I’ve been agitating for a webcam near the busy Stockton Diamond for years, and now – thanks to SouthWest RailCams and cam host Geiger Manufacturing – we’ve got one.

The traincam is pointed directly from Geiger’s facility toward the Diamond, where Union Pacific and BNSF rail traffic intersects.

Amtrak and Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) passenger trains also traverse the interchange.

So far, in limited viewing, we’ve seen ACEs and Amtrak San Joaquins roll by, along with several assorted BNSF and UP freight trains. When viewing, the curve of track closest to the camera leads to BNSF’s Mormon Yard, which winds to the left beyond view of the camera. Scotts Avenue is the road with the grade crossing directly to the right of the camera.

The railcam can be accessed via YouTube, or by clicking on the video image above.

Stockton Diamonds Webcam (Image)

As daylight fades, a southbound Union Pacific freight train rolls through the Stockton Diamond.

A fun added bonus is the ability to monitor communications between the trains, dispatchers and maintenance crews while viewing the action on YouTube.

On the left audio channel (or speaker), it’s BNSF, while the Union Pacific chatter can be heard on the right – along with the pesky rumble of the almost non-stop wind.

Stockton Diamond (Google Map Image 2023)

The Stockton Diamond as it is presently configured. The webcam at Geiger Manufacturing is directed toward the heart of the diamond, but can be panned, tilted and zoomed (“PTZ”).

The Stockton Diamond, long a choke point for trains of the Southern Pacific, Western Pacific and Santa Fe in the pre-merger days, is scheduled to be replaced in the coming years with a freeway-style over/under interchange.

With plans well under way, construction is expected to begin in the Spring of 2024, with completion slated for Summer 2027.

For more information on the project, please visit StocktonDiamond.com.

Stockton Diamond Flyover (Artist's Concept)

Concept artwork showing the proposed grade separation at the Stockton Diamond, which would put the Union Pacific on a north-south flyover, with the BNSF running east-west at grade level. (Image courtesy of HDR, Inc.)