Track

SP Track Charts

1. Purchase track charts and other items from Railfan Depot:
   

2.                             http://stores.ebay.com/RailfanDepot_W0QQsspagenameZl2QQtZkm
   

3. 
   

4. He's also got some Espee SPINS books available for certain areas. He sells the Espee System Track Profile (different than a track chart, not quite as detailed, but still good nevertheless), along with the 1974 Western Pacific Track Chart. There’s a 1980 version published by the Western Pacific Historical Society).
   

5. 
   

House Tracks

House track Definition

1. A track entering, or along side a freight house. Cars are spotted here for loading or unloading. A house track generally is a spur located at a freight house. The definition has often been extended to include spurs at passenger depots where official or private cars may be set out. A house track could be used for passenger cars, too. Often in the heyday of passenger service, a sleeper would be spotted on a house track for occupancy before being switched into a through train; or for occupancy after being set out from a through train. A diner or lounge car might be set out of a through train on the house track to be switched into another train later.
   

2. 
   

3. Google "Railroad House Track" and you will come up with a number of similar definitions.
   

4. Jim Bright
   

   Try this link:                                                   http://www.sdrm.org/faqs/defs.html

                                                                           http://www.spikesys.com/Trains/rr_defns.html

1. Communities think of "their" side of the depot as the front. To the SP and other railroads, though, the track side of depots was  considered to be the front side and the street side was considered to be the rear side.
   

2. 
   

3. For example, see the plans for the East Oakland passenger station on pages  24-27 of "Southern Pacific Lines Common Standard Plans Vol. 5, " which has the track side sheet labeled "Front Elevation" and the street side sheet labeled "Rear Elevation."
   

4. 
   

5. On SP depot plans where the track side was labeled "Track Side Elevation" or "Track Elevation," it still remained common for the street side to be labeled "Rear Elevation."
   

6. John Sweetser
   

7. 
   

Distance between tracks along Type 22 Combination Stations

1. The following is based on SP Common Standard diagram CS1910(53) and CS1920(417) show various combinations, according to the SP station layout plan on pg. 4 of "Southern Pacific Lines Common Standard Plans, Vol. 1," :
   

2. 
   

3. Station to mainline (centerline) distance was usually at least 37 ft.
   

4. 
   

5. Spacing between tracks (centerline to centerline) mainline and a second mainline (for double-track line) or a passing siding track for a single-track line was usually 14 ft. Mainline or a passing siding track for a single-track line, the tracks would be 9.5 feet wider apart at the centerlines than the platform is wide, assuming you have one.
   

6. 
   

7. The house track could be either in front or behind the station and was supposed to be 7’ 3" from the station platform.
   

8. 
   

9. Passenger platforms were about 9’ 6" in width.
   

10. 
    

11. If double mainline, you should have an island platform placed between the two main lines. If there was an island platform, the passing track would be at least 17'6' apart from mainline (centerline to centerline). Based on the specification of the island platform requiring it to be 9'6" narrower than the centerline distance between the two tracks, and that the platform would be 8' wide. Two runways between the station platform and the island platform would be 12' wide and be located just beyond the ends of the station. The station platform would get progressively narrower farther from the station (just under 32 feet in front of the station, 12' or 14' wide next, then 6' or 8' wide to the end of the platform. Platform length would be variable.
    

12. 
    

13. The passing track would be to the outside of the mainline. 
    

14. The number of tracks in front of this kind of depot depended on location.
    

15. This type 22 depot used in one-track main line or for double-track main line was both. The only No. 22 depot that was on double-track was possibly Alhambra (east of Los Angeles). This depot was replaced in 1941 by a newer depot.
    

16. 
    

17. The mainline track (if just one) would be closest to the station (not counting a house track in the front of the station, to an entire yard, such as Guadalupe. There were a few stations (such as Gustine, Patterson and Manteca) that had only a main line in front of the No. 22 depots (timetables indicated Gustine, Patterson and Manteca had passing sidings; they just didn't extend in front of the depots). The appendix of John Signor's "Southern Pacific's Western Division" book has photos supposedly taken in 1956 of Gustine, Patterson and Manteca that show those depots open, as indicated by the presence of semaphore blades in the train order signals (and the fact the blades were in the horizontal position in the photos indicates a telegrapher or agent-telegrapher was actually on duty when the photographer snapped his shots). If the depots were open in '56, they were most certainly open before the ‘50-’55 era.
    

18. 
    

19. For small towns with few industries, businesses or packing houses along the tracks, it was common to have only a main line and a siding in front of the depot. On the other hand, towns with numerous industries, businesses or packing houses might have additional tracks in front of the depots.
    

20. 
    

21. In looking at various photos of No. 22 depots, house tracks (the track that served the freight house portion of depots) were usually along the front of depots but sometimes were instead behind the depot (the street side).
    

Height between the mainline and a siding

1. The height between the main line and a siding Standard was 6 inches (0.50ft). In many cases main was relayed with new rail and siding/passing track was relay rail. Ballast section was supposed to be at least 8 inches but that all depended on super elevation, sub soil conditions etc. When ballast became fouled with mud, dirt etc. the depth of ballast really increased when the undercutters where junked.
   

2. Mike Curran
   

3. 
   

4. Note, rail changed over time. Obviously the first noticeable change was the loss of clickity-clack because of continuous "welded" rail. Then there was the issue of much of SP's rail eventually being replaced with 132lb. stuff. In many cases the old rail was used to replaced worn siding rail. Depending on where you are, geology and use comes into play with the difference of rail height from main to siding. Here in the valley it is quite obvious and it varies from a few inches to nearly a foot. In mountainous regions, seldom was there a difference in main/siding elevation.
   

5. 
   

6. SP civil engineer Frank Weishaar said it depended on the location and the use of the siding. If it was a passing siding where trains could pass at speed probably not much difference. If it was a place to park for a while, the rail weight used in the siding could be a factor. Sidings may not get new rail. Location (topography) could be a factor, too. Concerning tangent or curve, the common standards in the rule book says nothing about top of rail heights. 
   

7. D.A. Waggoner
   

Track Spacing

    Track spacing min. track centers is 15ft.-new construction is 20ft.

1. One can find places where two mains are less than 14 feet. Turns out centerlines are 13 ft thru Berkeley, once you're north of the track that's been shifted in the last 15 years. 13 ft is common on straight SP double track that has been in the same spot for a century or two, such as parts of the Peninsula.
   

2. Tim Zukas
   

Section 5-Clearance Between Parallel Tracks

1. 5.1 The minimum distance between the center lines of parallel standard gauge tracks shall be fourteen (14) feet except as hereinafter provided.
   

2. 
   

3. 5.2 The center line of any standard gauge track, except a main track or a passing track, parallel and adjacent to a main track or a passing track, shall be at least fifteen (15) feet from the center line of such main track or passing track; provided, however, that where a passing track is adjacent
   

4. to and at least fifteen (15) feet distant from the main track, any other track may be constructed adjacent to such passing track with clearance prescribed in subsection 5.1 of this order.
   

5. 
   

6. 5.3 The center line of any standard gauge ladder track, constructed parallel to any other adjacent track, shall have a clearance of not less than twenty (20) feet from the center line of such other track.
   

7. 
   

8. 5.4 The minimum distance between the center lines of parallel team, house and industry tracks shall be thirteen (13) feet.
   

9. Mike Curran
   

Distance between tracks on Tehachapi

1. Walong (the loop) has tight centers at the bottom end and wide centers at the top end. There are many places where the centers vary for one reason or another. Only a few re-alignments have been done since UP bought the joint. One could us the "measuring" tool on Google Earth if something that reflects "accuracy" is what you're looking for.
   

2. Joe Gartman
   

1. One can find places where two mains are less than 14 feet. On curvy Tehachapi 14 ft may well be usual.
   

2. Tim Zukas
   

Reference

1. The track spacing is always given as defined by CS1911.
   

2. See the drawing in "Southern Pacific Lines Common Standard Plans, Vol. 2”.
   

Modeling Prototype Radii

1. Remember, large prototype radii don’t compare to our model layouts! Those 13, 14, 15 ft on centers will lead to some serious problems on an HO scale 36" radius! One club had to increase one curve to 18' scale separation because 86' and 89' cars would collide when passing one another.
   

2. Tim O'Connor
   

Yard Track Spacing

1. In a number of places, SP used 13-foot spacing of these tracks. But modifications to that spacing were used in many places to
   

2. suit local conditions.
   

3. Tony Thompson
   

4. 
   

5. The standard is 18 ft between the main track.
   

6. Jason Hill
   

7. 
   

8. The 1945 and 1948 Mojave station plans indicate the distance between the main line and the first yard track was 15.5 feet, while the distance between the other tracks was generally 13.4 feet (the first yard track was converted to a main line when double
   

9. track was extended through the yard in late 1953 or early 1954).
   

Modeling Yard Track Spacing

1. If you make the tracks of your model as close as the prototype, you may run into serious problems during operations. The tracks may very well be too close to reach in and "fix" or 0-5-0 any situations that arise. Try not to build in any frustration on purpose; there is usually enough 'stuff' which happens on accident.
   

2. 
   

3. Get out three lengths of flex track, some freight cars and play with them. Using this to find out just how tight an area you can reach into, at the actual distance from the layouts edge. The 'middle' track is what you are concerned with here; place a tank car or flat car on that track, and box cars on either side of it; see if you can even just grab the car, without knocking the others over.
   

4. John Huey
   

5. 
   

6. A common HO model yard track spacing is 2 inches, or 14.5 scale feet; and in come cases as much as 2.25 inches, or more than 16 scale feet. Obviously each person needs to build according to his needs. But the SP's 13-foot spacing is factual.
   

7. Tony Thompson
   

8. 
   

9. The La Mesa Club in San Diego is building a model of Mojave yard using a 13 ft center for the yard tracks and the standard 18 ft between the main track.
   

10. Jason Hill
    

11. 
    

Track Curve

1. Just how sharp of a prototype curve, for an F or AC class was designed to regularly take at reduced speed such as through a wye and/or the degree of curvature utilized by the SP in constructing its wyes was a Radius of curvature: 216.33'.
   

1. The tightest curve on which ACs were permitted was the wye at Sparks, which was 17 degrees 52 minutes. In the 1941 book, the restriction given is "may be used regularly by C class and lighter and all power in emergency". However, before the west roundhouse lead was put in (sometime in the 30s), all locomotives--including ACs--used the wye lead into the roundhouse.
   

2. Wendell Huffman
   

"Turning Facility" Curves

1. Here are other tight "turning facility" curves from the 1941 circular 4, with restrictions as given. The numbers are given in degrees-minutes.
   

2. 
   

3. 12-30 Lodi:      No locomotive with wheelbase greater than 41 feet.
   

4. 14 Woodburn: No to be used by P-11 and 12; AC-4 to 12 and GS must not use east leg of wye.
   

5. 14-30 Gold Run: Heavier than C class only in emergency.
   

6. 14-30 Truckee balloon: no restrictions.
   

7. 15 San Pablo:   no restriction.
   

8. 15 Los Banos:   no restrictions.
   

9. 16 Madeline:    no restrictions.
   

10. 17-30 Colton:  P-6, 7 and 12 classes only in emergency.
    

11. 17-52 Sparks:   May be used by "C" class and lighter and all power in emergency.
    

12. 18-30 Portland: Must not be used by classes AC-4 to 12; F; GS, Mk; Mt; P-6, 7, 12, and SP class.
    

13. 20 El Paso:       C class and lighter only.
    

14. 20-56 Clement Jct.: C class and lighter power only.
    

15. 22 Stockton:     C class or lighter; P class (except P-6, 7, and 12) and MK 2, 4, 6, 6 in emergency.
    

Modeling Track Curve

1. Radius of curvature: 216.33' = 29.8" in HO.
   

2. 
   

3. A wye of 15 degrees, works out to be 52" in HO scale.
   

4. 
   

PE/SP Print Abbreviations

1. most construction prints where colored with up to 16 different colored pencils.
   

2. 
   

3. abn.          - dead track or r/w
   

4. 
   

5. bc             - beginning of curve
   

6. bvc           - beginning of vertical curve
   

7. 
   

8. cc             - compound curve
   

9. comp jt    - comp joint between two different weights of rail.
   

10. cp - fp      - foiling point or clearance point where two trains can pass.
    

11. 
    

12. deg.         - degree of curve.
    

13. derl          - track derail
    

14. 
    

15. ec             - end of curve
    

16. evc           - end of vertical curve
    

17. 
    

18. gg             - girder rail for street use,either #141 0r 144.
    

19. grd throw - type of switch stand.
    

20. 
    

21. hf             - heel of frog.
    

22. 
    

23. ins jt        - insulated track joint.
    

24. 
    

25. lead         - length of turn out points from pf to ps
    

26. L             - length of curve
    

27. 
    

28. moc        - middle of curve
    

29. mvc        - middle
    

30. 
    

31. ps            - point of switch
    

32. pf            - point of frog
    

33. prop        - proposed improvements.
    

34. pswt        - power switch hand throw or high star-type of switch stand.
    

35. 
    

36. rad           - radius of curve
    

37. 
    

38. sg             - self guarded frog.
    

39. spiral        - type of mainline curve
    

40. spring       - spring frog.
    

41. 
    

42. #90-136 etc- weight of rail.
    

43. 
    

Marking Fouling Points

1. Wooden fouling point signs at the ends of sidings were widely used by the SP in the '40s and '50s but they don't show up in very many photos.
   

2. John Sweetser
   

3. 
   

4. A standard plan dated October 1941 called for a wooden post measuring 4 feet high by 10 inches wide with the words "FOULING POINT" on it. This plan was replaced in May 1956 by one calling for an aluminum plate with the letters "F.P." on it and mounted on an aluminum or a galvanized steel post.
   

5. 
   

6. SP marked some fouling points on track. I recall seeing white paint squares (sometimes yellow ones) on top of ties, outside the rail, at fouling points at SP switches in Southern California. Whether this was system-wide I have no idea.
   

7. Tony Thompson
   

8. 
   

9. In CTC territory, fouling point signs weren't used because the absolute signals were essentially the fouling points. For CTC territory, the SP developed a plan dated January 1943 for wooden signs to be placed 500 feet and 1000 feet in advance of such signals.
   

10. 
    

11. Even though the 1000-feet and 500-feet fouling point signs were designed for CTC territory, they sometimes were used in non-CTC territory, as can be seen by the photo at Cottonwood on pg. 45 of Dill's "Southern Pacific's Colorful Shasta Route" and the photo at Goshen (incorrectly identified as Famoso) on page 78 of Gilbertson's "California Rails - 1950s - A Color Pictorial." I personally recall such signs at Tulare in the early 1960s along the old pre-CTC siding in town.
    

12. 
    

13. Interestingly, wooden 1000-feet and 500-feet fouling point signs were used in the CTC territory of the Tehachapis in the 1950s but they only appear in about six photos I've seen, half of which show unlettered back sides.
    

14. John Sweetser
    

References

1. Pg. 293 of John Signor's Western Division book and pg. 249 of "A Century of Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives" (same photo in both books). In Niles Canyon.
   

2. 
   

3. Pg. 31 of "Daylight Reflections" (1987 edition). At Chatsworth.
   

4. 
   

5. Pg. 240 of Church's "Cab-Foward." Near Turlock.
   

Drawings

1. A copy of the 1941 plan, designated C.S. 1353 and titled "Common Standard Fouling Point Sign" can be obtained from the Calif. State Railroad Museum Library. The library's filing location is Box 128 ID 25334.
   

2. 
   

3. A copy of the 1943 plan can also be obtained Calif. State Railroad Museum Library. It's designated C.E. Drawing 17364, Sheet 1 and is titled "Fouling Point - 500 FT. and 1000 FT. Sign In C.T.C. Territory." Filing location is Box 36 ID 4221.
   

4. 
   

5. A plan for the 1956 version can be found on pg. 26 of Bruce Petty's "Southern Pacific Lines Common Standard Plans, Vol. 1." It shows a 1956 metal version of a F.P. 500 sign.
   

6. 
   

7. The link shows what a fouling point 500 feet sign would have looked like.
   

8.                                                                       http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Espee/photos/album/40859960/pic/155139664/view?                          picmode=&mode=tn&order=ordinal&start=1&count=20&dir=asc
   

9. James Bradley, Jr.
   

10. 
    

11. The link is for a design that was adopted in May 1956, as previously stated. To me, right of way signs became a lot less interesting after the SP's wholesale revision of them in 1956.
    

12. John Sweetser
    

Guard Rails

1. In the 50's, virtually all of SP turnouts had guardrails. This isn't to say that self guiding frogs weren't used, particularly in yards, but they were not common like they are today.  
   

2. 
   

3. SP did not seem to have a predictable policy as to where and when guard rails on trestles, bridges, and tunnels were used except to say that "guardrails...as specifically authorized by the Chief Engineer" - CS1645.  Many bridges and trestles did not have guard rails, tunnels too, for that matter.  What was more common on trestles and bridges were guard timbers, usually a rough 4 X 8 bolted and spiked to every tie and placed about a wheel width OUTSIDE the rail.  But, you can find bridges and trestles (still) or find photos that show none, or guard timbers, or guard rails.  There are half a dozen plates in Bruce Petty's Common Standards Volume I pages 52 - 71 that dance all around this question.
   

4. Paul Chandler
   

5. 
   

6. Higher speed, main line turnouts use guard rails. In looking at modern track I don’t see guard rails in turnouts or bridges (or at least not all bridges and trestles).
   

7. Dennis Drury
   

Reference

1. Bruce Petty's Steam Era Equipment publications of SP Common Standards Volume 2, page 27 shows CS912 which explains more about the common 11 foot guard rail than you will ever need to know. Also, if you can find one, there are Southern Pacific Lines "Rules and Regulations for the Maintenance of Way and Structures". This book, similar to a common rule book, contains Common Standard Plates of all numbers of turnouts complete with tables which completely dimension all turnout guardrails.
   

2. Paul Chandler
   

Modeling Guard Rails

1. As a modeler, try building a turnout without guard rails and run something through the diverging route. It will immediately become apparent why they are absolutely necessary.
   

2. Paul Chandler
   

Self-guarded Frogs

1. These are used in yards and other low speed track. 
   

2. Dennis Drury
   

Scale Track

1. A scale track is an inverse of a gauntlet track. A Gauntlet track overlaps two tracks to a bit more than one wide to get through a narrow point such as a bridge. It has a frog at each end that allows the overlap. A scale track has points at both ends (in most cases--see the one at Chama) to operate . The presence of points probably suggests something like a scale track.
   

2. Glenn Joesten
   

3. 
   

4. Photo of back of small scale house @ SLO and a map showing arrangement in Signor's Southern Pacific's Coastline (pg. 218 -219)
   

5. Logan Bertolette
   

6. 
   

7. In looking at the photo and map in Signor's Coastline book, it appears that it is a straight through track but if you look at the map it shows two turnouts and a short siding. In actually, what is shown on the map is the gauntlet track that the scale is located on and the straight track is the running track so that the locomotive does not go over the scale beam. Generally both have points at both ends. Scale tracks do not have frogs.
   

8. Paul C. Koehler
   

References

1. Here's a link to the pictures of the scale track at Pleasanton (Radum):
   

2.                                                                        http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Espee/photos/album/869558507/pic/list
   

3. James Bradley, Jr.
   

Gantlet Track

1. Although "gauntlet" is sometimes used, the more common railroad term is "gantlet" track. Gantlet: Railroads. a track construction used in narrow places, in which two parallel tracks converge so that their inner rails cross, run parallel, and diverge again, thus allowing a train to remain on its own track at all times.
   

2. Tim O'Connor
   

3. 
   

4. A Gauntlet track overlaps two tracks to a bit more than one wide to get through a narrow point such as a bridge.
   

5. The absence of points makes it a gauntlet track. The presence of frogs without points suggests a gauntlet track.
   

6. Ken
   

Reefer Clean Out Track

1. About all that is needed for a Reefer Clean Out Track is a paved walkway alongside, to bring carts of repair and cleaning supplies alongside. Reefer operators like PFE, SFRD, FGE (and WFEX, BREX) and ART did this cleanout themselves, rather than rely on the railroads to do it, so in most cases cleanout would take place at facilities of those owners, not in local yards.
   

2. Tony Thompson
   

3. 
   

4. The cleanout tracks typically had a "burn" pile where scrap wood and paper was burned, or in later days, a row of dumpsters. Other features included a shed for brooms and tools, water hoses, steam cleaning and compressed air equipment, welding equipment, and ladders or a fixture for accessing the tops of cars. The area between the rails and around the track sometimes would have large drainage grates. 
   

5. 
   

6. Once clean, cars were conditioned in another area of the yard. Conditioning was the process of repairing and preparing cars for outbound loading.  Hardware was repaired or replaced and seals, hatch covers and plugs checked.
   

Reference

1. There is a photo of the Roseville PFE cleanout track in the PFE book, 2nd edition, page 428.
   

2. Tony Thompson
   

3. 
   

4. While not specifically refrigerator car cleanout tracks, here are some boxcar cleanout track examples:
   

5.                                                             http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail2.php?ID=80500
   

6.                                                             http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail2.php?ID=80515
   

7.                                                             http://www.trainweb.org/screamingeagle/other/r_merrick/merrick_012-096/87_06MAY.jpg
   

8. Bob Chaparro
   

Ties

Single Headblock Tie

1. SP used a single headblock tie at switches (turnouts) rather than the industry-norm of two. Data (CS drawings) show, the standard SP tie configuration used a single 12" wide headbock tie for most of the 20th century at least. CS-24 dated 1904 calls out a single 8" X 12" X 16'-0" headblock tie. However, turnouts using some types of ground throws often had the double tie headblock and powered switch machines did as well.  Head block drawing CS 1000 is dated 1908.
   

2. 
   

3. The single head block tie was used on both SP and T&NO systems. In Texas, even into the 1960's, almost all T&NO "slow speed" switches had single headblock ties and self-guarding frogs (ie. no guard rails). These would be on yard ladders, industry sidings, etc. Mainline and secondary mainline switches at sidings usually had two ties. Of course, a number of lines were absorbed into SP and T&NO, and they may have had different track standards for a while after merging.
   

Double Headblock Tie

1. Double ties where used for any type of signal machines, U-5 boxes etc. A turnout of # 10 and larger required 2 headblocks.
   

2. Charlie Morrill
   

Headblock Tie Length

1. Concerning head block tie length, they are 16' long. The end would be 11' 6" from the track center line. The other head block end is lined with the switch tie ends (9' ties).
   

2. Charlie Morrill
   

Referemce

1.                                                                         SP Common Standards Vol. 2, page 17
   

2. 
   

3. 
   

Roadbed

SP Ballast

1. Coarse-grained crushed rock granite was used for track ballast. All river gravel, rounded rock is inferior.
   

2. Tony Thompson
   

3. 
   

4. Variations in color & size can be due to new ballast applied over old (possibly from different sources), mixing due to mechanical ballast cleaning, line relocation, or other construction, accident or washout repair, localized weathering & rust/oxidation, dirt or sand mixing in or staining, water, oil or curve grease staining, etc. Ballast also varies by locale as it is relatively expensive to ship such a low-value product.
   

Color of ballast

1. A real rock ballast selected by original colors depends on the specific regions. Some SP ballast on the coast division came from - Logan (mile post 92.1) - Granite Rock Co. quarry. It was a grey color.
   

2. 
   

3. It was found numerous places along the Coast Line, at least north of San Luis Obispo.
   

4. Tony Thompson
   

5. 
   

6. The ballast on the main just railroad west of Santa Margarita was white with black in it, which probably looked grey from a distance.
   

7. 
   

8. In the Los Angeles area, most SP ballast from at least the 70's to the end was light gray, some was a darker gray slag (from Kaiser Fontana) while Santa Fe ballast was usually pink.
   

Modeling Ballast

1. The one thing you need to keep in mind is that ballast was far from being uniformed in size so a good mix will have a lot of different sizes. The best way to determine what color & size to use is to take a look at what is /was used on the prototype where and when you are modeling.
   

Size of Ballast

1. HO ballast is somewhat out of scale (more suitable to S scale than HO), but N scale is just too fine. There are 4 sizes of ballast. Mix the HO and N scale rock. For yards, sometimes add cinders. Go heavier to the smaller rock in yards, and heavier on the big rocks, sometimes even layering over even larger (rip rap like) rocks as fill, on heavy main line.
   

Color of the Ballast

1. Go to www.eelrivervalleyrr.org and look at the ballast used at Port Costa or look at the July and Aug 2000 issues of RMC and see how that looks with the different sizes.
   

2. Rusty Ron Plies MMR
   

Arizona Rock

1. Use a mix of Arizona Rock Quarry N and HO. Use a mix of their SP/CSX light gray and PRR light gray with some darker colors mixed in. The PRR mix really adds to the scene. The CXS label on one of their bags comes real close to what SP used on the coast.
   

1. Arizona Rock ballast sells for SP the Black Cinder type #1302, which seems too dark. It has a brownish tint, and closely approximates the ballast used in south AZ & NM, which was smelter slag from the Phelps Dodge reduction works at Douglas, AZ.
   

                                                                           http://www.rrscenery.com

Highball Product

1. Use the limestone ballast made by Highball Products, Box 43276, Cincinnati, Ohio 45243. It comes in scales from G to Z and in several grey shades: Lt Grey, Dk Grey, Grey Mix, and Limestone as well as brown and cinder.
   

Woodland Scenic

1. One of the worst when you see it up front and personal.
   

2. Don’t use Woodland Scenic's which is way too large and too uniformed.
   

3. Rusty Ron Plies MMR
   

4. 
   

Roadbed Slope

1. The Espee Common Standard for the ballast slope is 2:1 which works out to 26.6 degrees. 45 degrees would be much better than 60 degrees.
   

2. Ernie Fisch
   

Modeling Roadbed

Homabed

1. Homabed measures the other way 'round, so the "60 degrees" is really 30 degrees, and most appropriate.
   

2.                                                                        http://www.homabed. com/site/ 890800/page/ 928222
   

Grade / Incline

Cuesta Grade

1. This was the grade from Stenner Creek Trestle to the top of the hill. The following info is going down hill toward San Luis Obispo.
   

2. 
   

3. All info from 1950 and 1951 except for the gradient data which came from the profiles in a 1987 Western Region No. 1 TT.
   

Serrano

1. Serrano MP 243.4
   

2. Serrano (furthest west) was higher up the grade than Chorro and Tunnel 11. Serrano had a capacity of 171. Serrano even had a crossover and a water tank in the steam era as well as a small flagstop depot and maintenance of way quarters.
   

3. Andrew Merriam
   

4. 
   

5. Siding length 127 cars - it appears to have been located on the south side (toward the canyon). It is quite likely that it was the siding for Daylight trains #98 and #99 to meet when they were on time.
   

6. Tony Thompson
   

Chorro

1. MP 238.9
   

2. Elevation 1293 ft.
   

3. Track control via CTC
   

4. Did not have a water column. The Horseshoe Curve was a single track with long sidings located above the curve at Chorro referred to as "The Little Horseshoe". Chorro had a capacity of 104 cars.
   

5. 
   

6. Grade was 2.2% ascending eastbound, right up to the east end of the siding at MP 239. It then eased off to 0.1% ascending for about 0.25 mi. and to 0.0% for another 0.3 mi. or so and then dropped "over the edge" to 2.2% descending to MP 240 at which point it became 1.9% descending most of the way to Serrano.
   

7. Tony Thompson
   

Goldtree

1. Just below the Horseshoe was Goldtree (railroad east), but it was pretty short. Gold Tree (now gone) had the wye to Camp San Luis. with a 1962 listed capacity of 36 cars. Earlier it was also the location of the wye serving Camp San Luis for military trains. The wye started just west of the end of the Stenner Creek Trestle.
   

Hathaway

1. The next long siding below the Curve was Hathaway.
   

2. Tony Thompson
   

References

1. Some additional info about the original question here:
   

2.                                                                         http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,41715
   

3.                                                                         http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,44399
   

4.                                                                         http://www.altamontpress.com/discussion/read.php?1,11893,11893
   

5.                                                                         http://freightyard.net/SLOBoes/Cuesta
   

6. nice pictures at:                                                http://freightyard.net/SLOBoes/
   

7.                                                                         http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=206249
   

8.                                                                         http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=109530&nseq=4
   

9. and a Lark wreck:                                             http://sloblogs.thetribunenews.com/slovault/2008/09/11/lark-train-wreck/
   

10. 
    

11. For those who would like to see a wonderful panorama photo of the Horseshoe Curve, get a copy of the 2008-2009 Amtrak Travel Planner. The cover (front and back) shows the Coast Starlight, Train # 14, in the middle of the curve. It is an excellent color photo, taken from an angle probably not possible many years ago.
    

12. 
    

13. Another good photo of the Coast Starlight on the Stenner Creek trestle is on the cover of Amtrak's Spring-Summer 2008 National Timetable.
    

1.