Western Railroad Discussion > Tehachapi Mid March

Heading to So. Cal. in mid March.

I will have time to railfan on the 17th and 18th and I'm wondering if Tehachapi is worth a day?

How about access. Can you still drive to the Allard horseshoe from Bealville?

Only on Rusty's days off...

March is often a month for heavy maintenance on Tehachapi (read: long windows), but I don't know if there will be anything going on then.

I'm pretty sure you "can't" drive to Allard from B-ville.

Tom

Along the same lines, I'm curious when the hills in the area are typically at their greenest (thinking it might be in the March/April timeframe). I could conceivably plan a trip there the third week of March, and if that would align with the peak color, I would have that much more incentive! Thanks for any input!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/11 05:47 by bobk.

Some elevations are already greened up due to all the early rains this year.
By March it should be pretty good up and down the pass.

Driving to the horse shoe at Allard down between the tracks is not recommended
anymore.
Parking at Bealville and hiking is tricky to.

The Track inspectors (Rusty or the other 1 or 2 up there)see your vehicle,
they sometimes will stop record the license plate,
and they are on the lookout for you along the right-of-way.

I personally know the Rancher who runs the cattle
on the property between Highway 58 and Caliente,
and both sides of the Bealville road from 58 to Caliente.

He is not real tolerable of hikers & railfans on his land anymore
due to people cutting or knocking his wire fences down
along the tracks.
He even goes round & round with the U.P. maintenance crews
for leaving gates open or unlocked.

With all that said its still a great area to visit
and plenty of opportunites to railfan up and down the hill
if you tread lightly and don't linger in a place you know is off limits

Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/11 09:44 by P5r24.

There was a dirt rode that looked like a ranchers access road that I drove to Allard in Aprilof 2000. It wasn't on the ROW. Sounds like that's no longer accessible?

There is a ranchers road just off of the Caliente Bodfish road
near tunnel 2 that goes up and around the Allard area.
Its Gated with locks.
(you can park there outside (but not blocking the) gate and hike over to the curve)

If the locks are un-locked,
it usually means my Buddy is up in there tending his
steers.

He also covers cattle land half way up Bear mountain
south of highway 58.
He carries a big gun and a 2 way radio -
not to run off railfans,
but to protect himself from the numerous Meth Lab
scumballs and pot farm growers up there making or growing drugs.

For these reasons, he and all the ranchers up there are not real
happy to find outsiders driving on cattle land.

Gary

BNSFhogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There was a dirt rode that looked like a ranchers
> access road that I drove to Allard in Aprilof
> 2000. It wasn't on the ROW. Sounds like that's no
> longer accessible?

If it's the one from the little hill west of the Bealville road crossing (where the gate is) I'd say that is something I would no longer try. I've been that way too. Used to be popular to park at the top (of the hill) and walk to Allard. It can probably still be done BUT like I said it's now "proceed at your own risk". Leaving your vehicle unattended for long periods of time at Bealville is NOT recommended.


Allen



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/11 10:30 by bradleymckay.

Years ago I drove from Bealville Road down the maintenance road that goes BETWEEN the tracks, to the crossovers, then along the tracks to Tunnel 2. I got all the way down there, expecting to come out on Cal Bodfish Road. The gate was locked and had to backtrack all the way back. Right then I wished I'd been a switch key collector!

mapboy

mapboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Years ago I drove from Bealville Road down the
> maintenance road that goes BETWEEN the tracks, to
> the crossovers, then along the tracks to Tunnel 2.
> I got all the way down there, expecting to come
> out on Cal Bodfish Road. The gate was locked and
> had to backtrack all the way back. Right then I
> wished I'd been a switch key collector!
>
> mapboy


If someone was to do that now, expect to see the Ghetto Bird and the SWAT team respond if someone saw you.

Not only that, hittin' the loop from the inside's risky too! Wish this crap wouldn't of happened!

mapboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Years ago I drove from Bealville Road down the
> maintenance road that goes BETWEEN the tracks, to
> the crossovers, then along the tracks to Tunnel 2.
> I got all the way down there, expecting to come
> out on Cal Bodfish Road. The gate was locked and
> had to backtrack all the way back. Right then I
> wished I'd been a switch key collector!
>
> mapboy

More than a few people have tried that, including me. Same result...


AM