HWY 111 laying new track

[VintageRailClub]

Last weekend I rode down to the Salton Sea for a little photo free time and everywhere I went there were UP work trucks. I passed a few parked trains but no movement.

I shot the cool bridge and got some great spots picked out but no trains. After shooting some shots at sunken trailers I had to get home and just pass 66th Street on HWy 111 everything was answered.

They are laying new track down the line. What an AMAZING SITE! The track train as I will call it is an engenering marvel to say the least and just cool to watch.

[VintageRailClub]

the photos aren't the best as it was VERY BUSY around the area but the way the system works is well worth the time if you ever get to see it in action.

[VintageRailClub]

.

[VintageRailClub]

There were at least 4 supply trains full of ties, rails ect.

[VintageRailClub]

and support everywhere working on different parts of the route

[VintageRailClub]

further down the road on the way home I saw a UP train so i slowed down to 75 to check it out and there were about 50 cars full of rails. Rails stacked on 3-5 levels (hard to tell across the road at 75) but what amazed me was about every 7th or so car there was a person weilding the rails together!

I wish I had the time to check it out fully. It would make a GREAT video or even a Modern Marvels TV show. The sight and sounds were awsome.

I may check it out this weekend again in a round about route to Joshua Tree.

[cabcar]

Nice pictures, thanks for posting.

--Robert

[randy]

I caught the same equipment at Cabazon back on 3/1. I saw it a week or so later in Palm Springs.

[SLOCONDR]

Here is a brief description of the 8 photos.

1. Cement Tie Train - used to be called the P-811, now designated T.R.T. (anyone have an idea what TRT stands for?)

2. Various support equipment.

3. This is either the head end of the T.R.T, or it is one of the support tie trains for the TRT. If the photo was closer I could be more exact.

4. This is Gantry crane on the T.R.T. It has rails running along both sides of each flat car so the Gantry can pick up the cement ties, starting at the front and moving them back to the TRT. There are anywhere from 2 to 3 Gantry's on each train.

5. In Line Welder. (butt welder to the old heads).

6. This is the threader car on the CWR train. (ribbon rail or continous welded rail, your choice)

7. This is the T.R.T. machine. It is, as Vintage said, cool to watch. It is even cooler to watch it up close. I was the conductor on the T.R.T when the Tehacahpi's were being retied with cement ties and I used to get down in the ground for a couple of hours a day to watch the operation.

8. CWR train.

NOW...... can anyone answer my question from above (see #1 above)

These are all neat shots Vintage and Randy... Hope you 2 have some more to post.....

V

SLOCONDR

[mkstarks]

T.R.T = Tie Replacement Train?

I was also out there all last weekend, and boy did the flood gates open as soon as the sunset. Had no idea that UP had so many trains. =P