing protection and track. This was around 1981, I think.
Posts: 50 | From: Orange Calif | Registered: Oct 2002
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Until just a few years ago, the Tustin Branch still crossed the Metrolink at Marlboro and made a connection with the old PE line that paralleled the Metrolink main line for a mile or so. Two industries were served. One I think was a scrap industry that required an occasional gondola and the other industry serviced used fairly long cuts of covered hoppers on a regular basis. The later of the two industries is still served by a connection that was added off of the Metrolink Olive Subdivsion main. Does anyone know if this industry is still serviced by the UP. It would require the Costa Mesa Local to back a quarter mile or so down the Olive Sub from the San Diego Sub. It seems like it would be a lot of business to just give up. Anyway, the inbound Anaheim Hauler has been running off schedule again. It went dead on the law again yesterday at Valley View and it went dead on the law again today somewhere.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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The covered hoppers still get delivered but I don't know if it is done by the UP or the BNSF.
>Does anyone know if this industry is still serviced by the UP. It would require the Costa Mesa Local to back a quarter mile or so down the Olive Sub from the San Diego Sub. It seems like it would be a lot of business to just give up.
Posts: 37 | From: Orange, CA | Registered: Nov 2002
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quote:Originally posted by john1082: Not exactly on the Santa Ana branch, but there are a couple of heavy duty flats in Anaheim. The four-truck kind, each of which is carrying something that resembles either a generator or a large diesel engine. Visible from the I-5.
I saw those loads from Crescent St., I think they had stickers marking them for SCE. I think they are some sort of transformer.
posted
Today's Costa Mesa Local went out at 0810 with 26 cars! In addition to the normal VCY boxcars for the LA Times Plant, there were a number of tank cars and lumber cars.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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The transloading facility at Orange (between Walnut and Collins) was served by both the Santa Fe and SP/UP. The other customer on the ex PE was an Iron works at Collins that got steel delivered, but no longer uses rail (there was a name change of the company). When Metrolink proposed removing the diamond at Marlboro, the plan was to install a connection at Marlboro. However as work was beginning, the UP decided to abandon that idea and use the trackage right from CP College that the Coata Mesa switcher uses. Since a connection was installed between Metrolink and the industrial track near Collins, the Marlboro switcher did serve the customer for about a month and then stopped serving them. The Santa Fe continued to serve the tranload facility. A significant amount of traffic seems to have been transfered to a transload facility at Olive at the Adams Steel area. Recently it seems that more business has may have returned to Orange and I have noted Covered Hoppers on the interchange at CP College (St College Blvd). One proplem for the UP to serve the customer from CP College is that the train needs to use track #2 beween CP College and CP Maple (Orange) and the wye at Orange can't be used so there would be so significant backing.
Posts: 50 | From: Orange Calif | Registered: Oct 2002
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As of yesterday (Monday), the Anaheim Station Trainmaster no longer refers to the OC locals by their name. The Huntington Beach Local is now the LOA30, the Marlboro Local is the LOA31 and the Costa Mesa Local is the LOA32. I was trying to find the meaning of the symbols on some other web sites. From what I understand, the "L" is for local and the "O" refers to the merchandise which in this case is "other". Can't figure out what the "A" stands for. The Anaheim Haulers have the designation LOH25 (westbound) and LOH44 (eastbound). Again, I don't know what the 3rd letter stands for, in this case "H". Lastly, the LOH25 didn't get in until about 0730 and the Costa Mesa Local didn't run today.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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The Marlboro made it's way all the way down the Tustin Branch today and didn't return to Anaheim until 1935, well after dark, with 29 cars. I can't describe it, but there's something very therapeutic about seeing the local running down Santa Ana Street after sunset. Funny, I don't feel the same way seeing the Costa Mesa before sunrise!
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Three unpatched Espee ladies on the Anaheim Hauler for today. My memory says, SP 8566 (tunnelmotor with the comfort of "southern comfort" primered over), SP 2568 (SW1500), and SP 8635 (SD-40) as the lead unit. All had their fair share of aerosol grafitti.
Also in Anaheim, South Anaheim that is, is a work train of m-o-w flat cars with a single GP-38 for power. UP 609, a patched espee with a former UP number of 2105. Any help on the lineage on the Southern Pacific side of the ledger ?? The .pdf file I have of Don Strack's roster does not have a GP-38 with either UP number.
posted
I believe you are correct. The long pass is closest to Anaheim Station although I believe the extension is really longer in length. Also, great photos of the work train. I'm really bummed that I missed it. I'm hoping it comes back with the same power. I'm speculating that they are going to load all the MOW equipment onto the flats. I did some poking around and found a long string of MOW equipment on the siding off of Howell Ave and Lewis. It's been sitting there since at least Weds. Lastly, a Saturday Hauler arrived Anaheim at around 0700. Maybe a Sunday Marlboro!
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Three things to report. First, today's Costa Mesa (LOA32)left Anaheim at 0540 with a solid string of 12 VCY boxcars and returned at 0850 with two VCYs and three empty center beam lumber cars. Secondly, the string of flats for the MOW equipment is still sitting at South Anaheim and lastly, this mornings Anaheim Hauler (LOH25) has unusually modern power, 2381 and 6317, both wide safety cabs.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Since my posting on the 8th regarding the rare appearance of "modern power" on the Anaheim Hauler, that train has seen the same type of power every day except this past Saturday. Saturday's Hauler had a single T-2, UP 2947. This morning's Hauler arrived at 0420 with SD60M 2384, unpatched D&RGW 3117 and unpatched SP 8590. Half of the work train at South Anaheim is already loaded with MOW equipment and it appears that the rest of the equipment is staging in the gated compound at Anaheim Station. I imaging this train will be leaving within the next few days.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
With the trackwork completed on the Tustin and Santa Ana branches and the likelihood of ever seeing so much rehabilitation action on these branches, I had been closely monitoring the status of the string of flats at South Anaheim that were going to haul away all the MOW equipment. Understand that for the past few months I have been working out of my house and very little slips by without it being recorded on film or video. This illusive train slipped in on the only weekday afternoon that I was not at home. Jeff called me to give me a "heads up" that the train was coming but unfortunately, it didn't matter. What where the chances of that happening? Determined to not let it leave without me documenting its movement, I had been making at least two trips a day down to South Anaheim and listening closely to the scanner. Alas, this train eluded me again. It left sometime between 1800 and 2100 when I was volunteering my time to my son's annual Pop Warner football cookout. I'm assuming the power was the UP 2947 and unpatched SP 8590 as those two units were missing from the Anaheim Wye when I visited it this evening. Jeff, I hope you recording this train's departure! Yea, there are greater tragedies in life, but...
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Got your message and drove by the wye on Monday, late afternoon. The interesting power was blocked by parked cars... DOH!!
DRGW3117 looked good, and three windowed wide cabs are my favorite, oh well.
I noticed the work train is gone on my way home after dark this evening (on 10-14-2003).
Not much to report from what I have seen, UP 1485 and UP 1366 are still the power for the Marlboro.
I am not able to listen to the scanner much, are the crews still referring to the jobs by their names or their symbols. I would assume that you still hear "okay Marlboro, shove..."
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anaheim-al
photography is my elixir
Posts: 77 | From: anaheim, california, USA | Registered: Oct 2002
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A little more info on UP local symbols. L= Local Next letter = a region: O=So CAl, R=Nor Cal, etc last letter = an area: A=Anaheim, Los Nietos, B=Montclair-Mira Loma, F=Oxnard-San Fernando Valley, L=Guadalupe, P=Mojave Flyer, S=City of Industry-San Gabriel Valley, W=Torance-El Segundo, H=Hauler D=West Colton-Indio local
Posts: 50 | From: Orange Calif | Registered: Oct 2002
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So far this week, every Hauler has had at least one SD60M in the consist. Yesterday's (Tuesday) had 3 SD60Ms and today's Hauler has one on the point. It looks like it may be a sad trend. Today's Marlboro Local used the Huntington Beach Local's power, 1095 and 1089, both UP painted SW1500s.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Today, Oct 16, no Anaheim Hauler, no Costa Mesa Local, no Huntington Beach Local and a very short, 4 car, Marlboro.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Myford, thank you very much for the UP symbol information. It makes a lot more sense now. Today's Costa Mesa went out at 0610 with only 5 cars and returned at 0825 as light power. I thought it would have been a lot longer since it didn't run yesterday.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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Over the past few weeks, the locals have been running very short. I haven't seen a train longer than 23 cars for the entire month. It seems to be running in the 10-12 car range or even less. The long pass, extension and South Anaheim haven't been full of cars as had been the norm. Maybe the lull before the storm. Also, the Hauler has consistantly been running with modern UP power. Generally a combination of only 2 units. The days of solid SP lashups seem to be over at least for now.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Maybe because of the fires in Cajon and San Bernardino traffic has gotten delayed somewhere?
Of interest to you Brian, although I am in the Bay Area now, I've gotten word from a friend of mine that there are two unpatched SP SW1500's on the Buena Park Switcher right now (as of 2 days ago).
Of interest to you Brian, although I am in the Bay Area now, I've gotten word from a friend of mine that there are two unpatched SP SW1500's on the Buena Park Switcher right now (as of 2 days ago).
Speaking of Buena Park...
Can somebody fill me in on the operations at Buena Park. I know very little, but assume that they are on duty out of the Anaheim office.
Days and hours ??
Cars are cut from the Hauler ?? Empties then added on the return to West Colton ?? Or do they retrieve them from Anaheim or Los Nietos ??
Other industries served besides those in the "Southern Pacific Industrial Park" ??
Thanks...
jeff from costa mesa
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anaheim-al
photography is my elixir
Posts: 77 | From: anaheim, california, USA | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
Jeff, I can tell you that the BP Switcher is a Sunday-Friday job and appears to work in the mornings and evenings mostly. Most of the switching is concentrated around the Southern Pacific Industrial Complex, but they do go up about as far as Beach Blvd. where cars are occasionally stored. I believe they may also switch the Ganahl Lumber (formerly Buena Park Lumber) hardware store there.
There are also a couple of industries in Santa Fe Springs and Norwalk, although I don't know how far down they go. I've seen them work about up to Carmenita, maybe a little past that. I know there is another switch job out of Los Nietos that does Norwalk, although I've never followed that one. I never had much luck getting action photos of the BP Switcher, although I did catch them idling quite often.
There used to be a hauler train that ran specifically for the Buena Park area, but this has been long gone. Now the Anaheim Hauler drops cars for the BP Switcher and picks up empties on the way out. I'm pretty sure Long Pass siding in Anaheim is only for the Malboro, Costa Mesa, and HB locals, or they would never get all the cars to fit there.
posted
After reading this thread, I just had to get out and find these two unpatched SP locomotives in local service. I spent the better part of yesterday (Saturday, November 1st) hopping around Orange and LA county, checking out a few railyards. The links in the middle of the text will take you to the corresponding images. The skies were blue and the sun was perfect in all but Buena Park. I continued past the limits of the Branch, but add those additional hops for your reading and viewing pleasure.
There are no signs of the track and tie replacement crews. The only remnants of equipment are two ballast regulators-type machines on the bad order spur and five porta-potties. No hauler power on the wye, Saturday is their day off, I think ??
UPY 1212 - patched, formerly SP 2649. UPY 1144 - patched, formerly SP 2565. UPY 1206 - UP colors. UP 1095 - UP colors. UP 1089 - UP colors.
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2nd stop, Buena Park.
Two SP switchers, both unpatched, idling at their typical spot across from the Georgia-Pacific plant near the wye in the middle of the Southern Pacific Industrial Park. SP 2568 features a red dot on the cab, above the road numbers. SP 2718 has a faded white diamond in the same position. Any ideas what those symbols delineate ?? I recall a TO post about spark arrestors, or such.
Two GP38s tied down and shutdown near the water tower. That was it. Kinda disappointing. All quiet here, until we tried to leave and my truck's security system would not allow the truck to start. I stuck around the gate while Jerry and John headed over to the east side of the diamonds at Los Nietos on the BNSF.
Shortly after they left, a hauler pulled in with a nice variety of freight. Mostly tank cars, several lumber loads, a few boxcars, three reefers, a string of flats with open topped containers of garbage or contaminated soil, and one empty new style auto-rack, possibly bad-ordered. The hauler was lead by a patched SP SD40, UP 268X. Also in the consist were SP 8658, UP 2284 and a UP SD70, I think. Too bad SP 8658 wasn't on the point. All photos of the hauler are on Kodak film, both batteries had died and were on the charger in the dead truck.
UP 749 - GP38-2L ( "L" -- ?? ) SP 4801 - unpatched, light graffiti. (destined to be UP 565).
Interesting past to UP 749. Formerly a CRP&I (Rock Island) locomotive, then MP 2249, then UP 2249, and now UP 749. No dynamic braking. http://www.yayax.com/gateway/up749.htm
We caught a few BNSF stack trains and three or four Surfliners, then headed to the Metrolink platform at Commerce. http://www.yayax.com/gateway/jerry.htm
Kinda quiet here. One long westbound stack train in the yard, sticking out past Hobart as they cut the train into sections. Power was BNSF 5443 (H-1), BNSF 4490 (peach pumpkin), and BNSF 875 (warbonnet)
And the parting shot... A hawk ( ?? ) with prey in his talons on the top of the power pole just above the Hobart Tower roofline. He watched the shove and ate dinner. http://www.yayax.com/gateway/hawk.htm
Oh well... It was a great day of railfanning !!
Posts: 77 | From: anaheim, california, USA | Registered: Oct 2002
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A rather long Marlboro today with plenty of boxcars, tank cars, and center-beam flats filled with lumber. I was not able to count the cars, but it was in the 20 to 25 car range. UP 1400 (patched SP GP38 ?) and UP 1042 (SW1500) are the power.
Good to see a more "normal" Marlboro.
jeff
Posts: 77 | From: anaheim, california, USA | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
Yesterday's Marlboro was 27 cars long. I actually got to watch him gather its cars at both the long siding and extension. It was quite a lengthy process to assemble the train in the order they wanted it. Listening on the scanner, the switching crew now refers to the train as the "31" rather than the Marlboro. I guess that's progress. The Marlboro didn't arrive back till well after 1900. On a side note, the LOA30, Huntington Beach Local, has only been hauling 3-5 cars a day. I wonder when that is going to become an as needed job or tri weekly.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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The Huntington Beach Local goes on duty at 0800. Unlike the Costa Mesa or Marlboro locals, the Beach tends not to spend too much time gathering its cars at the long siding and extension and usually leaves Anaheim between 0845 and 0900. Depending on how far down the branch the local goes, he'll be back between 1030 and noon. Although I haven't seen it in person, I understand the track speeds along the entire branch got doubled to 20 MPH. Today's Huntington Beach started switching early at about 0735 and as of now, 0805, is still switching down at the extension.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Todays Marlboro returned to Anaheim at 1815 with 32 cars! The power was the Y1042 SW1500 with no ditch lights and GP40-2 patched 1400.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
The Costa Mesa local went out at 0720 with 19 cars today. Lots of lumber, and of course the regular cars for the Times Plant. There is a lot of freight sitting out on the Long Pass and Extension today. I'm hoping to see a long Marlboro later this afternoon.
Posts: 202 | From: Yorba Linda, CA USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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