Support this website by joining the Silver Rails TrainWeb Club for as little as $1 per month. Click here for info.



This website has been archived from TrainWeb.org/brettrw to TrainWeb.US/brettrw.


UPRR's Cima Sub Map and Railfan Info
Created: 12-22-2003
..

Click below to link to other sections of Railroad Crossings.
Home
New
Amtrak
BNSF
CSX
FEC
NS
UPRR
UP's Wings
UP's Heritage Fleet
SF 3751
Wrecks
Night Photos
Pic of the Week
Site Map
Maps
Links
E-mail
.

 

Cima Subdivision Table of Contents: (White background is your current page)

Picture Pages

Total # of Pictures

Maps and Railfan Info

Last Update:

Cima Sub Main Page

87

Cima Sub Maps and Railfan Info Main

12-22-2003

Nevada  (Las Vegas, NV to Calada, NV)

33

Nevada Segment

4-26-2003

Cima Hill  (Nipton, CA to Kelso, CA)

48

Cima Hill Segment

 8-9-2003

Afton Canyon  (Flynn, CA to Dunn, CA)

02

Afton Cyn Segment

4-25-2003

 Yermo  (Field, CA to Yermo, CA)

04

 Yermo

4-25-2003

Road Map

Elevation Data taken from Delorme's Topo Map 3.0

Click here for a high resolution topo map of the Cima Sub, 1463 x 1126 300K

Cima Sub Superlatives

West end: Yermo, CA - MP 162.0; East end: Las Vegas, NV  MP  334.3; Total route miles: 172.3;  CTC, Single track with sidings.
Max track speed: 70 mph.
Major stations (locations): Yermo, Kelso, Cima, Las Vegas
Crew Change Points: Las Vegas, Yermo
Yards: Yermo, CA; Arden, NV
Junctions: Boulder Branch (UPRR) MP 327.8
Highest point: 4,207' @ Cima Hill, CA; Lowest Point: 968' @ Crucero, CA
Radio Frequencies: AAR 27  160.515 DS-07 Las Vegas to Yermo.
Train Frequency: 20-25 daily;  Train Types: Coal, Auto, Intermodal, Cement, Manifest
Amtrak : none scheduled

Overview

        UPRR's Cima Sub has some wonderful locations to visit. Steep canyons and heavy grades, coupled with high speed running across flat dry lakes and desert basins means you'll find a wide variety of operational situations that the railroad must work with. Stretching between Yermo, CA and Las Vegas, NV, this line sees about 20-25 trains a day, with about 50% of those seen during daylight hours. While not the busiest line in the country, the Cima Sub certainly has the locations, scenery, and variety in types of trains that more than make up for the moderately light traffic, making any railfan visit worth the effort.

        Access: Much of the Cima sub has decent access trackside, with locations north (RR east) of Kelso, CA the easiest to reach. This sub was built through some pretty desolate regions though, so be prepared for very little in the way of amenities between the end points. Paved roads are available in many locations and dirt roads make up the rest. It is actually possible to follow the main along its entire route with a few yards of the tracks. A few spots are harder to navigate, but we'll cover this more in detail in subsequent pages.

        Lodging:  While plenty of hotels exist in Vegas, lodging trackside is virtually nonexistent south of the NV / CA border, until you get to Yermo. The lone standout to this rule is in Nipton, CA where there is a small motel. I actually know someone who stayed in it and they said it was nice considering where it is. Try the Hotel Nipton's website for more info. Additional lodging can only be found under the stars so be prepared for that if you chose this route. Baker, CA could provide a nice base camp for exploring the bottom of Cima Hill (the Kelso area). The Primm, NV casinos are probably the best for price and amenities though, and close enough to the tracks to make them a viable alternative for anything east of Afton Canyon.

        Food and supplies:  Same as lodging on this one. Be very prepared out here, as not much is available. Gas may be harder to find than a hotel, so don't come out here without a full tank. Cima Hill, for example, can be explored all day long on a tank topped off in Primm, NV, so I would suggest topping off at your last possible chance. If you get caught, Baker, CA has gas and is about 35 miles from Kelso, which is closer to you than Primm if you are at the bottom of the hill. Inside the Afton Cyn area you'll need to think about Yermo and the east end of the sub is of course in Vegas, with plenty to find there. As for food I try and bring a cooler with me to put in snacks, drinks, etc. This limits time used to return to civilization for lunch and or drinks. See my Desert Railfan Guide for additional tips and suggestions.

        Seasons: Winters (Nov-March) are mild. It can get chilly, but if the sun is out, you'll only need a light jacket by midday. The days will be shorter, but the mild temps will make railfanning better.  Spring (April-May) is awesome. Longer days coupled with milder temps will be a dream. The desert should be in full bloom, so the flora and fauna should be at its best. Summer (June-Sept) is HOT, HOT, HOT. So if you must come in the summer, at least there is a lot more daylight to shoot in. 100+ temps will be in place by mid June, and by late June early July, count on temps cruising right past the 110+ range. This will last until late August, when it should back off to the 100s until late September. Things won't get agreeable again until mid October. Be aware of your situation and plan accordingly. Lots of water will keep you from getting into trouble. The heat is a killer, so be prepared. I can't emphasize this enough. As for the terrain, well everything turns crispy and the colors go brown.  Autumn (Oct-Nov) will bring a much needed break from the summer heat, but summer's toll will remain. Brown will dominate your viewfinder and dry will be the name of the game. For more specific weather info from the Cima Sub, try this link.

Timetable Info

Cima Subdivision (From RR East to RR West)
Nevada Stations
Mile Post
Speed Limit
Siding Lengths
Las Vegas
334.3
20
3 Mains (Yard)
Wyoming St
332.7
60
2 Mains
Sands Ave
330.5
40
2 Mains
Bracken (retired)
329.1
60
2 Mains
Tropicana Ave
328.6
60
2 Mains
Boulder Jct.
327.8
60
2 Mains
Maule
362.4
60
2 Mains
Arden
323.9 / 321.3
60
8467' (mini-yard)
Bard (Unofficial)
317.0
40
No Siding
Sloan
315.3 / 314.0
30
6282'
Erie
310.0 / 308.1
60
8843'
* Detector *
307.0
 
 
Sutor (Unofficial)
304.0
70
No Siding
Jean
301.9 / 3007
70
5721'
Borax
297.0 / 295.8
70
5792'
California Stations
 
 
 
Calada (siding is in both states) 
288.8 / 287.0
70
8791'
Nipton
278.2 / 276.9
70
5767'
*Detector*
273.7
   
Moore
273.0 / 271.8
70
5765'
Ivanpah
268.0 / 266.0
70
9835'
Brant
263.9 / 262.8
70
5751'
Joshua
258.5 / 257.2
70
6066'
* Detector *
256.0
 
 
Cima
254.6 / 253.3
45
2 Mains (north 6266') (south 9862')
Chase
251.1 / 249.8
70
5765'
Elora
247.9 / 246.7
45
5780'
Dawes
243.9 / 242.0
70
9025'
Hayden
240.0 / 238.7
70
5780'
Kelso
236.5 / 234.5
70
2 Mains (North & South 9190') (mini-yard)
Flynn (retired)
230.3
70
No siding
Kerens
226.7 / 225.4
70
5754'
Sands
219.5 / 217.7
70
9017'
Balch
212.2 / 211.0
70
5765'
* Detector *
209.2
 
 
Crucero
204.2 / 202.9
70
5775'
Basin
197.6 / 196.3
40
6196'
Afton
191.8
60
Spur only
* Detector *
190.4
 
 
Dunn
188.0 / 186.1
60
9529'
Field
182.9 / 181.7
70
5760'
Manix
178.2 / 176.9
70
5775'
* Detector *
175.3
 
 
Toomey
168.7
40
2 Mains
Minneola
166.4
40
2 Mains
East Yermo
163.8
40
2 Mains
Yermo
162.0
20
2 Mains (Yard)


Back to Maps Main Page

ad pos61 ad pos63
ad pos62 ad pos64



Support this website by joining the Silver Rails TrainWeb Club for as little as $1 per month. Click here for info.