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| 3/25/08 UP SB above Tunnel 1 - 505 | 3/25/08 T-1 WP Ramp building - 506 | 3/28/08 T-1 WP Trucks transporting the dirt - 507 |
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| 3/28/08 T-1 WP looking east - 508 | 3/28/08 Cut off Main # 1 visible - 509 | 3/28/08 T-1 EP Shotcrete wall to be continued - 510 |
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| 3/28/08 BNSF EB T-1 EP - 511 | 3/28/08 BNSF EB T-2 EP - 512 | 3/28/08 T-2 is a truck-road for the dirt from T-1 - 513 |
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| 3/26/08 Erosion Control near Bridge MP 57.2X - 514 | 4/04/08 BNSF w/Track Geometry Car - 515 | 4/04/08 Going down on the UP track - 516 |
| Photos 515 - 516: Even not connected with the 3rd MT construction, it might be of interest to see ATSF/BNSF 512 pulling the FRA DOTX 220 Track Geometry Car SB on the SP/UP track passing near Hill 582. Here are some more infos about this car: FRA Track Geometry Car DOTX 220 | ||
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| 4/01/08 This piece of Tunnel has to be raised - 517 | 4/01/08 Cutting old RR ties to hold the rock - 518 | 4/01/08 Jerry & Marc are fixing that thing - 519 |
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Photos 517 - 520: So, it was decided
to raise the 1913 Memorial so that some decorative rock could be placed
around it. Jerry, Marc, and Don went to work and produced the attached
great display. (See also on page 5 photos 498 - 504).
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| 4/01/08 The finished 1913 Memorial - 520 | 4/01/08 T-1 EP ShotCrete Wall construction - 521 | 4/04/08 BNSF EB pass T-1 EP - 522 |
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| 4/04/08 T-1 EP ShotCrete Wall work - 523 | 4/04/08 BNSF EB pass T-2 EP - 524 | 4/04/08 The remains of T-2 will soon be gone - 525 |
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Photos 521 - 523: The dirt above T-1
has been cut to tunnel roof level and, shortly, that portion of the ShotCrete
wall should be in place. Of course, that will permit removal of more
dirt from the South wall. We are guessing that two more removals
and concrete wall placements will complete the wall for T-1.
Photos 524 -525: We understand that
the portals and remains of T-2 will be demolished within the next few
days. (GGG)
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| 4/04/08 BNSF EB Sullivan's Curve - 526 | 4/4/08 New ROW is ready for the tracks - 527 | 4/04/08 BNSF WB Swarthout Canyon Road - 528 |
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| 4/04/08 BNSF EB w/Coil Cars - 529 | 4/04/08 Retaining wall Swarthout Cyn Rd - 530 | 4/04/08 The widened cut is finished - 531 |
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Photos 528 - 529: It appears that the
grading and rock sub roadbed are finished to RR West of
Swarthout Canyon Road. The following will show a few trains and the
progress on the sub roadbed. (GGG)
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| 2/06/08 Shows how strong the erosion is - 532 | 4/04/08 Cement slope should stop erosion - 533 | 4/09/08 Erosion control w/tunnel rubble - 534 |
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Photos 532 - 533: This is from under
the bridge at MP 57.2X where Ames has "installed" a cement
slope to prevent more erosion. Interesting to see how it looked before
the cement applying was done (532). Photo 534: Tunnel Rubble used
as erosion control --- both from rain and off-roaders. (GGG)
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| 4/09/08 T-1 EP more dirt is removed - 535 | 4/09/08 T-1 EP the tunnel roof is visible - 536 | 4/09/08 BNSF EB at MP 57.2X - 537 |
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| 4/09/08 Silverwood - 538 | 4/09/08 BNSF EB at Silverwood - 539 | 4/09/08 BNSF WB at Silverwood - 540 |
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Photo 538: It shows the final
configuration of the Silverwood area taken from the UP/SP Palmdale Line.
From Left to Right are the Silverwood Connector (between UP and BNSF)
and BNSF Mains # 1 - # 2 - # 3. Photos 539 - 540: These
pictures were taken from Bowen's Knoll just North of West Summit Island.
(GGG)
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| 4/11/08 T-1 EP There is a hole on top - 541 | 4/11/08 The ShotCrete wall is growing down - 542 | 4/14/08 Safety fence for protection - 543 |
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| 4/14/08 T-1 EP Scoring for "1913" - 544 | 4/14/08 Will the scoring be successful? - 545 | 4/14/08 UP EB around T-1 - 546 |
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Photos 541 - 546: Loads of action at the tunnels today (Friday
4/11/08). Ames and DrillTech are really going "after" the
tunnels. As you may remember, BNSF evidently wants to try to save the
two remaining "1913" imprints in T-1 EP and T-2 WP.
Photo 541: shows T-1 EP - note the hole in the roof of the tunnel
and the "1913" on the portal. Photo 542: shows more
detail of the hole and the length of the sleeper/deadman placed into the
hill wall to retain the ShotCrete wall. Photo 543: is of
the safety fence protecting workers from THE HOLE IN THE ROOF. Photos
544 - 545: show the scoring of the "1913" on T-1 EP. The
effort here is to score the concrete, then chip around the wanted area and
remove the area intact --- HOPEFULLY. (We are trying to find out where
the "1913's" will be placed ?)
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| 4/14/08 Tunnel 2 - 547 | 4/14/08 T-2 demolition - 548 | 4/14/08 T-2 demolition - 549 |
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| 4/14/08 Tunnel 2 - 550 | 4/14/08 T-2 demolition - 551 | 4/14/08 T-2 demolition - 552 |
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| 4/14/08 Tunnel 2 - 553 | 4/14/08 T-2 demolition - 554 | 4/14/08 T-2 Cracks in the North wall - 555 |
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According to the construction folks, the concrete used in the 1913
tunnels, and the 1923 extension, is the hardest ever seen. And so, it
took one heck of a machine to tear the tunnels down. Yesterday,
Monday, 4/14/08, it was time for the 1923 extension to T-2 EP to be
destroyed. Ames
used a machine we could only name JAWS.
The concrete was 2 feet+ thick and had some steel reinforcement.
Photos 547 - 555: In the attached images, Jaws tore out the
roof peak, came around to the EP and just pushed the South wall into the
tunnel space. Of course, all this time the bigger pieces were being
reduced by the hydraulic Hammer Drill. The
last image shows the cracks in the remaining North wall.
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| 4/11/08 BNSF WB at "Nasty Knoll" - 556 | 4/11/08 Finished retaining wall - 557 | 4/11/08 BNSF EB Swarthout Cny Rd - 558 |
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Here are a few of completed ROW sub-roadbed
from Don Toles. In other words, the new ROW is ready for the track
laying. Photo 557: The
finished retaining wall at Swarthout Canyon Road. Photo 558: The
repaved Swarthout Cyn Rd. Photo 559: UP
5436 EB at UP MP 475 (the 475 spot).
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| 4/11/08 UP EB seen from UP MP 475 - 559 | 4/16/08 T-2 is almost gone - 560 | 4/16/08 T-2 West portal is still standing - 561 |
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| 4/16/08 "Jaws" at rest (Tunnel eater) - 562 | 4/16/08 T-1 WP - 563 | 4/16/08 T-1 WP - 564 |
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On Wednesday, 4/16/08 Ames had three machines on top of T-1. Photos
563 - 564: The backhoe and dozer were working to lower the dirt
level at the South Wall - to permit DrillTech to build the
ShotCrete wall down another several feet. Photo 565 shows the
hammer drill destroying the crown of the tunnel. Photos 566 - 568
are of T-1 WP showing the destruction. Photo 569 shows the
situation from the other side. The pre-cut section on the Tunnel Portal
middle (East side) can be seen well. Hopefully, the 1913 can be taken in
one piece.
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| 4/16/08 Hammer drill on top of T-1 - 565 | 4/16/08 T-1 WP - 566 | 4/16/08 T-1 WP - 567 |
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| 4/16/08 T-1 WP - 568 | 4/16/08 T-1 EP - 569 | 4/16/08 Realignment of Track 2 East of T-1 - 570 |
| Photos 570 - 571: Just RR East of T-1 EP, BNSF is realigning Main # 2. We don't know exactly why --- more infos will be given later. Interesting to see how the track is moved by machines and it looks like putting flex track on a modeller's layout. Photo 572: This is the completed Main Track # 2 realignment -- just RR East of T-1 --- still requiring surfacing. Track # 2 was moved 8 feet toward track # 1. | ||
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| 4/16/08 Realignment East of Tunnel 1 - 571 | 4/18/08 Track # 2 was moved 8 feet - 572 | 2/29/08 Close-up of the "1913" - 573 |
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| 4/18/08 The T-1 EP is gone - 574 | 4/18/08 Saved "1913" in the middle - 575 | 4/18/08 The "1913" is saved - 576 |
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Photo 573: was taken on 02-29-08. Close-up
of the "1913". See also Photos 544 - 545 which show the
scoring done to help the removal. Photo 569 shows the East portal of T-1
with the prepared 1913 section. Photo
574: Long range shot of T-1 EP (only some concrete pieces are left
over) --- note the blackened object between the large concrete blocks. Photos
575 - 577 show the saved "1913" segment. Many
Thanks to BNSF and Ames for the idea and work that went into this
preservation effort. (GGG)
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| 4/18/08 Close-up of the "1913" - 577 | 4/18/08 T-1 with open middle section - 578 | 4/18/08 T-1 with demolished EP - 579 |
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| 4/18/08 Ground level view of T-1 EP - 580 | 4/18/08 BNSF EB with the JAC-BAR - 581 | 4/18/08 Same train looking East - 582 |
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| 4/18/08 BNSF EB pass left over T-2 - 583 | 4/18/08 BNSF EB around T-1 - 584 | 4/18/08 BNSF EB at MP 59X - 585 |
| Photos 583 - 585: Last Friday, 4/18/08 -- from what's left of the tunnels -- let's just call it MP 59X (which is the MP between the old tunnels). | ||
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| 4/25/08 On photo 583 the WP was still here - 586 | 4/25/08 Leveling of sub roadbed - 587 | 4/25/08 BNSF EB pass former T-2 - 588 |
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Photos 586 - 588: Tunnel 2 is GONE -- as in COMPLETELY. The
West Portal was torn and removed. The ShotCrete Wall is finished. The
new sub roadbed being leveled and compacted in the area once known
as Tunnel 2.
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| 4/25/08 T-1 ShotCrete Wall is continued down - 589 | 4/25/08 Close-up of construction - 590 | 4/25/08 South wall remains of T-1 - 591 |
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| 4/25/08 Close-up of concrete pumping - 592 | 4/25/08 Lost and found inside T-1 - 593 | 4/25/08 Even an old pick was found - 594 |
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A couple of weeks ago, the roof of T-1 was removed. Last
week the barrel of T-1 was filled with dirt to provide another access
road for both Drill Tech (the ShotCrete wall) and Ames Construction.
Photo 589: shows an overall view of the work atop what once
was T-1. Photo 590: is a close-up of the work. The South wall of
T-1 is visible just ahead of the dump truck. Photo 591: is a
close-up of the South wall remains. Photo 592: is another
close-up of the area with concrete being pumped into the sleeper/deadman
holes. Photos 593 - 594: are closeups of two artifacts found
within the Tunnel 1. Light RR Rails were placed across the floor of the
tunnel as reinforcement. The concrete floor was then poured. NOTE
THE DATE ON THE RAIL.
Also, a wooden handle was found protruding from one of the walls. As the
concrete was broken, a pick was found --- Evidently, both artifacts have
been there since the tunnels were built in 1913. (GGG/DET)
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| 4/25/08 BNSF EB pass T-1while work cont. - 595 | 4/25/08 UP 1996 DPU SB above tunnel area - 596 | 4/25/08 UP NB and Piggy Back EB T-2 - 597 |
