After looking at a post of a Santa Fe publicity photo taken at Caliente over on the Nostalgia and History board this evening, it had me looking through some of my Caliente shots from late last year. The section of UP's Mojave Subdivision between Ilmon and Cliff is personally my favorite section of the Mountain, although I really enjoy all of it quite honestly, however when I'm up for the day with no other big plans chances are I can be found around Caliente. Such was the case back on 11/16/2013 as I spent the entire day at Caliente, here are a few shots from that day...

# 4253: After meeting a pair of westbound (northbound) BNSF trains at Caliente, UP 5436 is digging into the grade as it rounds the Caliente horseshoe curve on the point of the QRVWCX-15. UP 5436 has command of still fairly clean C45AH 'Heavies' 8094 and 8098.
# 4254: Later in the afternoon UP 5457-5373-5468 have empty cement hoppers bound for Mojave on the drawbar as they start up the top leg of the Caliente horseshoe, just prior to crossing Tehachapi Creek/Bealville Rd. £
# 4255: The Caliente Valley is rocking to the beat of BNSF motors 4745-767-4350-648 as they lead a lengthy double stack train up the top leg of the Caliente horseshoe and towards tunnel 1. It is truly a sight to watch a train leave Caliente and work its way up to Cliff.

# 4256: About an hour later UP's class 'Heavy' C45AH 8052 is drifting through Caliente with motors 8105-5401-8085-5475 and the MWCRVC-16 pushing against the drawbar. The head-end of the train is turning away from 'downtown' Caliente to head for the twisting confines of the Caliente Creek narrows while the train's rear DPU, whose face is illuminated by the sun, is still up on the top leg of the horseshoe.
# 4257: As the day wore on the traffic stayed strong and a little while after the UP 8052 disappeared from view BNSF ES44C4 7087 came along with a eastbound (southbound) intermodal train. Leaving the Caliente Creek narrows and stretched out along the Mojave Subdivision behind BNSF 7087-5478-6978-6940 the intermodal train will soon be in 'downtown' Caliente where it will begin yet another impressive battle up to Cliff.
# 4258: Some horses down on the Loop Ranch pause to watch the rumble and roar of UP's MFRWC as it rounds the helix known the world ovr (by railfans anyway) as the Tehachapi Loop. A pair of C45AH 'heavy' GEVOs bracket a pair of EMD SD70 products.

On Friday March 28th, 2014 Norfolk Southern's original 'Norfolk Southern Railway' heritage unit made an appearance on the Tehachapi Pass as a trailing motor on the Q STOCHI. After getting home Friday evening I managed to post a few shots of the Q STOCHI...( http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3364318 )... and as promised here are a few more from that afternoon. With high clouds hanging around the Antelope Valley Friday afternoon when I left for Tehachapi I was not to optimistic that the day would result in any good shots...I was happily proven wrong as it turned out to be a great day up on the mountain. RS

# 4282: Upon arriving at Caliente work windows were still being released and trains down in Bakersfield were being readied to go. After waiting around Caliente for a half hour I relocated up towards Tunnel 2...about the same time the first BNSF train highballed Kern Junction. I did some light hiking above Tunnel 2 looking for a slightly different angle on the situation but as the sun moved to the west I was loosing any decent angle I had. Just before returning to Tunnel 2 the sounds of a working eastbound (southbound) could be heard echoing throughout the Caliente Valley so I paused to capture a eastbound BNSF intermodal behind BNSF 976-7258-669-5221 working up the western slope near the bottom end of Bealville.
# 4283: Returning to Tunnel 2 I met up with several Northern California railfans as well as a local friend who were out in search of the NS heritage unit as well. We were treated to 3 eastbound (southbound) Union Pacific trains at Tunnel 2 before the NS heritage unit came along. Digging into the grade just below Tunnel 2 UP 5259-5266-4220 work a El Paso bound auto reposition train towards an awaiting red signal at Bealville.
# 4284: The red signal encountered by the UP autos at Bealville soon changed and after allowing some space between it and the train ahead UP 5259 began up the mountain again. Soon after BNSF 762 was given a signal to proceed out of Caliente and up the mountain behind the UP 5259. Working up the grade on a yellow BNSF 762-NS 8114-CN 5675 work the Q STOCHI up Tehachapi's western slope just prior to entering Tunnel 2.

# 4285: No doubt in need of a trip through the wash rack NS 8114 was still sharp looking and a very welcome sight to be had out west. NS 8114 becoming the 4th NS heritage unit to have crossed the Tehachapi Pass.
# 4286: The Q STOCHI would pause at Bealville to allow some space to build up between it and UP 5259 ahead of it. Against the late afternoon sun BNSF 762 strains against the grade getting its train rolling as it heels to the curve that swings trains out of Bealville and into Tunnel 3.
# 4287: The eastbound parade all paused filling most of the sidings between Marcel and Caliente with BNSF 762 taking the siding at Rowen. Soon the reason for the halt came into view as a pair of westbounds (northbounds); one BNSF and one UP were released from Cable to head down grade. First up was BNSF 6801 west which is seen conforming to the trademark curves of Union Pacific's Mojave Subdivision at Walong, better known as the Tehachapi Loop. The head end power has just emerged from Tunnel 9 and is swinging back towards the east with the rear of its train up above near the top end of Walong.

So far this year I have made relatively few trips up to Tehachapi but when I had a full day off yesterday (Saturday May 17th) I decided to take advantage of it and made my way up to Tehachapi. Between 0730-1730 I photographed 18 trains...14 of which were BNSF...and 9 of those had foreign power and/or warbonnets in the consist which added some nice color to the day. Not going to share everything from yesterday but here is a summary of the day, which turned out to be a great day on Tehachapi.

# 4244: I started off the morning just before 0700 doing a hike I have been wanting to try for some time. My first train of the morning was UP's hotshot ZBRLC-15 led by SD70M 3918. UP 3918 has just burst out of the east portal of Tunnel 15 high above the Tehachapi Creek.
# 4245: Following a few minutes behind the UP Z was a southbound BNSF double stack train running 2x2. Working hard up the grade just below the start of double track at Cable BNSF 4356-6660 are just out of Tunnel 17 with their train strung out through Tunnels 16, 15, and 14.
# 4246: After the two southbounds cleared dispatcher 54 lined two northbounds down the hill at Cable. The second of the two was led by BNSF 7180-6683-761. Conforming to the curves at Cable the head end of the 7180 rattles across the 6th crossing of Tehachapi Creek just below the switch at Cable.

# 4247: Working out of Tunnel 10 and up towards Marcel this manifest had BNSF 6599-BNSF 5473-KCS 3910-BNSF 162-BNSF 7124-NS 7617-BNSF 4800 up front.
# 4248: As I pushed west I came across a short BNSF manifest rounding the Tehachapi Loop at Walong behind BNSF 7246-BNSF 1121-CSXT 4531.
# 4249: Later in the morning as high sun began to take hold BNSF 4899-CP 9512-CP 8852 roars over the top of the Sandcut grade with a vehicle train. The rear face of UP 5464 can be seen rounding the curve on the rear of UP's MWCRV.

# 4250: Following three other westbounds (northbounds) BNSF 4806-BNSF 1000-CEFX 6016-BNSF 1019 work out of Bena and into Sandcut.
# 4251: After lunch I again caught up with BNSF 4899-CP 9512-CP 8852 working up Tehachapi's western slope just above Marcel.
# 4252: Taken from the top of 'Comb's Hill' BNSF 4941-CIT 6004-BNSF 5438-BNSF 5129 drift down grade near the bottom end of Marcel.

Yesterday morning I received word from a friend that two of Union Pacific's commemorative C45ACCTEs would be together on the MFRWC-30, a Fresno, CA to West Colton, CA manifest. UP 2010 (Boy Scouts of America) would be the lead motor, while UP 7400 (Susan G. Komen/Pink Ribbon) would be trailing. So with this information in mind I figured a trip up to Tehachapi was in order and I had an idea of where I wanted to spend the morning. High winds had a few southbounds holding on the western slope early on but soon those restrictions (which were on the eastern slope between Mojave and Tehachapi Summit) were lifted and traffic was very respectable for the rest of the morning. Getting down to Ilmon around 0800 I hiked up onto a hill side that I had tried out this time last year. Last year I had overcast skies to deal with for most of the morning and a broken rail up on the mountain limited the number of trains being turned loose out of Bakersfield until the rail was fixed. Ironically there was a broken rail at Cliff this morning but fortunately it was on the main line between siding switches, allowing trains to run around the brake on the siding. So enough with the back story, here are a few photos from this morning...

Getting out of work yesterday morning I had a tip from a friend that 'SPatch' AC4400 UP 6210 (ex-SP 116) was leading the IMQLTR-22 towards Tehachapi. With no other plans for the afternoon I ran home, grabbed the camera, and started for Tehachapi. To borrow a term from my friend Charles (cchan006 here on TO) I was looking to do some 'revenge railfanning' yesterday afternoon while chasing the UP 6210. For those who don't know Charles and 'revenge railfanning' it is basically making up for messing up a photo or chase and getting revenge on your own fail. A few weeks back I had hiked up onto a hill below Ilmon where I was waiting for a few southbound trains coming out of Bakersfield. While there I was surprised by the appearance of SP 187 which was leading a northbound auto repo train, there was no good shot of a northbound from where I was and being down at Ilmon there was no getting ahead of it for another shot on Tehachapi. So yesterday afternoon I was really looking to make up for missing a good shot of the SP 187, sure the AC4400 yesterday was patched but it was still great to see leading over Tehachapi.

Yesterday General Electric Tier 4 compliant ES44AC demonstrator 2024 made its first run over the Tehachapi Grade as it led a Oakland, CA bound container repo train over the mountain. Getting a heads up that the train was grinding up Cajon Pass at 0600 and having the day off I decided to spend the morning following the 2024 over Tehachapi. Here are my results from another great day on Tehachapi.

Sunday evening I wrapped up a long weekend trackside here in Southern California. My weekend started on Friday 11/7/2014 when I went out to Boron and Trona to try my luck with BNSF's Boron local and the Trona Railway Friday afternoon. Saturday had a brief trip up to Tehachapi and Sunday I was back at it again on Tehachapi, meeting up with a few friends who had come up for the day. In this first part I am sharing a few images from Friday November 7th...

After getting a few photos of the Boron local I made my way out to Trona, CA hoping to find the Trona Railway's daily westbound train to Searles. I found Trona's power down switching the facility at Westend with the empty 'coal buckets' sitting on the main. Thinking I had a little time to kill I headed west towards Navy Siding and followed Pinnacles Rd back east to Pinnacles where I planned to catch the Trona heading west.
# 4190: On my way out to Pinnacles I was checking out a few locations along the way for future trips, a lot of nice photo possibilities out there! I ended up taking a little to much time and Trona's westbound empty coal train almost beat me to Pinnacles. After making a mad dash on foot over towards the tracks I was able to catch Trona's seven 2nd generation EMD SD40 products as they lifted the empties through Pinnacles with the Searles Lake Valley just visible in the right distance.
# 4191: After driving back out to CA178 I started for Searles and arrived just in time to see the Trona pulling in. Working up into Searles the siding and water tank at Garden City (where there is no garden or city :-) can be seen at right.
# 4192: After pulling the empties off Trona Railway trackage and into UP's Searles yard the train would be shoved out onto what is left of UP's Lone Pine Branch east of Searles, there it would be tied down awaiting a pick up by UP. Being a fan of SP history and having looked out at the old abandoned Lone Pine Branch right of way on family trips up and down US 395 I have always found the Lone Pine Branch an interesting bit of SP history. This shot of the empties being shoved out the old Lone Pine Branch brings to mind what things might look like if the tracks were still in place out to Lone Pine, CA. And if there was traffic out towards Lone Pine that could have built a train of this size maybe it still would be in service :-) Just day dreaming.

After finishing up at Trona I drove back to Mojave where I caught some dinner. After dinner I couldn't resist heading up to the signal bridge at MP 377 for a few night shots. The rumor mill seems to be hinting at UP cutting in the new signals between Warren and South Mojave sometime between November 17th-22nd. With the cut over to new signals on this section of the mountain the era of US&S searchlight signals on Tehachapi will draw to a close. Time moves on and progress is progress but for someone who has grown up on Tehachapi with these signals it is sad to see them go, following the SP and Santa Fe into the pages of history. Still, I am glad to have witness the searchlight era and to have the pictures of them that I do.

# 4196: 10) As I was setting up my camera a UP southbound rolled by and came to a stop just above Mojave, sitting behind a BNSF train that was waiting for a northbound BNSF to come off the desert. After the northbound passed through town the southbounds slowly got moving but even after the northbound cleared MP 377 the last southbound was still in the block, keeping the signal bridge lit. It stayed lit just long enough to run through the colors on main 2. Here the signal bridge stands against the night sky with the Tehachapi's standing in the background. A scene that has become a trademark of Tehachapi's eastern slope.
# 4197: 11) As I stood at MP 377 looking at the signal bridge where I have framed so many pictures over the years my mind began to wonder off to all of the photographers who have captured the action at this location over the decades. The thousands of images that will one day soon become irreplaceable, a scene that will just not quite look the same without the iron black frame of this classic SP structure dividing the Tehachapi mountains from the Mojave Desert. I was brought back from my wondering thoughts as life came to the signal bridge, reminding me it was not dead yet, followed by that oh so familiar roar from a northbound working up grade behind me. A string of empty center beam flats streak passed the camera as this northbound BNSF manifest climbs into the Tehachapi mountains.

Of my 4 'out and about' reports this one is going to be the briefest. Having plans Saturday afternoon I wasn't planning to get trackside however the prospect of two BNSF eastbounds (southbounds) with nice consists could warrant a brief run up to the Mountain Saturday morning. The first train with CREX-CSXT-CREX power ran over the mountain well before sunrise however friend 'DRGW' caught up with it out on the Needles Subdivision ( http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3571477 ). The second train of interest was reported to have warbonnet painted SD75I 8301 leading and with it reporting to be passed Bealville just before 0500 it was worth checking out.

# 4167: Following the ridge of a hill up to the top I had an impressive overview of the area. Nearly the entire railroad between Ilmon and Cliff was in view. After a brief wait I had two back to back BNSF westbounds (northbounds), the first of which was BNSF 5345. Looking into the sun from my hill top location we see BNSF 5345 easing its train towards the bottom end of Bealville. There are three levels of railroad visible in this photo, evidence of the railroads struggle to gain elevation on the western face of the mountain.
# 4168: A few minutes later BNSF 5345 is again front and center in the viewfinder as it drifts down out of Caliente and into the narrows. Warbonnets 880 and 735 are trailing in the head-end consist.

# 4171: Soon the train's 3 lead motors, UP 8171-8150-7358, burst out of the Tunnel 1/2 cut as they fill the air with the pulse of raw horsepower straining against gravity to lift the lumber heavy QRVWCB up the western slope of the Tehachapi grade.
# 4172: Cut in 2/3 the way back in the train UP motors 5468-8129-5332 add to the power struggle as the train crawls through the narrows.

# 4173: A leased Canadian visitor was aiding the 'dynamic' effort on the next westbound (northbound). BNSF 5510-CP 8887-BNSF 7212 have just emerged from the former west end of Tunnel 1/2 with their train wrapped through the twisting curves of the Caliente narrows. Tunnel 1/2 was daylighted during the Ilmon-Caliente double tracking.
# 4174: One final train before I started the hike back to my car came in the form of UP's MFRWC-26 behind the UP 7656.

# 4177: Making my way back home I followed the UP 8883 (ZLTLC) up the hill. At Woodford the Z was lined into the siding where it would make a last light meet with yet another westbound BNSF train.
# 4163: On a cool and overcast December 28th, 2014 BNSF's eastbound S OIGLPC3-26 eases down the eastern slope of the Tehachapi grade behind motors CREX 1431-BNSF 7295-BNSF 8202.

Contrary to my TO screen name Southern California's Tehachapi Pass is my favorite place to spend a day trackside however Tehachapi92 doesn't roll off the tongue as easy ;-)
Anyhow, last weekend with no pressing plans on Sunday I made the short drive up to the Tehachapi Pass and spent some time around Caliente, CA on Union Pacific's Mojave Subdivision. Going into the morning clouds were lingering over the mountains which provided me with overcast conditions to work with early on but as the day pressed on the clouds thinned out considerably which allowed for some nice sunlight around mid-day. Trains were in no short supply Sunday as well. A work window was open on main 1 between Cameron and Warren which meant the railroad was down to single track between Summit and Mojave. While this meant trains would be 'fleeted' in groups they were fleeting the right direction for me Sunday morning with UP and BNSF dispatching southbound after southbound out of Bakersfield :-)

# 5055: Starting the morning hike right around 0700 in the cool of the morning just before sunrise I was alerted to a northbound covering the crossings up at Cliff so I set up to take a few photos of the train rolling into Caliente. Easing down the top leg of the Caliente horseshoe BNSF-NS-BNSF-CSXT GE's hold back their stack train as a Union Pacific drag waits on the opposite leg of the horseshoe in 'downtown' Caliente. This BNSF northbound (westbound back in SP days and westbound once it rejoins home rails in Bakersfield) was one of only two northbound movements I would see during the morning hours.
# 5056: Following the UP manifest seen in photo one up the mountain was a parade of southbound trains which kept me busy for the rest of the morning. Right behind the UP manifest was a BNSF train sporting warbonnet clad C44-9W 715 on the point. 715 along with 3 younger GEs, including one C4 that appeared to be right off the show room floor, are rounding the Caliente horseshoe curve as they prepare for the near 600' climb that in just over 6 miles will take them to Cliff in one of the most amazing shows a fan of mountain railroading will witness out west.

Last Sunday (March 29th) was predicted to be a beautiful day here in Southern California so with this in mind I made the short drive up to Tehachapi for the day. Getting up to Keene about 0630 I began a hike down the Tehachapi Creek with the intention of getting some photos of Union Pacific's Mojave Subdivision suspended high above the creek along a somewhat remote stretch of the famous mountain pass. With only a light breeze it was indeed a wonderful day to be on Tehachapi and moreover the trains were running. As I was following the creek downstream talk on the scanner of a broken rail between Rowen and Cliff caught my attention. As I got some elevation on a nearby hill side north of the Tehachapi Creek I caught a glimpse of a UP boom truck hi-railing towards the break. By 0800 the rail was repaired and the mountain was open for business.
Union Pacific's hotshot ZLCBR was held up by the break at Woodford and was first out of the gate after the break was repaired. Following the ZLCBR down the mountain was a fleet of 4 more northbounds. There were a few more northbounds but they were held as it was now time to get southbounds up the mountain, starting with a trio of back to back Union Pacific trains. Attached are three photos of the first southbound out of the gate Sunday morning.

# 5060: Aiding the lumber heavy QRVWCB in its fight with gravity UP 8094-5425-7937 echo the roar emitted by their head end counterparts, also just out of Tunnel 7.

(left) RS 3/29/15 Same UP EB passing Tunnel 7 - 5060

They say that 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' and while in some cases beauty might be universal, in others....not so much. Tehachapi fits that latter category. To some Tehachapi might seem like a overly photographed land where 'dead' brown hills and spotty tree cover is the backdrop to a sea of increasingly uninteresting modern motive power. But to this fan there isn't another railroad route that commands a irresistible lure quite like 'Snake Mountain'. Nestled at the southern most extension of the Sierra Nevada range the Tehachapi mountains proved a seemingly impassable challenge when Southern Pacific started up the mountain range in 1874. Through a series of marvelous track alignments Southern Pacific carved a railroad through the mountains, taking their railroad from the San Joaquin Valley and on towards Los Angeles. Today's railroad is much the same as it was in the early days. Of course over the years motive power changed from steam to internal combustion, signal systems replaced train order operations, and of course the two tenants that were once the rule on the mountain have given way to the modern entities that we see today. But one thing that remains unbroken is the amazement that Tehachapi continues to inspire in those who stand track side to watch today's modern railroads wage the timeless battle with gravity to lift trains up and over the mountain.

Below are trio of images taken on Saturday April 11th, 2015 during an annual Spring get together between George (gjc), Curt, 'Metal' Mike, and myself. This was the last full day of our 2015 trip when trains were in no short supply throughout the day, keeping our focus firmly fixed on the mountain.

# 5077: Amidst the golden hills and seasonally green trees BNSF's hotshot Z WSPNBY is carefully piloted down the western slope of the Tehachapi grade at Walong, more commonly known as the Tehachapi Loop. Today's train has drawn ES44C4 6694, C44-9W 4752, SD70MAC 9753, and C44-9W 4601. While the train's head end is preparing to begin the swing back under itself the rear end is still emerging from Tunnel 10 on the upper level of the Loop.

# 5078: Impersonating a snake the hotshot Z is coiled up over itself as it continues the decent down the mountain. The elevation gained/lost between Woodford and Marcel is yet another example of the amazing engineering that went into taking the railroad over the Tehachapi's. In this view 5 levels of railroad can be seen in the 4 miles between the middle of Woodford and the bottom end of Marcel.

# 5079: Slithering up the siding at Rowen luck brings one more eastbound (southbound) stack train to our viewfinders before the sun prepares to call it a day. The day maybe cooling into evening but the rail action is just heating up.

This afternoon I had some time to kill after getting off work so I made my way up to Rosamond with the hope of catching a train or two on Union Pacific's Mojave Subdivision. As luck would have it one of Union Pacific's lumber laden Roseville to West Colton manifest drags was descending the eastern slope of the Tehachapi's as I arrived into Rosamond. Getting some elevation in the hills north of town I waited it out in the wind and soon enough armor yellow and grey appeared on the horizon heading my direction.

# 5061: For the most part tangent track is the definition of Union Pacific's Mojave Subdivision between Phelan and Mojave, CA however some curvature is utilized to tackle the 1.3% (max.) grade that faces trains leaving the desert floor at Rosamond. Oban is the railroad's lowest point in the Antelope Valley and from that point northbounds (westbounds in SP days) are working all the way to Tehachapi Summit, with the major grade starting in Mojave. Still Ansel Hill foreshadows things to come for trains en route to do battle with Tehachapi. Situated at 'the top' of Ansel Hill is Ansel siding, weighting in at 8340' between CPSP389 and CPSP391. Slipping down grade out of Mojave and towards the floor of the Antelope Valley the QRVWC is all stretched out rounding the curve at the south end of Ansel siding.

# 5062: UP C45AHs 8102 & 8159 sandwich C45ACCTE 5403 as they swing their train back towards the south, preparing to roll down into Rosamond. Now the train is in line for a near 20 mile stretch of tangent track that will lead to Palmdale Junction, there the train will 'diverge' to the east and head for Cajon Pass by way of SP's Palmdale-Colton cutoff.

# 5063: Welcome to Rosamond....also the gateway to Edwards Air Force Base, perhaps those go hand in hand. Two-thirds back in the train UP 5304-5397-7376 coast off Ansel Hill. Once at Oban these units will trade their worth from braking to shoving the lumber drag up to Hiland (SP's Cajon Summit) where they will once again prove invaluable to the dynamic braking effort for the decent into West Colton.


(left) RS 4/14/15 UP 7376 EB w/mid train DPU's at Rosamond - 5063

Yes, there were 626 good reasons to make a quick run up to Mojave, CA this morning :-)
It is once again that seasonal time of year just before the start of Summer when we are super slow at work, as a result I was given today off which worked out really well. A timely heads up this morning from a friend informed me that CSX AC6000 #626 was leading Union Pacific's southbound Fresno to West Colton, CA manifest over Tehachapi. The train was already on the mountain and approaching Sandcut at 0530 so I grabbed up the camera, jumped in the ole Chevy, and made my way up to Warren.

# 5067: A little after 0830 the MFRWC-21 emerged from Cache Creek canyon west of Warren and took center stage on the Mojave Subdivision, gently coasting down the eastern slope of the Tehachapi grade and conforming to the final mountain face before dropping into the Mojave Desert. Trailing CSXT 626 were a brace of UP motors which included; UP 9606 (x-SP 8142), UP 8748, UP 7456, and UP 7996.

# 5068: Rolling into Mojave the Fresno had a power set out to make before leaving town en route to West Colton. While the crew prepares to cut off their train (which is holding main 1) BNSF 6594 puts to good use the two main track CTC which was cut in last November and slips passed the Fresno on main 2. The eastbound (southbound) Q has a solid set of ES44C4s up front which included 6594-8121-7001. Remember when there were only 25 C4s (6600-6624)??? ;-)

Friday I met up with a few friends visiting from Maryland for a day on Tehachapi. The weather early on was overcast but we found plenty of sun as they day wore on. Turned into an excellent day on Tehachapi.
# 5072: Leaving Marcel a westbound BNSF manifest slips down the Tehachapi grade just prior to entering Tunnel 10 behind BNSF motors 8345-7234-7653-4371. This is the 3rd time in two weeks that I have photographed the BNSF 8345 on Tehachapi.
# 5073: The final train of the day was rocking a proper lead motor as we photographed it bursting out of Tunnel 5 at the west end of Cliff siding. This is the first time I have been to this location at Cliff since the searchlights came down in 2012! On another note someone at BNSF's power desk deserves a tall cold one on the house...there has been a rash of warbonnet leaders on Tehachapi as of late. As a matter of fact there have been 4 this month and those are just the ones I have photographed. CitiRail ES44AC 1409 is last out on this eastbound manifest.

# 5080: Here is UP 2379 rocking its new paint scheme early this morning in the Mojave yard. Sure caught my attention seeing an old SD60M wearing the battle flag!
# 5081: Rolling down grade out of Woodford and around the Keene horseshoe curve the westbound ZLCLT has drawn one of Union Pacific's two specially painted Salt Lake City Olympic SD70Ms as its lead motor. We are 13 years removed from the Winter Games in Salt Lake but both UP 2001 and 2002 continue to represent the events that took place, still wearing one of UP's most striking special schemes and wearing it well I might add! The Cesar Chavez visitor center is in the background at left.
# 5082: Last November I made a series of hikes along the mountain ridge that is straddled on its northern slope by Cache Creek and the Mojave Subdivision between Warren and Cameron. Today I returned to the ridge in the Cache Creek narrows to seek out a few locations that were not shoot-able in November due to the low Winter sun angles. Both UP and BNSF sent me two eastbounds each allowing me to get the angles I was looking for. Behind a trio of Union Pacific GEVOs, led by C45AH 8073, a eastbound Roseville to West Colton manifest slips down grade through the serpentine curves along the northern bank of Cache Creek.

You don't have to go far on Tehachapi's western slope to be amazed at the mountain railroad that Southern Pacific forces carved into being between 1874-1876. Whether it be the serpentine curves or the frequent locations where the railroad clings to a narrow shelf situated high up on a hill side, the railroad today is every bit the achievement that it was then. Today we are fortunate that most of Tehachapi's western slope is not to far away from paved roads however one stretch of the mountain between Rowen and Bealville does lay hidden from the eye of the casual traveler on near by California Highway 58. Leaving Bealville the railroad finds itself precariously perched high above the Tehachapi Creek valley at the appropriately named station of Cliff. From Cliff the railroad's situation remains the same until it reaches the west end of Rowen where the right of way finally regains some 'breathing room' on either side.
This past Sunday with a clear weather forecast I could not pass up a chance to make the journey up to Tehachapi for a few hours. Lacing up the hiking boots I spent the morning fixing my lens on the Mojave Subdivision as it leaves Cliff and makes it way up to the west end of Rowen. After catching a few trains I promptly made my way back home to take my mom out for a Mother's Day lunch. The attached series focuses on the final train that I would fix my lens on Sunday morning. The southbound BNSF intermodal was made up of mech. reefers, stacks, and pigs. I have always liked this configuration with BNSF's modern 'ice boxes' mixed in on intermodal trains. Over the years this has become my favorite BNSF train to watch conquer the Tehachapi's. What's the H2.5 got to do with anything?!? I will get to that in part II :-)

# 5083: Leaving Cliff the Mojave Subdivision finds itself firmly clinging to a narrow shelf carved into the mountain side as it heads for Rowen. Two tunnels were blasted into being as the railroad continued east and today tunnels 7 & 8 bookend the most famous of Tehachapi's long 'drop offs'. Leaving Tunnel 8 trains make a series of snaking 'S' curves before Rowen is at hand. Emerging from a deep rock cut and yet still at times suspended up high above Tehachapi Creek BNSF 4495-7245-7981-4467 work towards Rowen. The east portal of Tunnel 8 can be seen at upper right.

# 5084: Zooming out offers a overall view of this remote stretch of railroad as it leaves Cliff. With the reefers, containers, and pigs highlighting the contour of the Mojave Subdivision the head end prepares to diverge onto the siding at Rowen to make a meet with a northbound BNSF Z train. The rear end of the southbound is still high above the Tehachapi Creek valley between tunnels 7 & 8, the latter of the two is near the center of the image.
 

Yesterday afternoon found Union Pacific's Missouri-Kansas-Texas heritage SD70ACe venturing through Espee country en route to Lathrop, CA. Having the afternoon free I ventured out into the wind and ended up following the train up and over the Tehachapi mountains. LATC's power desk has really been spoiling us on Tehachapi the last few weeks with special leaders on the 'Lathrop Z'. Here are a few images from yesterday's outing with Ms. Katy...
# 5088: With the wide open Mojave Desert as its backdrop the ZLCLT-12 is just south of Fleta as it works towards Mojave.
# 5089: Having topped Tehachapi Summit the 'Lathrop Z' slithers down grade approaching the end of double track at Cable. The primary colors of the head end consist, which includes: UP 1988-CSXT 5489-UP 6946, adds to the already colorful Z train's make up.
# 5090: With Bakersfield nearly within their sight the ZLCLT swings through the curves leaving Ilmon. With the twisting Tehachapi confines at their back the scene is bathed in low hanging sunlight that will soon be erased by the rolling hills as another day on the mountain nears its end.