If you can add any more information about any of these places, please do so in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Table of Contents
Transloading in Progress (Beaumont, CA)
Location: 33°55’43.9”N 116°59’10.0”W (33.928861, -116.986111)
Perricone Juices
550 B Street
Beaumont, CA 92223
(951) 769-7171
Caught in the act! Something is being transloaded from a covered hopper into a truck.
Transloading in Progress (Beaumont, CA)
150-Foot Radius Curve (Pueblo, CO)
Location: 38°24’18.3”N 104°19’20.3”W (38.405088, -104.322297)
Transportation Technology Center
55500 Dot Test Rd
Pueblo, CO 81006
(719) 584-0644
http://www.aar.com/
There is a prototype for everything! The curve in this loop would be 11 1/4” (286 mm) radius in N-scale.
A tight radius loop at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO. Click image to see full-size in a new tab.
The 50-foot scale in the bottom corner of Google Maps will fit six times across the track loop.
How tight is that tight radius loop? It has a radius of 150 feet (45.72 meters). Click image to see full-size in a new tab.
Transportation Technology Center (Pueblo, CO)
Location: 38°26’29.3”N 104°17’10.1”W (38.441468, -104.286140)
Transportation Technology Center
55500 Dot Test Rd
Pueblo, CO 81006
(719) 584-0644
http://www.aar.com/
Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads. TTCI is a world-class transportation research and testing organization, providing emerging technology solutions for the railway industry throughout North America and the world. There is a lot of interesting trackage at their facility—including a 150-foot radius curve (see above).
Track layout at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO). Click image to see full-size in a new tab.
Satellite image of the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO. Click image to see full-size in a new tab.
Test tracks at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO.
| Track | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | High Tonnage Loop (HTL) | |
| 2 | Wheel Rail Mechanism (WRM) | |
| 3 | Railroad Test Track (RTT) | |
| 4 | Transit Test Track (TTT) | Located within the transit loop is the tight-turn or “screech loop”. This 150-foot radius (38 degree, 12 minute) curve test track is used in the investigation of wheel noise, car curving performance, and suspension system stability. |
| 5 | Impact Track | |
| 6 | Precision Test Track (PTT) | |
| 7 | Train Dynamics Track (TDT) |
See the Test Tracks page at the Transportation Technology Center for more information.
Wrecked train at the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, CO. Click image to see full-size in a new tab.
Port Chicago Naval Magazine (Concord, CA)
Location: 38°03’08.7”N 122°01’16.4”W (38.052417, -122.021222)
The Port Chicago Naval Magazine has an array of munitions bunkers similar to those found at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach (see below).
Port Chicago (Concord, CA)
Near the Port Chicago Naval Magazine you can find the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. The memorial is for the 320 men that were killed on July 17, 1944 when two ships being loaded with ammunition for the Pacific theater troops blew up. It was WWII’s worst home front disaster.
Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial
Concord, CA 94520
(925) 228-8860
https://www.nps.gov/poch/index.htm
Visitors to the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial must begin their tour at the John Muir National Historic Site. The Port Chicago Naval Magazine NM is located on an active military base and therefore, visitors are not able to access the base, directly. Please contact the John Muir visitor center for more information. The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial shuttle picks up visitors with reservations at the John Muir National Historic Site. All visitors for the memorial must have a reservation. You must request a reservation at least two weeks before your planned visit. Reservations for the memorial can be accessed here.
John Muir National Historic Site
4202 Alhambra Ave
Martinez, CA 94553
(925) 228-8860
https://www.nps.gov/jomu/index.htm
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach (Seal Beach, CA)
Location: 33°44’17.1”N 118°03’04.0”W (33.738083, -118.051126)
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach
800 Seal Beach Boulevard
Seal Beach, CA 90740
http://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrsw/installations/nws_seal_beach.html
I was looking for something on Google Maps when I found this interesting track arrangement at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in Seal Beach, California, United States. I can remember seeing the bunkers as far back as about 1970. I always thought they were for hiding people and/or equipment from prying eyes in the air. It turns out they have open tops and you can see right into them. Now I’m wondering why the bunkers were designed that way. I also wonder why the track is arranged the way it is.
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach (Seal Beach, CA)
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach (Seal Beach, CA)
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach (Seal Beach, CA)
Update 1: I posted the preceding paragraph and three images as a question on The Railwire. Contributors nsbob and SSW7771 said the bunkers are for storing rail cars full of munitions. The bunkers shield the other rail cars in case of an explosion and the open top directs the blast energy up instead of sideways. A quick search on Google Maps shows that Yorktown Naval Weapons Station (160 Main Road, Yorktown, VA 23691) has a similar track arrangement.
Update 2: The trackage belongs to the Department of Army Military Traffic Management & Terminal Service (USNX). USNX is a child property mark of the United States Department of Defense Military Traffic Management Command (DODX). The reporting mark USAX is also assigned to the Department of Army Military Traffic Management & Terminal Service.