I arrived at Metrolink Central
Maintenance Facility in time to catch
the Operation Lifesaver Special Train to Riverside for the
Officer-On-A-Train exercise. The route followed the Los Angeles
River west bank past Los Angeles Union Station, the Amtrak 8th Street
Yard and Redondo Roundhouse to the flyover of the Alameda Corridor and
LA River.
The flyover separates passenger
trains from freight
trains in the area which BNSF and UP meet at the Alameda
Corridor. The special train headed easterly on the
Burlington Northern
Santa Fe transcontinental line.
The train quickly traversed the
cities of Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, La Mirada and Fullerton where we
met Amtrak Surfliner 763 heading towards LA.
Next was Fullerton
Junction where the Surfline branches towards San Diego. A
trespasser walked undisturbed by the special train.
Further
along in Placentia, the Melrose undercrossing is rapidly nearing
completion. The railroad tracks are in their new alignment.
In Anaheim Hills, we see Milepost 38
and milepost 37. The mileage is
paralleled by Esperanza Avenue continuing towards Santa Ana
Canyon.
The railroad becomes more curved as we enter the
canyon. Until the mid to late 1990's the Santa Fe Railway had a
single track railroad throught the Santa Ana Canyon. They
developed and executed a plan to triple track the canyon which involved
lots of earthwork.
From the right vantage point in the
canyon,
whether on the 91 Freeway or on the bulff above CP Esperanza, trains
are frequent. At times the BNSF stores railcars on the most
northerly track. Today there was a
COFC train parked without power on one track.
BNSF sends their freight trains as well as hosting Amtrak's
Southwest Chief, and Metrolink commuter trains. Further up the
canyon, the railroad runs next to the Santa Ana River and the Green
River Golf Course on the opposite river bank. The railroad
crosses under the 91 Freeway twice after the two track stretch
resumes.
We quickly proceeded past Prado Dam, which is in the
process of being raised for flood protection, past Corona, under
Interstate 15, through several Metrolink stations and into Downtown
Riverside The Operation Lifesaver train made it to downtown
Riverside at approximately 09:25.
Return to Officer-On-A-Train
Email me: Richard@TrainWeb.com
