Help neede for modeling BNSF's La Mirada trains

[Southwest Chief]

I've been planning to simulate one of the BNSF La Mirada switch jobs that travels through northern Orange County, California. I live fairly close to where these trains run, and it's neat to see them whenever I'm down by the tracks.

Over the years the consist and locos that pull these trains have varied a lot. But I found a YouTube video that sums up the typical consist very well, and I like the loco combination as well. Looks to be the perfect consist to model.

My problem is I'm not too familiar with modern equipment and what might be available in HO scale. Our current HO layout is set in 1957, so most of my knowledge is on trains of the 1950s.

Here is that YouTube clip:

BNSF La Mirada Video

I'm hoping someone familiar with modern rolling stock could help identify what locos and cars are in this consist. And who might offer these locos and cars in HO scale.

This is what I see in the YouTube video:

Locos
Lead appears to be a former Santa Fe GP35u (#2570)
Trailing loco looks to be the same GP35u model (#2595)

The caboose is former Santa Fe #999795

I suppose Athearn GP35s might be a good starting point, unless there are better models out there. And for the caboose it looks like the Atlas extended vision might be the way to go.

But I'm not sure what type (make and model) of freight cars are in the consist.

This is what I see:

Looks to be 3 BNSF Hi-Cubes (all double door), then a Texas Mexican Railway boxcar (maybe 50 ft?), then 2 more Hi-Cubes (some leasing company?), then a BNSF Hi-Cube (single door), next are 2 hoppers (not sure what make or model), and finally a tank car (again no idea on the make or model).

Any idea on what HO models best simulate this consist?

I'm sure I'll have to do some painting, especially for the locos and caboose to get the right numbers and paint schemes. And lots of weathering and graffiti decals will also be needed.

One other question, I'd like to add sound to the locos. Soundtraxx Tsunami is preferred. But I'm having trouble figuring out what EMD engine are in these Santa Fe GP35u's. And the horn would likely be a Leslie S3L.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I appreciate any help.

 

[UP2CSX]

Matt, La Mirada station has sure been fixed up nice since the last time I was there in abut 1980. The whole area was a dump then. That was a nice catch on that train. There's about a one in a million chance of seeing that lashup with a caboose again.

Those are indeed both GP-35u's. You can use and Athearn, Bachmann, Atlas, or any variety of GP-35 you want since there were no external changes to the U's. The only changes were internal, mostly rewiring of the electrical cabinets and adding some solid state electronics. They were not upgraded to Dash-2 standards, contrary to some things you might read elsewhere. Interesting that the trailing unit was still in original paint except for the added reporting marks.

The Atlas extended vison caboose is a good match although you'll have to add some Santa Fe details, like the handrail that goes across the cupola and the smokejack brace. It still appears to have the side windows intact, which is amazing, since most "shoving platforms" (the name for cabooses now) had their side windows plated over long ago. It does look like the side grabs shown in the 2005 picture are gone though.

The first three boxcars are all BNSF high cubes, I think built by Pullman Standard. The Tex-Mex car is actually owned by the Alabama State Docks railroad by the reporting marks. It looks like a 50' outside post car like the one at http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/85-47509.

The next car is a high cube owned by Coe Rails, officially the Michigan Air-Line Railroad. Following is the same type of hicube with reporting parks of "TR". It's probably ex-BNSF, now owned by the Tomahawk Railway. The last looks like it still has BNSF reporting marks.

The two covered hoppers have EQUX reporting marks, so they are owned or leased by EQUISTAR CHEMICALS. They appear to plastic pellet covered hoppers like the one at http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/85-47007.

I can't read the reporting marks on the tank car but it looks like a 62' foot frameless tank car like the one at http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/150-20000092.

I'm sure others will chime in to correct all my errors.

That must have been the La Mirada Turn. There are lots of rail served industries still in that area and the Turn could get to be a pretty long train, with lots of pick ups and set outs. I imagine they were still using the caboose because they have a lot backing moves and runaround tracks in the area.

 

[jbaakko]

GP35's and GP35u's would use 827101 TSU-1000 EMD 567, though they do not list the GP30 or 35, both were powered by 567's.

The "u" model ATSF rebuilds were purely electrical, as far as I know, though as Jim said, they are NOT "-2" electrical rebuilds.

 

[Southwest Chief]

Thanks for the info and links Jim.

Josh I appreciate the 567 info. Great to see 567s still running strong and still in service on class 1s.

The only problem I see with the GP35s currently available is that #2595 (the trailing unit in the video) has a nose mounted headlight. Surprisingly there does not seem to be any GP35 models in HO with a nose light. And even more surprising is Cannon & Co doesn't have a suitable replacement nose, unless I'm missing something.

 

[jbaakko]

You'll have to cut the nose light in. Those modifications were done by ATSF (and now BNSF) shops, so there's no "correct" commercial part.

 

[UP2CSX]

There's no exact match for the Santa Fe nose mounted headlight but the Details West H-137 nose mounted Mars light should be close enough for government work. You will have to do some surgery on the nose to get it to fit and fill in the top mounted headlight. You'll also want to add ditchlights and that distictive air conditioner on the roof.

 

[diburning]

GP35's and GP35u's would use 827101 TSU-1000 EMD 567, though they do not list the GP30 or 35, both were powered by 567's.

The "u" model ATSF rebuilds were purely electrical, as far as I know, though as Jim said, they are NOT "-2" electrical rebuilds.

Some GP35s are turbocharged. Turbocharged 567s sound more like 645s. If you want the correct sound, just wait a bit. Soundtraxx has announced that a Turbo 567 is in the works.

 

[Trucklover]

I too was going to model this area, as its WAY closer to home then my current plans for the M&ET. I did a module layout for a couple spurs of the La Mirada Switching district, if your interested in seeing it, i can post it up here for you to see. Its VERY long, and consists of 19 modules, consists of the BNSF Mainline and the 2 small yards along the mainline.

I did the plan pretty detailed, and used Google Earth, Windows Live Search, and Google Maps Street View to get the layout of the prototype structures and tracks to lay them out on the plan. I also got all the business names for the structures i included in the plan, as well as the street names. It could be shortened or re-arranged to be an around the room layout fairly easily, and i would be willing to try and make it fit in the space you have available if your interested....

Let me know and ill work on a post for you with the plan and all its details

 

[Southwest Chief]

Thanks for all the info. Very useful.

Josh, I would appreciate any photos and info you would be willing to share. I found some of your posts in the archives about the La Mirada yards, industries, etc... you were working on, however the photo bucket photos were dropped.

My plan is to build a simple module(s) with a siding and some trackside industries. But I really want to focus more on a lower income residential/light commercial area. The main thing I'm going for is a California look. Some old Suydam housing kits I recently found on eBay are just perfect for a Placentia or similar trackside town look. You can't imagine how long I've been looking for one of these kits.

 

[cajon]

The La Mirada switching area is actually a "circular" route as seen on this map:

http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=11&X=507&Y=4687&W=3&qs=|la+mirada|CA|

But the east end has been cut off by a lousy Terraserver splice job! There used to be an auto unloading place (Hadley?) on those spurs/sidings in SE part.

 

[Trucklover]

Specifications of the modules include:

Name: La Mirada Switching District
Gauge: HO Scale
Prototype: La Mirada, CA - Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Era: Modern
Style: Modules ranging in size from 4-6' long x 18" wide
Color Code: RED = Mainline, BLACK = Branchline, Sidings, and Yard Tracks, Orange = Buildings
Minimum Radius: 28" all around
Minimum Turnout: no. #8 Central Valley's
Grade: None
Benchwork: Modular design
Height: 50"
Roadbed: Woodland Scenics Foambed
Track: Mainline ~ Central Valley Code 83, Branchline and Sidings ~ Central Valley Code 70
Control: MRC Prodigy Wireless


Here are the pics of the plan i came up with....

BLACK Numbers represent Module Dimensions:

1. 18"x60"
2. 18-20"x60"
3. 22"x60"
4. 19-22"x60"
5. 18"x50"
6. 18"x60"
7. 18"x60"
8. 24"x48"
9. 18-19"x60"
10. 18-24"x60"
11. 21-24"x60"
12. 21-24"x60"
13. 20-26"x60"
14. 18-24"x60"
15. 18"x38"
16. 13"x7" Triangle
17. 20"x60"
18. 20"x60"
19. 16"x20"


RED Numbers are Streets and Water Ways

1. Water Channel
2. Stage Road
3. Desman Road
4. Dolly Ave.
5. Trojan Way
6. Alondra Blvd.
7. Canary Ave.


WHITE Numbers are Businesses

1. Beaulieu Group Llc‎
2. US Foodservice‎
3. States Logistics‎
4. Metrics LLC‎
5. G a Doors Inc‎
6. Cook King
7. Kyees Aluminum Inc‎
8. Cordova Bolt Inc‎
9. Remet Corporation‎
10. NO BUSINESS NAME AT THE TIME, HAVE TO DO MORE RESEARCH lol
11. Wesanco Steel Products Corporation‎
12. Corporate Express Imaging‎
13. Estenson Logistic Llc
14. Kittrich Corporation‎
15. Airgas Specialty Products‎
16. Latex International‎
17. Pactiv Corporation‎
18. United States Gypsum Co
19. JCS Industries Inc‎
20. JCS Industries Inc‎
21. Monad Railway Equipment
22. Amoco Chemicals Corporation-Packaging Products Division


Now as a i said in my above post, i can change the layout of these around to better fit an area you have to work with if you want

 

[cajon]

Josh
All that's needed now are a few more module to make a "circle by taking the top modules & adding them to the bottom modules. In fact worked that area when a BNSF conductor. Hadley was gone. Worked a few spots on south & west sides. Also the spur coming off the yard tracks. What a pain! Had to spot one car at each door (8+) & tie handbrakes on each car. And La Mirada yard has a nasty grade (1%?) requiring all kinds of handbrakes.

 

[Trucklover]

Josh
All that's needed now are a few more module to make a "circle by taking the top modules & adding them to the bottom modules. In fact worked that area when a BNSF conductor. Hadley was gone. Worked a few spots on south & west sides. Also the spur coming off the yard tracks. What a pain! Had to spot one car at each door (8+) & tie handbrakes on each car. And La Mirada yard has a nasty grade (1%?) requiring all kinds of handbrakes.

I think ill make it into a square around the walls layout just for fun. Im bored right now so it will give me something to do LOL

and i see what you mean, looking on Windows live search where you get the nice clear pics i could see a couple spots that looked like they would be tough to switch!

 

[Trucklover]

Well, here is what i came up with for an around the room continuous running layout:

RED Numbers are Streets

1. Stage Road
2. Desman Road
3. Dolly Ave.
4. Trojan Way
5. Alondra Blvd.
6. Canary Ave.


WHITE Numbers are Businesses

1. Beaulieu Group Llc‎
2. US Foodservice‎
3. States Logistics‎
4. Metrics LLC‎
5. G a Doors Inc‎
6. Cook King
7. Kyees Aluminum Inc‎
8. Cordova Bolt Inc‎
9. Remet Corporation‎
10. NO BUSINESS NAME AT THE TIME, HAVE TO DO MORE RESEARCH lol
11. Wesanco Steel Products Corporation‎
12. Corporate Express Imaging‎
13. Estenson Logistic Llc
14. Kittrich Corporation‎
15. Airgas Specialty Products‎
16. Latex International‎
17. Pactiv Corporation‎
18. United States Gypsum Co
19. JCS Industries Inc‎
20. JCS Industries Inc‎
21. Monad Railway Equipment
22. Amoco Chemicals Corporation-Packaging Products Division


The plan has a 34" radius on the outer mainline, 32" radius on the inner mainline. Minimum radius in the yards is 24". The outer track in the yard on the left is 30", the next 28", the next 26", and then 24" for the last. These are the tracks on the curves for the left yard. The lower left corner has 2 additional curved tracks which go on the inside of the yard tracks that serve the island where structures 13 and 14 are located, those are 28" and 26" radius tracks


I had to change parts of the plan to allow it to fit in the space, which is 25'x15' wide

 

[Southwest Chief]

Wow Josh!

Very thorough design. Thanks for posting.


Below is a preliminary track plan for the very basic module I'm planning:

What I'm trying to figure out is how to signal this line. I like the BLMA Santa Fe style signal bridge, so I was hoping to use it for the crossover siding.

This is what I figure both signal bridges should display:

But what about the industrial siding? Should this be signaled? I can't really remember how the small sidings are protected in my local area. From what I can remember, usually these small sidings do not have signals. I also think most are not CTC switch machines but hand throws. And they almost always have a derail on the siding. But should there be signals (maybe dwarfs) protecting the main?

Should one of the signal bridges be moved to the right and have a triple signal instead of double? However triple signals seem rare on BNSF's former Santa Fe lines, as I just don't see them around here.

Like this:

 

[UP2CSX]

Matt, it's rare for an industrial siding to be protected by any kind of signal. The hand throw normally has a target with red and green sides. Red if the switch is thrown for the spur and green if it's lined for the main. Some CTC systems will detect a switch thrown against the main and display a red signal in the block before the switch until the switch is again lined for the main. Otherwise, it's up to train crews to make sure switches are thrown in the right direction before proceeding.

Your first picture of the signal bridge would be correct for Santa Fe practice as I remember it. The signal heads are tricolor and each one can display a red, yellow, and green aspect. The additional signal head would display red or green, depending on how the crossover was lined. Some signal heads only display red or green, depending on whether or not the signal is on an approach block. I have no idea if the BNSF has changed any of these practices, since I moved out of LA in 1977, long before the merger. Since you live in the area, the best thing to do is go out to the tracks and observe how the signals operate.

 

[cajon]

Matt
The word "siding" means that track has a switch at both ends on the main. So in all likely hood it would be protected at both ends by signals. Your "Industrial Siding" is just a spur track as drawn. It may or may not be protected by a signals just tied into signal system like Jim said. So it wouldn't have it's own signal. But if it was signaled (going in & leaving), the signals would be on separate poles & not a triple head like you've shown on the bridge. Check out this site for signal aspects by different RRs like Santa Fe, SP & UP:
http://www.lundsten.dk/us_signaling/index.html

 

[Trucklover]

Okay so i got bored and decided to add to the plan a bit LOL

RED Numbers are Streets

1. Stage Road
2. Desman Road
3. Dolly Ave.
4. Trojan Way
5. Alondra Blvd.
6. Canary Ave.
7. Gannet Street
8. Borate Street


WHITE Numbers are Businesses

1. Beaulieu Group Llc‎
2. US Foodservice‎
3. Service Craft Distribution System
4. Metrics LLC‎
5. G a Doors Inc‎
6. Cook King
7. Kyees Aluminum Inc‎
8. Cordova Bolt Inc‎
9. Remet Corporation‎
10. Worplace Resource LLC
11. Wesanco Steel Products Corporation‎
12. Corporate Express Imaging‎
13. Estenson Logistic Llc
14. Kittrich Corporation‎
15. Airgas Specialty Products‎
16. Latex International‎
17. Pactiv Corporation‎
18. United States Gypsum Co
19. JCS Industries Inc‎
20. JCS Industries Inc‎
21. Monad Railway Equipment
22. Amoco Chemicals Corporation-Packaging Products Division
23. United Grocers Inc.
24. Ken-Mac Metals
25. Jackson Lea
26. Wilsonart International Inc.

 

[cajon]

Did more checking of the map in my previous post. The whole La Mirada circle does show up, its just a purple vs black line. Enlarge by clicking on the + & - on left side. The map date is '79 so new features are shown in purple to indicate changes since last map. Also that black box on a spur southeast of the circle is Nabisco. Set out a few hoppers there in '99 but it's gone now. There's also a spur for locos & cabooses (now shoving platforms) just west of the yard office. In the middle of the wye just SE of office is a cement unloading place served by 2 spurs.

In looking at Historic Aerials there wasn't anything there until the '70s & later.
http://www.historicaerials.com/Default.aspx
You can see that by clicking on the years on right side. Living in an apartment thinking seriously of doing it except all my rolling stock is '50s-'60s. Would be a good excuse to have Santa Fe pin stripes AND Warbonnets!

From a BNSF conductor freind:
Yeah I worked the balloon track on the 2nd a couple years back. Worked
with Bill Grady and old head hogger Richard Poore. Richard now works a
shuttle job down at Watson with of all people, Doho. I don't remember
the names of any of the industries we worked though...
There is a place across from the KFI tower that takes tank
cars, and a box car spot down on the east end before the rack turns
back round to the storage tracks by Buena Park. there is also a spur
that takes off to the south that used to go into the Nabisco plant,
but the plant was torn down a couple years ago. There are still one or
two box car warehoused on that spur though.

Robby