Western Railroad Discussion > Hill 582 - Cajon Pass Memorials

Having paid my first visit to Hill 582 just this past weekend, I was impressed with the memorials for those few who left their mark there. I realize the upkeep of the Hill is strictly on a volunteer basis and those that use the spot are expected to clean up after themselves. The Hill was extremely well kept and clean when I was up there.

With that said, are there any plans to replace the faded memorial citations?

1. Memorial blocks.
2. Hill top
3. View looking east.

JMW
http://www.waidephoto.com

---

---

---

Memorials - Dec 23, 2007

Will a memorial to Chard Walker be added to the Hill?

JMW

---

---

---

For those members who, like me, do not know the significance of the Hill 582 Cajon Pass Memorials there is an article and a couple of pictures on the web site, http://www.tehachapinews.com/home/ViewPost/11867 .

“On June 12, former Tehachapi railroad calendar publishers Dave Burton and Ed Delvers were honored posthumously by a group of their peers during an informal memorial ceremony held at a popular railfan site on the Cajon Pass.

Railroading enthusiasts and photographers gathered from as far away as England to share memories of the men whose world-renowned train photography brought Tehachapi into homes around the globe.

Delvers died at the age of 57 in March of 2004, and Burton, at the age of 59, followed him not long after, in Nov. of 2005.

The short-lived but successful collaboration began in 1999, when they met while contributing to a train calendar published by the Tehachapi Loop Railroad club.

The TLRR published one more calendar in 2000, before Burton-Delvers publications picked up where the local club left off. The calendars were an instant and enduring hit with the world’s railfan community achieving a circulation of more than 10,000 calendars sold worldwide, from 2002 to 2005.

The 2005 calendar was dedicated to the memory of Ed Delvers and was published under the solo efforts of Burton who, sadly, received a loving tribute from his daughter in 2006.

“Dave Burton’s Tehachapi...and beyond,” a tribute to a “Trainjunky,” will count out the remaining days of the current year and bring final closure to the Burton-Delvers era of Tehachapi’s railroad calendars.

Fellow railfan and photographer Don Toles, of Highland, created the memorial site to honor the achievements of noted railroad related figures, including Tony Andel, an employee of the Santa Fe Railway for more than 40 years; BNSF diesel mechanic, Michael J. Marzlo; and William B. Garner, who was employed by the Santa Fe Railway all his working years.

Toles described Burton and Delvers as “Well known and highly respected and loved by the railfan community.”

Toles, Garner and Marzlo worked together 20 years ago on the restoration of UP’s 3751 steam locomotive restoration with Doug Pickard, President of the Friends of the Tehachapi Depot restoration project.

“He (Burton) had finally reached that point in life where he could spend time with some of the things he was passionate about: railroad photography, the restoration of the Tehachapi Depot, the Tehachapi calendar, his trackside property, new business ventures, his cars, hummingbirds and especially new friends,” Pickard said.

Pickard and Burton were among the five original founding members of the depot project. Burton’s Keene estate is the host to Tehachapi’s railroad webcam where trains can be viewed during daylight hours at Trainorders.com.

Pickard read a statement from Burton’s daughter, who was unable to attend the memorial.

“This is the perfect place to honor the memory of two very important railfan photographers who were also very close personal friends of ours,” said Pickard, adding that although he knew about Hill 582, the memorial event marked his first visit to the spot.

Delvers spent his childhood in Kobe, Japan, and came to the U.S. to attend M.I.T., graduating in 1972. His passion for trains, planes, travel and photography brought him ultimately to Tehachapi in 1982, when he worked with the company that installed the first wind machines.

Burton and Delvers were both prolific writers and photographers, with numerous publications to their credit.

The memorial location now known as Hill 582, was a well kept railfan secret until an article published in Railfan & Railroad Magazine last November exposed the man-made oasis, creating an internationally known destination. Although the Hill was built by railfans for railfans, it is now a popular spot for bird-watchers, family picnics, and a resting spot for dirt-bikers and off-roaders seeking the cool shade provided by maturing eucalyptus and locust trees.”

It looks like Ed Delvers was born June 13, 1951. That would have made him 52 at the time of his death. I only mention this because his birthday was only 9 days after mine and I haven't quite reached 57. I knew Bill Garner and I knew of Ed and Dave Burton, I wish I had been able to meet them.

Caretaker Don told us those memorials there now are only temporary because of the recent vandalism to Hill 582. They will be replaced w/ the permanent ones when they can figure out how to prevent them being harmed by vandals.

The original brass plaque memorials on Hill 582 were removed for safe-keeping following a number of acts of vandalism during the fall months of 2006. Moisture and sunlight caused the substituted photo memorials to deteriorate rapidly, and they were replaced with new photos in June 2007. And now, as jmw's photographs show, the faded photos need to be replaced again. Since only minor vandalism has occurred on Hill 582 since November 2006, it is likely the original memorials will be returned to the Hill in the near future. A memorial in remembrance of Chard Walker is in the works for Hill 582, and it will be installed and dedicated at the time when the original plaques are returned to the Hill. At least that is now the plan.

Ted1897

Couldn't be a better Holiday post on here. Thanks so much. 'Dogh

Just what the world needs, memorials to departed railfans.

For those of us unfamiliar with both the Memorial and Hill 582, could you provide some directions or other information that would allow us to visit it? Assume we are starting in San Bernardino on the 15. Where do we turn off, how far do we go, etc? Many thanks.

My Thomas Maps do not show sheet 4562. (Edit: See 4654 about F5. Thanks Adam)
At Cajon. take 138 East (up the hill).
Go a few miles and as you see the ROW on your left, watch for some white gate posts.
There are no gates but you can turn in and look to your Left for the hill between the tracks.
There are several dirt roads that wander around the hill.
I like to park below the hill because it can get crowded and someone may lock you into the road.
Take water! It is nice to give it to the gang as you leave. They try to keep the site looking nice. Remember, this is a memorial!
Lindsay