Western Railroad Discussion > Under a Purple Bakersfield Sunset

There is nothing quite as majestic as an Edison Highway Sunset. Even though the iconic search lights and roaring tunnel motors are a thing of the past, the bright purple clouds that loom over Bakersfield as the sun sets will always be one of my favorite train memories. It is here that the UP and BNSF come together to begin the famous climb up Tehachapi Pass. East bound crews from either railroad have just settled into their 67.8 mile journey across the pass. West bound crews can see the welcoming city lights of Bakersfield knowing that their journey is about to come to an end. The sun lights up the cab and the sun shades come down while their train makes one last descent into the central valley. 

It is a beautiful spot for a foamer. Notch 8 East bounds and dynamic brake whining West bounds. Every time I make it to the Mojave Sub, I make sure to take in at least one sunset. 

1. A MWCRV gets a green light to Kern Junction as the crew sees the last moments of sun on March 18th, 2017

2. The same MWCRV riding off into the sunset. A BNSF manifest can be seen in the distance as it begins the climb out of Kern Junction. In a little over five minutes the two trains will pass.

3. The BNSF manifest approaches Sandcut with the DPU of the MWCRV way off in the distance. The scanner chatters, "West Coltons meeting at Kern" The MRVWC will soon be on the heels of the BNSF train



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/17 13:30 by SCUfoamer.

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Beautiful shots!

Those are some really, really nice shots. IOTD candidates for sure--can't beat that lighting. I love how much sharpness and detail the "big daddy" lens can pull in! Awesome work.

Really great photos. I'm planning on taking a trip out there sometime in early May. I'm hoping for pretty weather.

Ronda Thomas

Posted from Android

SCUfoamer wrote:

>East bound crews from either railroad have just settled into their 76 mile journey across the pass.

76 mile journey?  The rail distance between Bakersfield and Mojave is 68 miles.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/17 13:24 by johnsweetser.

johnsweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SCUfoamer wrote:
>
> >East bound crews from either railroad have just
> settled into their 76 mile journey across the
> pass.
>
> 76 mile journey?  The rail distance between
> Bakersfield and Mojave is 68 miles.

It is actually 67.8 but who is counting??

Very nice work with these photos.
John

johnsweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SCUfoamer wrote:
>
> >East bound crews from either railroad have just
> settled into their 76 mile journey across the
> pass.
>
> 76 mile journey?  The rail distance between
> Bakersfield and Mojave is 68 miles.

​Just a portion of the 182 mile journey to West Colton.

Reeeeely good stuff!

Picture no.3 is my favorite! Nice work.

SantaFeRuss

Posted from Android

VERY NICE...!!

Outrageous images!   I totally agree about Edison.   On one side, the dark, depleted, depths of lonely Central Valley exist.  On the other side, big time railroading digs into the lively mountains of SoCal.   Two major extremes, divided by Edison.

Great set of photos.  Lots of memories there myself, as I'd often spend the night in Bakersfield during 2-day trips to Tehachapi from the LA area.  Always tried to start and end my day between Edison and Sandcut areas.

Rich

Absolutely spectacular images, with outstanding use of that marvelous light. I'm a fan of twilight and dawn, and treasure some really great images from those times of the day. These rise right to the top of the list. Thanks so much for posting them for us to enjoy....and remember. Count on it.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan

You can thank the terrible air quality in the Southern San Joaquin Valley for those images. The area is the bottom of a test tube that collects crud from SFO south and deposits it here.
Which is why my family moved to Mojave in 1948 so my folks could live many years longer....
Ironically, the Valley air quality is actually better now than it was when we moved, which gives you an idea of what it was like then.
Fortunately only a bit of this junk makes it over to the desert which is why our aerospace industry can flourish here.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Enjoyed your girlfriend/dog/Jeep/hammock report as well as this one. Thanks for sharing the Tehachapi Magic.