Valla Yard Question

I went by Valla Yard today and noticed much construction going on. (Valla Yard is in Santa Fe Springs/Whittier California on the ex SP branch from Los Nietos to Brea/La Habra).

The two double ended yard tracks paralleling the main line that were torn out last year have been replaced, and all the rail appears to be welded. In some stub tracks that I believe are new, as I don't remember ever seeing cars there before, was a train made up of green UP MOW ballast cars that was pulled by three engine, which were hard to see, but one appeared to be a Dash 8-40C.

Also some work was being done on the stub tracks that were where autoracks were unloaded years ago (thus they have quite a bit of room at the end for the unloading ramp and such). From the end of current track to the wall along Sorensen, shallow trenches in the asphault, that I assume will hold extensions of the track, have been dug.

Also of interest was that the track that connects with the UP at Valla with the BNSF main a few blocks away has a red board which prevents BNSF crews from serving US Gypsum, and the UP from serving some chemical place. I have seen BNSF switchers serving US Gypsum, but now they can't , anyone know why?

Does anyone have any info on what UP is planning for this facility? Seems to be a lot of work going on. There are some plastics and chemical places in the area which receive hoppers, maybe it is going to be a SIT yard like near Houston? Although there doesn't seem to be that much traffic. Thanks for any help.

 

Well, I recieved an answer to my question from someone I know. He said he was at Jefe's (or whatever that fast food place is at the corner of Norwalk Blvd. and the Santa Fe) and that while he was there he asked some UP guys what was being built at Valla. They told him a TOFC place was going in as LATC (shops yard), East Yard and Industry are swamped.

I was told that many years ago SP did stacks there and then after ICTF opened, they recieved autos there, which I remember seeing when I moved here in 89. So the place has been used in this type of role before. It doesn't seem like the most accessible place as the UP must cross the BNSF twice and then pull the train past the yard and back it in, but they are doing some major work. Perhaps they relaid the track with welded rail for six axle road power? Anyone here of such a project?

[This message has been edited by SPF (edited 24 January 2001).]

 

Sorry about the delay, but I got busy and didn't have time to run over to Valla Yard to get some pics. Here (I hope) are two pics I took last Monday. It is difficult to get a good shot as the place is surrounded by a wall and industrial buildings. Also, I am just starting to resize the images and so on, and they look kind of blurry , I will try to work on that in the future.

Anyway, the top pic shows the trenches dug in the pavement. Last time I went by there, they had cars in the tracks that end where all the ties are stacked up, I guess they will continue the trench all the way down now. The second pic shows the "main line" and a little bit of the new switches and track. That clear area before the MOW stuff is recently graded and I believe the tracks the MOW stuff are sitting on are new as well. That is where the ballast train was sitting a few weeks ago. Oh, and the trailers there aren't from trains, they are just stored there as of now. I will try to go by fairly often and give updates whenever I notice something new going on. Oh, and IMHO, those clouds in the second pic are pretty neat for California. Nothing like what we had in Texas, but neat none the less .

Pic 2


[ 08 February 2001: Message edited by: SPF ]

 

Hi, I drove by Valla Yard again today and noticed some new asphault. In the lower picture (see previous post), the tracks the MOW stuff is on and that graded area all have asphault. It looks more and more like this will indeed become a Intermodal facility.