On a recent trip to SoCal, I noticed my train passed a semi-new interlocking, CP Longboard. From what I can tell, this seems to be one end of the siding through Oceanside, while CP Escondido Jct. is the crossover to the Sprinter tracks. From the platform at Oceanside, looking towards San Diego, I saw signals for another interlocking where it goes from 3 tracks to 2. If I recall correctly, the sign said CP Ocean. Can anyone clarify the changes made from when the siding through Oceanside ran between CP Shell and CP Escondido Jct?
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Oceanside Reconfiguration
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The siding still runs from CP SHELL to CP ESCONDIDO JCT. CP LONGBOARD (love it!--you can practically see the surf from there) seems to be where the south leg of the wye (from Escondido) joins the main line, and the south end of the crossover for southward (timetable eastward) movement from the main line to the Sprinter is CP RAILROAD. I think CP OCEAN may be the north end of that crossover, and I have a copy of the California Railfan Timetable showing that, but not at hand just now. I'll dig it out and check for sure and try to post again in a day or so.
So headed east, its CP Shell, CP Ocean (crossover from the siding to the main, and 2 to 3 tracks), CP Railroad (crossover from the main to Sprinter), CP Escondido Jct. (south leg of wye...I could have sworn I saw a hand-throw switch there but it was a quick look), and then CP Longboard? Sorry if this sounds confusing, I was familiar with the area before all the reconfiguration and am trying to grasp how it is now.
I agree on the creative name, I absolutely love the area and it is the perfect name. Just like CP Swami!
I agree on the creative name, I absolutely love the area and it is the perfect name. Just like CP Swami!
I took a look through the latest California Railfan Timetable (No. 20), and this is what's on the main line: after CP SHELL, Oceanside station is MP 226.4, CP ESCONDIDO JCT., where the siding ends and the crossover to Sprinter begins, is 226.8, and CP LONGBOARD is 228.4. If you stand on the Sprinter platform (Oceanside Transportation Center, MP 99.3, and I haven't been able to figure out where that's measured from; the mileage increases toward Escondido), looking compass south, the first interlocking is CP OCEAN, 99.5, where the two platform tracks merge into single track, and the next is CP RAILROAD, 100.1, where the crossover which left the main line at CP ESCONDIDO JCT. and I believe generally corresponds to the original alignment of the branch before Sprinter, joins the present Sprinter. The south leg of the wye, which leaves the main line at CP LONGBOARD, comes in from the right at CP WYE, 100.3, which is immediately east (compass and timetable) of the first station at Coast Highway. In other words, the interlockings on the main line are SHELL, ESCONDIDO JCT., and LONGBOARD, while those on Sprinter are OCEAN, RAILROAD, and WYE. I'm planning to go through there on Monday and will try to see as much as I can from the train. There is a nice enlargement of the layout at Oceanside on page 62 of the latest Steam Powered Video atlas of California-Nevada. (The interlocking I always got a kick out of was CP CUMBRES, formerly Miramar--I thought I read recently (maybe on this site) that they were going to change it back to CP MIRAMAR. Some people have no sense of humor.)
ExCon90 wrote:I took a look through the latest California Railfan Timetable (No. 20), and this is what's on the main line: after CP SHELL, Oceanside station is MP 226.4, CP ESCONDIDO JCT., where the siding ends and the crossover to Sprinter begins, is 226.8, and CP LONGBOARD is 228.4. If you stand on the Sprinter platform (Oceanside Transportation Center, MP 99.3, and I haven't been able to figure out where that's measured from; the mileage increases toward Escondido), looking compass south, the first interlocking is CP OCEAN, 99.5, where the two platform tracks merge into single track, and the next is CP RAILROAD, 100.1, where the crossover which left the main line at CP ESCONDIDO JCT. and I believe generally corresponds to the original alignment of the branch before Sprinter, joins the present Sprinter. The south leg of the wye, which leaves the main line at CP LONGBOARD, comes in from the right at CP WYE, 100.3, which is immediately east (compass and timetable) of the first station at Coast Highway. In other words, the interlockings on the main line are SHELL, ESCONDIDO JCT., and LONGBOARD, while those on Sprinter are OCEAN, RAILROAD, and WYE. I'm planning to go through there on Monday and will try to see as much as I can from the train. There is a nice enlargement of the layout at Oceanside on page 62 of the latest Steam Powered Video atlas of California-Nevada. (The interlocking I always got a kick out of was CP CUMBRES, formerly Miramar--I thought I read recently (maybe on this site) that they were going to change it back to CP MIRAMAR. Some people have no sense of humor.)I'll outline it on a map, see if I can understand it.
As for CP Cumbres, whats the meaning behind that? I also thought CP Torrey and CP Pines was creative, similar to Erie and Lack here on the Northeast Corridor.
Cumbres is located on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad in Colorado, a former D&RGW narrow-gauge line through some very rugged country. CP CUMBRES is--or was--located at the summit of the grade from Sorrento Valley up Soledad Canyon to the head of the hairpin turn leading down Rose Canyon into San Diego. I think someone was having some fun with that. Also, I've often wondered whether CP BAKE alludes to the prevailing temperatures in that area. I was told by a Coaster conductor that CP CROSBY, within sight of Del Mar racetrack, was named for Bing Crosby, who, with Jimmy Durante, was a moving force behind the establishment of a racetrack at that location in the 1930s. As far as I know Jimmy Durante never got a CP named after him.
Got it--at last, thanks to two passes, going and coming, plus a conversation with a conductor: What used to be the siding, which trailed into the single main track at ESCONDIDO JCT., is now Main Track No. 2, extending to LONGBOARD, where it trails into Track 1 to become single track. What used to be the trailing switch from the siding at ESCONDIDO JCT. is now a crossover for eastward movement from Track 2 to Track 1 for use by trains needing to get from Track 2 to Escondido, and essentially what used to be the north leg of the wye is now the crossover leading to Sprinter at CP RAILROAD (there is also an industrial siding leading from that track to an industrial building a short distance away). The south leg of the wye very likely does have a hand-thrown switch (still some distance west of LONGBOARD), as it appears to be very little used--the trains used Track 1 in both directions, so I never did see it. Also, what used to be CUMBRES is now MIRAMAR--the sign looks brand new.
ExCon90 wrote:Got it--at last, thanks to two passes, going and coming, plus a conversation with a conductor: What used to be the siding, which trailed into the single main track at ESCONDIDO JCT., is now Main Track No. 2, extending to LONGBOARD, where it trails into Track 1 to become single track. What used to be the trailing switch from the siding at ESCONDIDO JCT. is now a crossover for eastward movement from Track 2 to Track 1 for use by trains needing to get from Track 2 to Escondido, and essentially what used to be the north leg of the wye is now the crossover leading to Sprinter at CP RAILROAD (there is also an industrial siding leading from that track to an industrial building a short distance away). The south leg of the wye very likely does have a hand-thrown switch (still some distance west of LONGBOARD), as it appears to be very little used--the trains used Track 1 in both directions, so I never did see it. Also, what used to be CUMBRES is now MIRAMAR--the sign looks brand new.Thanks for the update, it looked as if Longboard was the new end of the siding. Interesting about the renaming of CP Cumbres, why fix what isnt broken? Guess they had to spend money on something!
I think it's what's now called prudent management--if you don't spend all you have this year you won't get as much next year.
ExCon90 wrote:I think it's what's now called prudent management--if you don't spend all you have this year you won't get as much next year.Reminds me of Amtrak's replacement of signals that don't need it here on the NEC.