Map of Dolomite Loop Road and current State 136. Stars at center mark the former railroad crossing locations. Photos below show the southern crossing.
The Owens Valley in Inyo County, California is home to many fascinating highway relics. One road in particular toward the southern end of the Owens Valley southeast of Lone Pine, State Highway 136, had a very unique and rare feature – old railroad grade crossing markings. Until 1964, it was known as State Highway 190 and was realigned quite a bit between the Owens River and Keeler in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s as travel to Death Valley became more popular. Most of the old alignments are still traversable today, complete with original paving. The longest intact section is known as Dolomite Loop Road and runs between the Owens River bridge to just north of Swansea.
Former SPRR (Carson and Colorado Railway) grade crossing near Dolomite mine. Remains of rails and ties can be seen here at the darker asphalt patch.
These crossings were still in use until the whole line was abandoned in April 1960. The markings themselves likely date to the 1940’s. They are made of a large X and an arrow pointing to the crossing itself.
Looking southerly toward the northern Dolomite mine grade crossing.
Northerly view at the Dolomite mine crossing. The former railroad grade can be seen low berm to the left of the roadway.
Castaic Junction, located just north of Six Flags Magic Mountain in the Santa Clarita Valley was an important stop along US 99 and State 126 until the 1980’s. A Standard Oil gas station, one of the largest and busiest at the time, was located here in addition to Tip’s Restaurant. The restaurant was reported to be the last stop for James Dean before he died on September 30, 1955. A Beacon station also existed here at the south side of the junction, though it didn’t last as long as the Standard station. The gas station closed sometime in the 1980’s and the restaurant persisted as the Castaic Junction restaurant a bit longer.
A Brief History of the Roadway Changes
Map of the original version of Castaic Junction before the 1948 widening.
1944 view of Castaic Junction looking southerly. SR-126 enters from the right. Courtesy – Caltrans
The roadway through the junction has also undergone many changes since it was first paved. In 1917, a 15′ concrete slab was laid down. This was widened in 1922 by adding two 2.5′ slabs on either side of the existing concrete. At the time, Castaic Junction was a “wye” intersection, with US 99 making up the east side and State 126 on the south side. The west side was a connector road from SB US 99 to WB 126. In 1931, the 1917/1922 pavement was removed and replaced with a wider two-lane section along the same route. By 1933, an additional lane was added making it a three-lane “suicide lane” setup.
Looking northerly at Castaic Junction in 1948 just after widening. Photo Courtesy – Caltrans
In 1948, yet more changes were made to the junction. US 99 was realigned a bit to the east and made a four-lane expressway. State 126 was also widened, though just at the junction itself. The former west leg of the junction was removed as the Standard Oil gas station was augmented. This configuration lasted until 1964 when I-5 was constructed and the whole intersection was bypassed.
1969 aerial photo showing the 126 Freeway and I-5 Freeway adjacent to the original Castaic Junction. Courtesy – Caltrans
Today, little remains of any of the structures that existed at the junction. A new shopping center and Caltrans maintenance yard occupy the area east of the junction. The original traffic signals were replaced and additional curbs were added.
Surprisingly, the original 1917 wye junction remains nearly completely intact. The west and east legs of the junction are still visible, despite a major realignment, the construction of the Standard Oil gas station in 1948, and its subsequent demolition. How long any of this will last is unknown as development is likely to erase these traces in the near future.
We are planning our first CUTRR – Clean Up The Ridge Route – event to be held on May 20, 2023. The road has suffered through a lot this winter and it needs your help! Our work will concentrate on clearing drains of debris on the northern end between the Tumble Inn and Reservoir Summit. Due to conditions, we won’t be able to go over the entire roadway afterward as we have done in the past. Additionally, lower clearance vehicles are not recommended on the Ridge Route at this time.
Please RSVP so we can get a rough headcount before the event. We look forward to seeing you all out there!
Please be in sturdy shoes, pants, and shirt. Hats and protective glasses are recommended depending on what work you’ll be performing.
Tools Needed:
Bring whatever tools you have to cut branches and clear debris. Supplies such as picks, shovels, rakes, pruning saws, pole pruners, mattocks, clippers, wheelbarrows, brooms, and other items may also be needed.
Meeting Location:
We will be meeting at the Gorman Carl’s Jr, 49669 Gorman Post Rd, Gorman, CA 93243, at 0800 hrs on May 20, 2023 and will be leaving by 0830 hrs.
Either through heavy wind, corrosion, or a combination of the two, a section of “greenout” fell off a sign on the eastbound Ventura Freeway (State 134) recently at Victory Blvd. This sign, approaching the Golden State Freeway (I-5) has been there since 1961 when the freeway opened. In 1961, the Golden State Freeway was still US Highway 99. In 1965, the sign was covered over with an overlay for I-5. In early 2023, that overlay (“greenout”) fell off, revealing a portion of the original signage. The left side of the sign has a State 134 EAST sign as 134 proceeded east toward Pasadena via the Golden State Freeway and Colorado St until 1968.
I-5 between Santa Clarita and the San Joaquin Valley over Tejon Pass is known as “The Grapevine” and formerly known as “The Ridge Route”. It is an important corridor in California and has been so since 1915. Travel over the route can be quite treacherous in winter due to both rain and snow. Mudslides, rockfalls, and ice can all wreak havoc on travel. Collisions can mar traffic for miles. Caltrans, CHP, and the County of Los Angeles work together to ensure safe travel over the route. Sometimes this can result in a full closure of the pass.
If the 5 is closed, alternate adjacent routes such as Lake Hughes Road are not advisable as they may be in worse condition or be heavily congested. Depending on closures, the best alternative to I-5 is via State 14 (Antelope Valley Freeway) and State 58 over Tehachapi Pass. In times of heavy snow, your only option may well be US 101 to State 46 in Paso Robles. Check with Caltrans and CHP prior to travel to make sure these roads are open. DO NOT ALWAYS TRUST GOOGLE. It can lead you down bad or otherwise unsuitable roadways. In January 2021, multiple people including three big rigs were trapped on the Old Ridge Route during a snowstorm when they attempted to bypass a closed I-5. We don’t want you to end up on the news. Always be safe and always use caution on unfamiliar roads.
SPECIAL NOTE
The Old Ridge Route (Ridge Route Road / 8N04) is NEVER an alternate to I-5 under any conditions and is not suitable for heavy traffic nor is it open to through traffic. It is closed to through travel from Castaic to Gorman (State 138).
