by Steve Eshom on March 5, 2013
A few weeks ago I chose to use my Sunday railfan day to visit Ridgefield South. My main goal for the visit was to make another photograph of a train and the cantilever signals which protect the Ridgefield South crossovers. With PTC on its way these signals won’t be around forever. So far there are no signs of replacements being installed but you know it will happen. For now things are status quo there.
Bigger changes are afoot. Ridgefield wants to install an overpass and eliminate the two crossings in town. In addition a new bridge would be built across Lake River to access the S Unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The second step would eliminate the “Wildlife Crossing” just north of the crossovers and potentially cut off all public access to this location. That is surely years away, but as we all know time can get away from us sometimes.
Northbound Vancouver-Everett Manifest train passes underneath the cantilever signals protecting the crossovers at Ridgefield South on BNSF’s Seattle Subdivision.
by Steve Eshom on December 10, 2010
It’s close to gone. See it while you can. The endangered cantilever protecting the north (cough…east) switch at Swain will soon be gone. Look closely underneath the cantilever and behind the Superliner and you can see the replacement waiting for its chance to go to work. Once this happens the face of downtown Junction City will be forever changed.
by Steve Eshom on December 1, 2010
More of the Southern Pacific is about to disappear. Almost 15 years after the merger with Union Pacific I suppose that should be expected. Right now Union Pacific is in the midst of a project to upgrade the signal system on the Brooklyn sub which will doom the classic searchlight signals so prevalent there now. I’m sure if you ask UP management they will say this project is long overdue as many of their competitors replaced their searchlights long ago. But as is typical with many of the former SP lines there were other upgrades required to get the railroad reliable before signal improvements.
As with many railfans I’m into nostalgia so of course I’ll be sad to see these sentinels leave. These signals have a classic look with the ladder angled away from the signal at the base. They just scream SP. Appearance wise these signals will be sorely missed. Of course I do realize the advantage of the tri-color replacements and how they, in the long run, will save the UP operational dollars and keep the railroad safe. As a business person those facts can’t be ignored. Efficiency and safety though have created an endangered species.
by Steve Eshom on May 12, 2010
With Union Pacific’s Sunset Route double tracking project temporarily set aside by the economy many relics of the SP era still stand in the desert sun. While the project is partially complete some things are new, like these signals near Thermal, while other things still scream SP. It is only a matter of time though until the project resumes and the sun sets for good on all things SP in the Imperial Valley. For now though dusk has arrived at Indio California.
