Permanente Local (LRB32) Stevens Creek Road level crossing (Cupertino, California)

 place with historical importance, railway crossing

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The Permanente Local (LRB32) freight runs between Warm Springs in Milpitas to the Permanente cement plant above Cupertino.

Video by West Coast Rail channel
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYnw0X2FieM

Diverging from the main line just south of San Jose's Diridon station, UP's Vasona branch is a lightly-trafficked industrial lead that runs through suburban San Jose and terminates at Lehigh Southwest Cement's Permanente plant in the foothills near Cupertino.

Once trod by six- to eight-unit lashups of geeps doubling 60-car coal trains up the 3% grade to the plant in SP and early UP days - over treacherous track that sank further and further into the ground with each passing train - traffic has dropped off in recent years as activity at the plant slowed down.

UP now only goes up the branch to the plant once or twice a week. Somewhat ironically, this drop-off happened shortly after the UP invested heavily in welded rail, ties and ballast for the branch in order to allow six-axle power to take over from the geeps.

In recent years there is talk of closing down the branch line and converting it to a pedestrian or bicycle path.

Discussion on the local train and its branch line
www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1313113