Western Railroad Discussion > "Grounded" at Tehachapi (Bealville - Part 2 of 4)

Bealville is a great train watching spot. A fellow TO member warned me about the "Bulls of Bealville", but I have never had a problem there.….whether the bulls be four-legged or two-legged. I'm told that "Rusty" is long gone. Several years ago, my rental car and I were lounging in the shade of my favorite tree when I noticed a CHP patrol car approaching. The uniformed officer got out, greeted me amiably, talked trains for a few minutes and left.


On this trip, I spent a couple of hours at the photogenic shade tree a quarter mile north of the crossing and another two hours up above tunnel five with the express permission of the ranch owner. I have been known to curry favor with 8x12 aerial prints taken on previous trips which are packed in my luggage for that purpose.

When in Bealville, train horns give warning of northbounds before they round the corner at Cliff and southbounds can be heard down in Caliente, long before they appear.


1. Northbound UP intermodal passes through Bealville in the later afternoon. This and other shots looking south are best in the mid to late afternoon.


2. Southbound BNSF intermodal approaches the Bealville crossing as I take advantage of another shade tree close to the crossing.


3. I'm on ranch property here looking up at the BNSF intermodal emerging from tunnel 5 while a long northbound grain train waits at the end of Cliff siding.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/18 12:53 by cinder.

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4. The mid-train DPU's of a long northbound grain train pass by my shade tree.

5. A meet in Bealville.

6. Southbound manifest leaves tunnel 3 and approaches tunnel 5 (Tunnel 4 was daylighted after an earthquake years ago). Within the past two years, major earthwork has been done in the area where a temporary shoe-fly had been built around tunnel 5. A huge amount of fill was removed....probably to improve drainage. However, recent erosion is very obvious.

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7. The DPU's of the manifest exit tunnel 5. Note the graffiti on the last engine.

8. Southbound UP manifest approaches tunnel 3 above some more significant erosion.

9. DPU of UP manifest approaches the crossing at Bealville.

This "perch" is a favorite of mine....best in early morning. You can see down into Caliente as well as the track between tunnels 1 & 2.

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10. Telephoto view of train passing through tunnel 2.

11. Southbound intermodal exiting tunnel 5.

12. Northbound train exiting tunnel 5. Yes, I'm clearly on UP property, but the adjacent landowner afforded me his right-of-passage.

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cinder Wrote:
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> 6. Southbound manifest leaves tunnel 3 and approaches tunnel 5 (Tunnel 4 was daylighted after
> an earthquake years ago). Within the past two years, major earthwork has been done in the area
> where a temporary shoe-fly had been built around tunnel 5. A huge amount of fill was
> removed....probably to improve drainage. However, recent erosion is very obvious.

Massive erosion occurred in January 2017 with all the winter rains and the UP was forced to do some work to stabilize things. The work was right in the area of the former shoe-fly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/18 16:36 by ble692.

Great Images My Friend...Glad the "Bulls of B-Ville" Left you alone...Steve