3 Track Cajon Project

[Tomcat]

Filling in the West Colton engine service and environs. ARCO Bulk Terminal in the background of the first screenshot.

Wces02.jpg

Wces01.jpg

[Boss1]

Looking very good!

[Tomcat]

Looking very good!

Thank you.

The route is starting to fill in and I can actually see light at the end of the tunnel. I do get sidetracked here and there and spend more time than I should on some areas. To prove the point I submit a portion of Spring Valley Lake on the opposite side of the tracks from the sidings at Thorn. It's within the 500 meters from the track that I use to determine where to place the highest amount of assets and detail (beyond 500 meters I use smoke and mirrors)... except... it's on a ridgeline and is not really visible from trackside... I ignored that to an extent because, of all things, I was fascinated by the roads in the housing developement.

Here is the view if you were operating a drone.

SpringValleyLakeThorn02.jpg

...and a trackside view of what is typically in view. Even less if you are in the cab.

SpringValleyLakeThorn01.jpg

And early work on the Frost Flyover. More terrain painting is in order but not much else other than a few bushes.

Frost01.jpg

Frost02.jpg

[imnew]

Really nice work Tomcat!

[Tomcat]

Really nice work Tomcat!

Thank you.

Up to this point I haven't shown much if anything between San Bernardino A yard and Keenbrook, so to address that omission I'll be uploading a boat load of screenshots over the next day or so.

First up, just past the Baseline crossovers and turning to the West running parallel to the San Bernardino Freeway (215).

CPTL01.jpg

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Looking East as the train passes under the Foothill Freeway (210) with the signals for the Baseline crossovers just visible at top left-center at a distance of 1 3/4 track miles.

CPTL04.jpg

[Tomcat]

Running parallel to Cajon Blvd. till just before Cargill.

CPTL05.jpg

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[Mkai1984]

Amazing work!!! It really inspires me to work on the route I have in the making, which is really proving to be a chore... I believe it will end up being almost over 200 miles, too bad I cant have you come over and help out with it!
I have seen this route in another simulator but this is MUCH better than theirs! I cannot wait for the release. If you ask me it is much better than all of DTG's routes! Keep up the great work!

[Tomcat]

Thanks for the kind words Mkai1984. If you haven't already, take a look at some of the other routes being worked on here, all outstanding route building happening at most every turn.

Continuing on with the screenshots;


Sidings at Cargill

CPTL09.jpg

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U.P mainline and Dike siding just the other side of the junkyard.

CPTL11.jpg

And rolling past one heck of a truck facility.

CPTL12.jpg

[gtrtroger]

Looks fabulous....

My Google maps says that's Menlo Logistics and FedEx Freight.... Interesting they would build next to the mainline, yet, have no TOFC sidings....

[Tomcat]

Looks fabulous....

My Google maps says that's Menlo Logistics and FedEx Freight.... Interesting they would build next to the mainline, yet, have no TOFC sidings....

Thanks.

I suppose a possibility is that the cost of real estate might be lower next to the right-of-way and there is plenty of it. In addition they are located right next to the Mojave/Barstow Freeway and a stones throw from the Ontario Freeway. Most of the truck facilities along the route have no RR sidings and there are a staggering amount of them. Between Baseline and the screenshot above there are at least 3 or 4 others that I haven't shown because it becomes boring after 2 or 3, once you've seen one you've pretty much seen them all although the one above is by far the largest at almost a mile long. I sometimes wonder if most, if not all, are fairly new since in the original Cajon there is a vast wasteland on the North side of the tracks not only at this location but for most of the previous 4 or 5 miles. Present day it's almost an unbroken line of warehouses/factories/industry/corporate offices etc for 6 or 7 miles.

[ssbobz]

Not sure what traffic is like out there but since they're about 8 miles away from the yards is it more cost effective for them to maintain a fleet of shuttle tugs than the infrastructure for loading the cars themselves? I'm sure a bigger factor is the volume of ToFC they generate.

[Tomcat]

Not sure what traffic is like out there but since they're about 8 miles away from the yards is it more cost effective for them to maintain a fleet of shuttle tugs than the infrastructure for loading the cars themselves? I'm sure a bigger factor is the volume of ToFC they generate.

I'm not at all sure how they operate, I just know it was good for a mile of trackside scenery.


Breaking up the screenshot travelogue of Baseline to Keenbrook for a few shots of the Victorville Lower Narrows.

LowerNarrows04.jpg

LowerNarrows02.jpg

LowerNarrows01.jpg

[Boss1]

Wow, excellent!

[qrfan3]

Wow, excellent!

+1 ...Just superb!!

[Tomcat]

Thanks qrfan3 and Boss1.

Back to the screenshot series:


Keenbrook connector sliding in from stage left into BNSF main 1 and crossovers just beyond. Mains 1, 2 & 3 from left to right in all shots.

CPTL16.jpg

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Coming up on Blue Cut.

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