I’ve noticed a lot of UP container trains on the Cajon Pass lately

[FONT=&quot]I was just wondering if there was any up track closures to LA because of all the increased UP traffic or is it just that a lot more cargo is being shipped in or from LA area. [/FONT]

 

Ok that explains it, thanks!

It’s been kind of cool seeing all those trains passing through. Usually I never see anything but BNSF. But the other day I got to see two of the longest UP container trains that I’ve ever seen and they were only a few miles apart. I even got to see a green Ferrovalle right in the middle of one of them. I have never seen one of those before.

The wife and I are going over to the Barstow area today to do a little rail fanning since the tracks are so active and I’m taking my camera for sure biggrin:

 

There's also a big brush fire on the Cajon Pass raging right now...dunno how it's affecting rail traffic.

 

We just got back from the Barstow Station and we could see the smoke when we first got there and smell it as we left.

We got a late start because my wife’s dentist called and said they had a cancellation so she went to that first, by the time we got to Barstow the museum had closed and the sun was so low in the west sky that I could not get many photos. It just wasn’t a very good time and maybe it was because of the fire. We waited for an Amtrak that was supposed to pick up some passengers and they were so late that we left.

Here is a photo of a UP passing through the station, but I’m not too happy with any of them because of the sun position. I don’t know how long those UP are going to be running through Barstow, but I’m going to try again another time only much earlier with the sun directly above.

 

Here is a photo of the smoke from the fire in Cajon Pass

 

When you say on Cajon, do you mean on the BNSF Transcon or do you mean on the Palmdale cutoff?

I've been up to Cajon maybe 4-5 times during the time I lived in Socal and I can count the number of UP trains I even saw on the Cutoff on one hand and most of them were work trains.

 

Actually it’s between Barstow and Victorville along the RT66. I’m assuming that they are going over the Cajon pass because It just doesn't make sense to take the Palmdale route especially with the trains being as long as they are.

I’m been traveling to Barstow a couple of times a month from Victorville along the RT66 for 20 years and I have never seen a UP train passing though there. I have seen an occasional UP or SP loco in a BNSF train but not a full UP train.

 

I had the pleasure of running a coffee service route in Apple Valley that day and could see the fire from the Quarry on the North side of Apple Valley. I was hoping the freeway would open when it came time to head back to Colton but instead had to run along Summit Valley road to 138 and back to the 15 to get home. Southbound was closed for most of the afternoon and evening but the northbound side was partially openned fairly quick. It took me 3-1/2 hours to go from the Cemex plant on E street to Colton.

I do believe he is refering to the BNSF lines as it seems the UP runs on those rails more than they run on the Palmdale cutoff.

 

Ah, My bad, when I hear Cajon and US66, I think of the section following Summit/Sullivan's Curve/Mormon Rocks/Blue Cut area. Where the Cutoff is just above the BNSF lines.

Doesn't UP use Cajon to get to Barstow where they cut off to their own rails to get to Las Vegas? A deal predating the SP purchase?

 

I don't know, all the UPs that I ever saw going to Vegas came from Mojave, but I haven’t seen that many. Mostly I see BNSF on that section of track.

All the ones I’m seeing now are coming from Needles. Here is one in Dagget waiting on a siding for a BNSF to pass. I took this today.

 

Just so's we are clear regarding Cajon Pass, trackage rights and ownership.

The UP acquired trackage rights on the old Santa Fe starting at Daggett, through Barstow, Victorville and over Cajon Pass down to Riverside Ca.. This was established years ago. Up until the mega mergers this was their only route into Southern California.

Today, post mega mergers, the old Santa Fe is now the BNSF and UP stil exercises their agreement or trackage rights over Cajon Pass. From Daggett the tracks lead north to Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and the UP tracks in the north. Mega mergers became the rage what with BN and AT&SF merging. SP merged with D&RGW. UP took one look and said enough is enough. In order to compete with the BNSF merger SP and UP decided it was time to put the two railroads back together. I'm sure Mr. Harriman is looking down and smiling.

What seems totally out of place is seeing UP operatng over former Santa Fe tracks Barstow to Mojave. This is due to trackage agreements between the SP and AT&SF that was hammered out during the failed SPSF merger .

You can't miss them. Those lemon drops dot the whole of the California scene these days.

Did I muddy up the waters? Still confused? Just trying to keep it simple. Feel free to ask.

 

Thanks Rick and as always I appreciate hearing about all this because I’ve wondered about these very things for years. Now today as I’m driving to Barstow I’ll be a little more knowledgeable about what I’m seeing biggrin:

 

Well as luck would have it I got sent to Mojave after I did my thing at Barstow so I took the 58 and only saw BNSF trains. One was a pretty long container train so I’m assuming it came up through the Tehachapi Loop,


I was racking my brain trying to remember when I saw a UP on that track and can’t think of it. I know I saw at least one on that line in the past 20 years I’ve traveled that road..

 

Yoho, I do not know all the history around route 66, but are you saying it ran along the tracks into Hesperia and then on through Victorville. Could it be called Summit Valley Rd. now that runs from the 138 east of the 15 to Ranchero Rd. and on to Main St. That was a nice bumper to bumper drive last Friday during the fire. Only saw one train.

 

The section I'm talking about is called Cajon Blvd and starts just north of the I15/I215 interchange at the Kenwood Ave exit and is US66 follows the tracks through blue cut and ends a Cleghorn Rd exit.

It still has US66 markings on the road. Just north of this is the Ca138 interchange which is Cajon Junction. This is where Mormon Rocks is. There's turnout right near the Cleghorn Rd exit where Track 2 and Track 1 (and now 3) merge back together. Track 1 and 3 follows Sullivan's curve above this point and the Palmdale cutoff follows just above Track 1 for the entire way.

I know I should think of the entire sub as Cajon, but when I hear someone say Cajon that's what I'm thinking.

Here's a map of it.

Also, I may be wrong, but I thought Summit, California where Chard L. Walker was trainorder man was at roughly Cleghorn road.

 

Once you're in Hesperia, the tracks follow Summit Valley Rd/Santa Fe Ave, Hesperia, then CA18 then National Trails yes? I don't know which of these are US66.


Also, Rick thanks for confirming. Yes, that's as I understood it. UP got into LA over ATSF trackage rights from ~Barstow to Riverside.

 

In the not to distant past I thought the same thing, but the trackage near Cleghorn Rd. where the three tracks come together just below Sullivan's Curve is Cajon Station. Summit is buried way back along Summit Valley Rd.

I do think what you say about route 66 is likely close, and if I remember correctly National Trails Hwy has the same insignia on the pavement denoting the route 66 heritage.

 

National Trails Hwy is the RT 66 and I know that for a fact because I first drove that road to Chicago from LA in 1966 and I still drive that small section National Trails Hwy to this day.

 

Cool confirmation. I have the pleasure of rolling over it often in my route job too.

1966! Argh! Aging yourself a bit. Did you drive it or was your Daddy driving and you were in the back seat asking the dreaded "are we there yet?"