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SoCal Railroaders Deal With Snow Where You Least Expect It

This is Verdemont, not Vermont! Eastbound BNSF train Z-LACCHI8 25A, a hot LA-to-Chicago priority train roars through the signals crossing from Main 2 to 3 in heavy snowfall climbing 2.25 percent grade near the northern city limits of San Bernardino, Calif. Photo by David R. Busse.

SoCal Railroaders Deal With Snow Where You Least Expect It

By David R. Busse

VERDEMONT, Calif. February 25, 2023 – “I’ll never see hell freeze over, but now I have seen snow in San Bernardino,” said veteran BNSF Railway conductor Luke Walters, as he and others worked to keep trains moving in freak blizzard conditions over the weekend on the north side of San Bernardino, Calif., at the 1,700-foot elevation, well into the 2.2 percent climb to nearby Cajon Pass.

As east and westbound trains approached Verdemont, they both faced stop signals as the dispatcher attempted unsuccessfully to throw a stuck switch. The dispatcher told the waiting trains about the problem and veteran railroader Luke Walters (l), conductor on stopped BNSF 5307 East, another hot Chicago-bound “Z-train, hit the ground and attempted to hand throw the stuck switch. He was soon joined by a San Bernardino-based signal maintainer and the two of them managed to get the switch to fully throw, just as the heavy snowfall abated. Photo by David R. Busse.

Walters’ train, a hot San Bernardino to Willow Springs (Chicago) “Z” train was delayed for almost an hour by a stuck switch at an important crossover six miles from BNSF’s big intermodal yard. The Needles-based trainman, a former “track dog,” was joined on the ground by a signal maintainer armed with switch brooms, a prybar, a giant wrench and plenty of muscle to finally get the switch to throw. Meanwhile, trains in both directions were delayed and at least three westbounds were stopped in Cajon Pass, in the middle of heavy snowfall, which blanketed parts of SoCal over the weekend. Cars and trucks were slipping, sliding and mostly not moving on adjacent Interstate 15 and old Route 66. BNSF called a two-unit light engine move out of San Bernardino to bring relief train crews where vans could not.

The nasty weather was not without warning. Area forecasters issued rare blizzard warnings for Cajon Pass and points east, but the low temperatures well below the mountains were both a treat to photographers, a curse for railroaders and a surprise to area residents.

By the time the Verdemont switch was fixed, the snowstorm had subsided and temperatures inched above freezing, with trains rolling again under mostly foggy skies. The snow stayed on the ground well into the next day on Cajon Pass, thanks to chilly overnight temperatures. Many roads in the nearby mountains were closed thru the weekend.

With the stuck switch now repaired and clear signals displayed, trains began to roll again, with BNSF 5307 East starting to roll as BNSF 7794 west, a QALTLAC3 20A rolls thru Verdemont. Photo by David R. Busse.

 

This article was posted on: February 27, 2023