UP's Pomona Hill

Union Pacific eastbound at Walnut, California  1980
The hills directly behind the power are a proposed site of a new NFL stadium for L.A.

Ontario Peak and Cucamonga Peak look down on UP's fill across the Walnut Valley. The feed mill for the Benton and Machlin feed lots can be seen on the left. The train is westbound.

Same peaks with a little snow. The ancient volcano known as Elephant Hill is above the rear of the train.

An eastbound coal empties pounds over the east switch of Spadra siding near the top of  the Pomona grade. The Abex railroad brake shoe factory is on the right.

Built about 30 years after the parallel SP Sunset mainline east of Puente up San Jose Creek to Pomona, UP had a more favorable and more modern gradient. SP's right of way was built lower along the creek, but UP had a straighter and higher line on a substantial fill, that was eight feet high in places. You would not recognize many of these shots today. The top photo shows a train that has just passed Walnut siding and was shot from the old Brea Canyon road. This is all concrete tilt-ups today. For many years Diamond Bar residents were treated to the organic smells of the two cattle feed lots operated by two companies Benton and Machlin. UP had an additional station here called Machlin Spur. There was also a ranch located between the UP and the 60 Freeway that held out for years amidst the sprawl of Diamond Bar. Further east the Cal Poly Pomona farm provided further rural environs. While UP trains would have higher horsepower to tonnage ratios, UP eastbounds would often charge up Pomona Hill at twice the speed of Espee's. The real show was at night at about 10 p.m. when the NWF - Northwest Forwarder (later the SSS - South Seattle Special,) would charge through Spadra with about 24,000 h.p. worth of Centennials and Fast Forties.

Of further interest:

Igneous Intrusion in the Pomona Valley.

1946 Photo showing Elephant Hill and the UP and SP right of ways.