Western Railroad Discussion > Tehachapi Magic

A few weeks ago, I spent a couple of days (April 13th and 14th) out on the UP Mojave Subdivision between Tehachapi and Bakersfield for the first time, and I can confidently say that after watching the parade of trains roll through the railroad marvels on the western edge of the Mojave Desert, that visit won’t be my last.

April 13th

1: Only a few minutes after I arrived at the Tehachapi Loop, BNSF 7167 leads a southbound empty grain train (more commonly known as an, “Earth Worm”) through the loop towards Mojave and eventually Barstow, CA.
2: UP 8729 leads a southbound manifest around the horseshoe curve just outside of Caliente.
3: BNSF 3874 leads the Modesto, CA to Barstow, CA manifest through the lush green fields near Tunnel 2 and North Bealville.

There's more...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/18 12:53 by es44fan.

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4: Due to track maintenance near Mojave, almost all of the traffic on Friday was heading south… except for one. Here, UP’s West Colton, CA to Roseville, CA manifest meets a southbound BNSF stack train at Caliente Siding. This would be the third southbound that the train passed between Bealville and Caliente, the other two southbounds were waiting up at Bealville.

April 14th

5: UP 8517 leads a northbound work train (WWCELB 13) out of Tunnel 5 near Cliff Siding after waiting at Walong for several hours due to a broken rail between Rowen and Cliff.
6: After a few northbounds clear the area, a southbound BNSF Richmond, CA to Barstow, CA manifest climbs the grade out of Bealville Siding with a CP, NS, and BNSF Warbonnet in the consist.

There's more...

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7: Deep within the mountains, the roar of GE locomotives can be heard as a southbound BNSF Z Train snakes into Caliente, CA while climbing the grade towards Tehachapi Summit.
8: While having lunch near the Tehachapi Loop, BNSF’s Barstow, CA to Richmond, CA manifest with BNSF 7974 on point snakes through the new section of double track that extended Walong Siding.
9: While BNSF 7974 prepares to come to a stop at the north end of Walong Siding, a southbound BNSF Z Train can be seen in the background approaching Walong.

There's more...

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10: In the late afternoon sunlight, BNSF 4164 leads a northbound Q train over the bridge at Rowen Siding.
11: The sun begins to set and mark the end to my Tehachapi trip, but I wasn’t done yet as UP’s Fresno, CA to West Colton, CA manifest climbs the grade towards Sandcut, CA in the setting sun.
12: Only seconds after the previous train clears my location, headlights appear in the distance as a southbound BNSF stack train races the manifest up the grade towards Sandcut with the setting sun in the background.

Thanks for looking!!

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Great shots. Your timing was perfect with the green hills. Everything looks nice and lush. I love how you went wide on most images. I am always inclined to pull out the super soon, but when the hills are green on Tehachapi you gotta go wide! Thank you sharing. These have inspired some new locations to shoot.

OUTSTANDING BUNCH! Nice the March green lasted so far into April.
JB

Posted from Android

Thanks for sharing a very well done series. Have the wildflowers come and gone? I would've thought there might have been a few stragglers.

Kent in CArmel Valley

Wow! Some great shots there, sure do miss that place. Thanks for posting these wonderful shots.

Tom

Wow I can see several IOTD canidates there!! I only made there once but I want so bad to go back. Maybe this fall, even though April looks like a good time with the green

Gary

I really like #9 and #10- don't remember seeing that angle from the creek before in #10. 

mapboy

Great pics!! Thanks for sharing.

Great shots!

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> OUTSTANDING BUNCH! Nice the March green lasted so
> far into April.
> JB
>
> Posted from Android

Several April rains helped.

Great pics. Best time of year to be on Tehachapi!

WOW! Great bunch of pictures. I don't know if I've ever seen that much green in pictures of the loop and surrounding area. I've never been there and probably never will be there. I enjoy photos of the area. They are all really great. I agree, there has to be at least one IOTD in the bunch.

John

Worms? I thought they were "Brown Worms", or if empties, "No Grainers".
You certainly nailed the spring colors and I appreciate how far you walked for some of those images. Thanks.

Really NICE series!

Larry

Very Nice!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Congrats on the IOTD! Great series and gear to see all that green grass (for now).

BB