BNSF train S-CBLSCO1-22A, led by ES44C4 7173, sits on the Alameda Corridor (the 20-mile [32 km] freight rail "expressway" owned by the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority [ATAX] that connects the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with the transcontinental mainlines of the BNSF Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad near downtown Los Angeles, and running largely in a trench below Alameda Street), as it awaits an opening in the ports in order to proceed.
Meanwhile, Union Pacific Intermodal train IKCLB 26 (Kansas City MO to Long Beach CA) overtakes the BNSF train as it heads to UP’s Dolores Yard, just about a mile or so ahead, where the cars will be left awaiting an opening in the adjacent Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF). The power for this train is a slight bit more interesting than that on the BNSF train: UP 1983 (ex-UP 8383), the railroad's Western Pacific Heritage unit, and UP 1943 (ex-UP 9026), painted as "The Spirit of Union Pacific" to honor a World War II bomber that was so named, and also to honor UP employees who served in the military.
And the bridge that broth trains are passing under? That is a the A Line (formerly the Blue Line) for the light rail vehicles operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) between Long Beach and downtown Los Angeles. And, yes. I was really hoping for one of those LRV trains to pass by at this time! (Compton, California – October 30, 2024)
