Western Railroad Discussion > Tehachapi Loop, bird's eye view of new double track.

This was the first time I have seen the loop from the air since the double track around tunnel 10. Honestly, I didn't even know it happened (whoops).

Somewhat of a busy Saturday, this guy was fun to chase on our way to Vegas.

David Locher
Fresno, CA

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Looks like a train out of Fresno with all the empty cotton seed cars on the head end.

I have always been fascinated by the 'almost' loops above and below the actual loop itself.
...Lorenzo

what does the loop reduce the grade to?

Absolutely fantastic video shooting. If I hadn't been to the loop many times I would have thought I was watching an "N" scale layout. Thank you so much for refreshing my memory. Never got to see the new second track in person. It's beautiful.

Jim
Hatboro, PA

Thank you so much, what a treat to watch this video.
John

Great work! Thanks for posting. I have not visited the area for several years. They have done a huge amount of cutting and filling to create that second track. There's not much left of the tunnel. One has to wonder if they will daylight it eventually?

Well Done & Thanks! Very Interesting for sure....

rhotond Wrote:
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> what does the loop reduce the grade to?


the Loop was designed from the start to keep the grade at 2.2 per cent, which is what it's
listed from Caliente to Tehachapi. It's been that way since the start.

Nice video, David, thanks for posting. Shows what happens when you get out of the loop! LOL

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Spec-ta-cu-lar!

THAT has to be THE MOST wild video of the loop I have EVER seen. The ABSOLUTE SILENCE of the video except for the constant droning of the diesels and the EERIE wind. My congratulations, sir. ABSOLUTELY MY PICK of VIDEO OF THE YEAR!!

Wow, absolutely great view. Question, in the loop itself, is the tunnel now double or still single track?

Nice video!!

cornerfieldhobby Wrote:
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> Wow, absolutely great view. Question, in the loop
> itself, is the tunnel now double or still single
> track?


Tunnel 9 (the one that gets looped over) is still single track.

David Locher
Fresno, CA
http://www.youtube.com/learnwithgern

Excellent video and amazingly stable. Enjoyed watching! Drove by the loop yesterday but no trains until Tehachapi.

This looks like a giant model railroad. How I wish one of the San Joaquin trains could be extended over the Loop into Los Angeles. Maybe when we get rid of tight-fisted Gov. Brown next year the new governor can bribe UP to allow that to happen. All UP cares about is money. Pay them enough and it will happen.

I wonder if the railroads have considered a "fly over" to replace the loop. It would save some transit time but would it be worth it?

Tom:

The grade on the north slope of the Tehachapis is a nearly constant 2.0 to 2.2 percent (with variations for curve compensation) from about MP 336 (elevation about 1350 feet) just east of Caliente to about MP 359.5 (elevation about 3900 feet) just west of Tehachapi. The loop at Walong (MP 350.8) was not created to avoid any obstacles, but to make the mainline long enough between Woodford and Tunnel 10 to avoid exceeding a 2.2% grade. I'm not sure just what you mean by a "fly-over," but any reduction in the length of the alignment (and thus the transit time) would result in an increase in the grade.

D F W


TomPlatten Wrote:
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> I wonder if the railroads have considered a "fly
> over" to replace the loop. It would save some
> transit time but would it be worth it?

Thank you kindly for posting cheers dennis