2005-12-D-5258

Image Number: 2005-12-D-5258

Distant Signal, West Thenard, Union Pacific Wilmington Branch
(cat # 2005-12-D-5258)

Distant Signal D-5006 protects the UP Wilmington Branch crossing of the Alameda Corridor at West Thenard in Wilmington, California. Prior to the opening of the Alameda Corridor on April 15, 2002, it protected the crossing of the Wilmington Branch with the BNSF Long Beach Branch. Once the route taken by Southern Pacific transfer traffic for San Pedro and the Los Angeles Harbor Belt Line, today most of the traffic carried by the rails that pass this signal is just light engine moves from UP Dolores Yard, heading for the Wilmington Wye to be turned before being serviced at the Dolores Locomotive Facility. Change has been a constant force in the area, yet for now this sentinel still stands, its yellow light beaming into the night, alerting approaching engine crews to the possible red signal awaiting their arrival at the crossing just down the way. On the night of 28 December 2005, the streetlights on adjacent Alameda Blvd aren't working, and there is a little green grass to brighten up the industrial landscape. Security lights from the Valero refinery illuminate the scene as another UP light engine set disappears across the diamonds of West Thenard in the distance. I wanted to have the engines closer to the camera in the photo, but the lighting at night can be tricky, and it took a few crucial seconds longer than I had hoped to get the exposure figured out. However, I really like the mood in the image, as it matches the mood I often feel when I roam the harbor at night.

Update June 3, 2006