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***chris_wlkr*** · 08-25-2009, 08:01 AM

"Unpatched depots".... That is funny. :loudlol:

Here is an exerpt from the 2002 UP Los Angeles Timetable for the El Centro Sub if this helps.

Chris

Paul J · 08-25-2009, 08:34 PM

Unfortunately El Centro is no longer an SP hideout. Was there in April and the two SP units were definately patched and graffitied.The only remaining trace of SP was the old SP numbers somehow untouched above the front pilot on one of them. There were six or eight engines down there included one FerroMex unit. The station, though in bad shape, does retain the original SP lettering and around the corner and across the tracks is an old SP freight building with its lettering barely visible.

My first time down to El Centro, around 2000, was like going back in time a bit with SP units everywhere. My only recollection of the Holtville line is that for the first couple of crossings away from the El Centro "main" were still the Southern Pacific crossbucks but I imagine by now UP has done away with them as well.

Paul

SP4449 · 08-25-2009, 08:34 PM

Chris I have that Timetable but I lost a few pages including that one.

Paul J · 08-25-2009, 08:37 PM

Also, this past April was the first time I was fortunate enough to catch a moving train on the line as it came off the Sunset at Niland. It was all covered hoppers and I was expected to chase it and get a lot of shots along the way. Didn't expect it to be doing about 40 all the way down which allowed only three spots to catch it including Niland. It set out at Brawley.

randy · 08-25-2009, 09:27 PM

About a mile south of Calipatria on 111 there's a great looking grain elevator that looks like a giant train set from Google's satellite. It's one of those places where you can get both ends of a train in one photo. (More photos at http://randydoss.smugmug.com/Railroads-Trains/Grain-Elevator-Calipatria/6555937_ShFM4#417154292_sQcuk.)

Paul J · 08-25-2009, 09:39 PM

Great shot! Perfect use of a wide angle.

TC Smith · 09-08-2009, 12:59 PM

Paul J Wrote:Plaster City is on the "El Centro" and is 17.8 miles west of El Centro. Last time I was there in 2004they had some nicely painted engines in two attractivepaint schemes. One said Southern California and the other Gulf Colorado. The yard has the dual gauge track for the Plaster City engines to interchange.

To the best of my knowledge there's no dual guage track as the USG line only supplies raw minerals to the plant and SCRR (American Railroads) does the in-plant switching. The narrow guage track crosses the road to access the engine house and there is a standard guage track adjacent to it. I did shoot two SP cruds next to one of the Built-for-but never-delivered-to WP&Y units. If I ever run across that print I'll scan it and post it.

TCS - ex-Grande GP-40 it are