Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
Southwest Division
Southern California Division
Seligman Subdivision
Barstow Subdivision
Needles, California
Last Observation Date
Lat 34° 50' 39" N
24-25 Nov 2002
Lon 114° 36' 42" W
Radio Frequencies
Road
160.935 MHz
ATCS
897.8875 MHz (MCP)
 
936.8875 MHz (BCP)
 
Naming convention according to author's rules and logic. Your rules might be different. Vive la difference!
DIRECTIONS

Get off I40 at J St and head downhill into town. At Broadway, turn right then left a few blocks later on H St. H St. (River Rd) is the grade crossing immediately east of the control point and provides a fair vantage point for observing both the control point and activity in the west end of the yard.

COMMENTS

Needles CA is a division point for the BNSF. It represents the east end of the Barstow Subdivison and the west end of the Seligman Subdivision. As such, there's a fair amount of activity here with crew changes at all hours. Good photo ops with trains stopped at the station, or blocking the H St crossing.

Control point is approximately 0.2 miles (railroad) west of the currently abandoned (but theoretically under refurbishment) Harvey House El Garces train station. River Rd (H St) is the grade crossing immediately east of the control point and provides a fair vantage point for observing both the control point and activity in the west end of the yard.

The tracks at the station (south to north) are: Track 2, Holding track, Track 1, Yard Lead.

Needles, CA, is not much of a place to look at or visit. At the time of the last visit, it was extremely windy, very very dusty and gritty. There is little to do here except to watch trains climb out of town to the west (20 or so miles of 1% grade). This town would not exist without the railroad, and it exists precious little with it.

During the summer, it is hellishly hot and windy. During the winter, it is cool and windy.

The best place to eat is the Wagon Wheel (far west on Broadway).
INDICATIONS
CP Object
Index
Definition
ATCS Mnemonic
Bit Location
         
Switches 1 Normal 1NW K21
    Reverse 1RW K23
  2 Normal 2NW K11
    Reverse 2RW K13
         
Tracks 1 W Approach 1WA K14
    E Approach 1EA K16
    In Plant 1T K12
  2 W Approach 2WA K33
    E Approach 2EA K26
    In Plant 2T K32
  Yard Lead W Approach 3WA K24
    E Approach 3EA K26
    In Plant 3T K22
         
Signals Track 1 W Approach 1WG unk
    E Approach 1EG K15
  Track 2 W Approach 2WG K37
    E Approach 2EG K35
  Yard Lead W Approach 3WG K27
    E Approach 3EG K25
         
Other   Track 1 Plant Lock   unk
    Track 2 Plant Lock   unk
    Yard Lead Plant Lock   unk

Indication Bits currently unknown or unused: K17, K18, K28, K31, K33, K38

CONTROLS
CP Object
Index
Definition
ATCS Mnemonic
Bit Location
         
Switches 1 Normal 1NW n/a
    Reverse 1RW C12
  2 Normal 2NW n/a
    Reverse 2RW C11
         
Signals Track 1 W Approach 1WG unk
    E Approach 1EG C13
  Track 2 W Approach 2WG C16
    E Approach 2EG unk
  Yard Lead W Approach 3WG unk
    E Approach 3EG C13
         
Other   Track 1 Plant Lock $1PL

C
    Track 2 Plant Lock $2PL C
    Yard Lead Plant Lock $3PL C

Control Bits currently unknown or unused: C14, C15, C17, C18, C21, C22, C23, C24, C25, C26, C27, C28

 
The information contained here is based completely upon the author's personal observations or information gathered from sources of unknown reliability. Do not rely upon this information for any purpose. The author disclaims responsibility for any actions taken based upon any information contained herein. Do not trespass nor encourage others to do so. Read the signs and behave accordingly. Pick up others' trash and leave none of your own. Take only pictures and leave only foot (and tire) prints.