Tehachapi Double-Track Project

[pastoolio]

Thanks guys, and glad I could share them with you.

I added one more, a close up of the switch at Walong, since you guys were talking about it. Someone needs to cut that tree down....

http://www.owensvalleysub.com/Misc/tehach2016/walongcloseup.jpg

Looks like they have a chunk of track ready to put in place and eliminate the turnout.

-Mike

[Denver Road Doug]

Maybe. But it's a lot more bittersweet for somebody who grew-up there 50 years ago.

My apologies.   My intent would be to include anyone with interest and/or history with the area too.   But I wouldn't likely categorize that as bittersweet?   Not much on the sweet side of the equation.    At least for a modeler/railfan it means something new and exciting plus....more trains!

[ednadolski]

Looks like they have a chunk of track ready to put in place and eliminate the turnout.

Wow that almost looks like someone put down a piece of ME flex track on a layout....    EdK's Law at work again

Great pics, thanks for sharing!

Ed

[jagged ben]

Great pics.   Isn't this more than a little bittersweet for you Tehachapi modelers?

I have to say, for me, not nearly as bittersweet as seeing the searchlights disappear. 

The nice thing about being a modeler is you get to stop all this passage of time anyway.    And the pass has changed before.  Somebody out there could model it with three full tracks in Woodford and single track between Bealville and Allard, just for example.

Thanks guys, and glad I could share them with you.

I added one more, a close up of the switch at Walong, since you guys were talking about it. Someone needs to cut that tree down....

http://www.owensvalleysub.com/Misc/tehach2016/walongcloseup.jpg

Looks like they have a chunk of track ready to put in place and eliminate the turnout.

-Mike

Thanks.  And yeah that confirms the suspicions I had from the other photo.   

Interesting thought: They are connecting Walong Siding to Marcel Main, and Walong Main to Marcel Siding.  (Will they end up just calling them Main 1 and Main 2? )

[ChrisKLAS]

Isn't this more than a little bittersweet for you Tehachapi modelers?

Not at all. One of my big draws to modeling Tehachapi was the ability to have lots of meets while at the same time not having operators standing around everywhere for 10-15 minutes waiting on the one train they're going to meet. I want more meets, not fewer and, as I'm modeling 1994, this change doesn't affect my layout at all. 

[kc9jts]

I was wondering about that too.  I'm guessing the plan is to eliminate the turnout at south Walong and make a crossover at north Marcel.  Does anyone here know?

No crossovers, just double track with intermediates.

[kc9jts]

I have to say, for me, not nearly as bittersweet as seeing the searchlights disappear. 

The nice thing about being a modeler is you get to stop all this passage of time anyway.    And the pass has changed before.  Somebody out there could model it with three full tracks in Woodford and single track between Bealville and Allard, just for example.

Thanks.  And yeah that confirms the suspicions I had from the other photo.   

Interesting thought: They are connecting Walong Siding to Marcel Main, and Walong Main to Marcel Siding.  (Will they end up just calling them Main 1 and Main 2? )

It will be considered double track so yes it will be Main 1 and Main 2.

[ednadolski]

It will be considered double track so yes it will be Main 1 and Main 2.

What will happen to the remaining turnouts at Walong and Marcel?   IIUC the plan means that trains will always take a diverging route regardless of which main they take, but the existing turnouts have spring frogs.   Will those need to be changed?

Ed

[kc9jts]

What will happen to the remaining turnouts at Walong and Marcel?   IIUC the plan means that trains will always take a diverging route regardless of which main they take, but the existing turnouts have spring frogs.   Will those need to be changed?

Ed

Spring frogs aren't an issue with whether or not it is a diverging/straight route.  For any new or replaced mainline turnout a spring frog is the normal choice for UP.

[ednadolski]

For any new or replaced mainline turnout a spring frog is the normal choice for UP.

Interesting, I had thought they were just for the low(er)-traffic routes.   Thanks for the clarification.

Which track will be designated Main 1 and which will be Main 2?   Just curious, since I won't be modeling the new routes on my layout (I will have searchlight signals and the Walong signal bridge) (but I have not figured out how to build a working spring frog in N scale LOL)

Ed

[kc9jts]

Interesting, I had thought they were just for the low(er)-traffic routes.   Thanks for the clarification.

Which track will be designated Main 1 and which will be Main 2?   Just curious, since I won't be modeling the new routes on my layout (I will have searchlight signals and the Walong signal bridge) (but I have not figured out how to build a working spring frog in N scale LOL)

Ed

Per UP System Special Instructions rule 6.26:
Multiple main tracks are numbered as follows:
-On east-west subdivisions track numbers increase from north to south and the northern most track is No.1
-On north-south subdivisions track numbers inrease from west to east and the western most track is No. 1

So for this instance as the Mojave sub is a north-south line, the track to the "west" will be #1.

[ednadolski]

Links to some more pics of the track work:  (from main page: http://www.trainmaster.ch/XC-50.htm )

http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2985.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2986.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2987.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2988.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2989.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2992.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2993.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2994.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2995.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2996.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2997.jpg
http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2998.jpg


Any thought when the new track will be put into service?

Ed

[GaryHinshaw]

Cool.  I wish Central Valley would make these:

http://www.trainmaster.ch/Pics-c5/RW-2988.jpg

If we're starting a pool, I'll go with Jun 15.

[ednadolski]

I wish Central Valley would make these:

That looks like Code 40 rail

If we're starting a pool, I'll go with Jun 15.

OK I'll take July 1.

Ed

[kc9jts]

As someone who works for a great big rolling railroad am I allowed to wager?   I actually don't know off hand and am on vacation.