Western Railroad Discussion > Golden State, Indeed

Thanks to a thoughtful and gracious wife, I was able to make a trip with friends to operate on the La Mesa Model Railroad Club's incredible Tehachapi Pass layout in San Diego last month.  While that was incredible and worthy of a future post, being as it was my only major trip this year we made time to get trackside for a day or so as well.  All these images are from Monday, 11/5/2018.

1.  I had been to Hill 582 a few times, but my friends had not, so we made for Hill 582 first enroute to Tehachapi after the operating session.  Eastbound BNSF Stacks were first.

2.  UP manifest came down the Palmdale Cutoff shortly thereafter.

3.  Hill 582 is a neat experience, and is well-maintained.  Worth a stop for anyone in the LA area.

More to come!

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4.  As lunchtime approached we jumped back on the road to drive north thought the desert to Mojave and Tehachapi.  We made it all the way down to Caliente, where we just missed a shot of an eastbound BNSF train so we turned around and stormed back up the hill, catching him at Woodford.  (I'd been the 'Operator' at Woodford on the LaMesa Club's layout just the day before - uncanny how well the model reflected the prototype.)  Here he is, crossing his tail at Walong on the Tehachapi Loop.

5.  The BNSF eastbound came through the now-connected Walong and Marcel sidings, stopping to meet a westbound UP manifest.   Perfect timing, as we would now chase this guy until Sunset.  The BNSF train and his DPU is barely visible here in the far upper left, as the UP power slides around the curve towards the Loop.

6.  Dry California grass begins to take on the afternoon golden hue as the manifest navigates the Loop.

More....

 

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7.  Down the hill we went, getting ahead of the train for the experience of watching him come down from atop Tunnel 2.  This spot is one of my favorites in all of railroading, as you can see a train from Cliff Siding all the way down to Tunnel 1, twisting and turning, disappearing only to reappear, and the light plays games all day long.  Here our UP westbound chases shadows through the horseshoe curve at Allard, popping into afternoon light with dynamics howling.

8.  A surprise for us was the 70-ton boxcars lying on their side just west of Tunnel 2.  This is one of those things that makes you  pause, and remember again that railroading is still quite dangerous.  If you're trackside to get that dynamic shot and the physics are wrong...yikes!  

9.  After the train came down west of Sand Cut, we took the chance to pace him for awhile, while the sun sank lower into a smoky sky.  Here we are at Edison, pushing 60mph, crew headed for a change ahead at Bakersfield.  The light was positively golden.  Wow! 

One more... 

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10.  The sun is down near the horizon as our chase, and the whole trip, come to a close.  Our westbound has green signals all the way to Bakersfield.  This was an incredible trip with good companions and a bucket-list model railroad experience; to top that off with some great California railroading was a treat.  

Thanks for looking! 
~RGDave
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77452817@N08/
https://onondagacutoff.blogspot.com/

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Neat series, sounds like you had a great trip. My favorite photo is #9.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

Outstanding bunch.
JB

Awesome shots!

All good but I really like no. 4.

BB

Nice shots Dave.  Your composition is really nice on many of them.  Gives me ideas for shooting the same old same old mundane power we frequently get out here on the mainlines in the west.
Stevie B.

The pan shot is awesome!

Someone get those boxcars back in service!

Thanks Stevie, much appreciated.  Shooting out west is so refreshing given the eastern 'jungle' I am used to.

I'll be back!

~RGDave

stevelv Wrote:
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> Nice shots Dave.  Your composition is really nice
> on many of them.  Gives me ideas for shooting the
> same old same old mundane power we frequently get
> out here on the mainlines in the west.
> Stevie B.

Makes me wonder how you keep from going under, RGDave (music reference). The West is glad to have some fresh eyes btw. #9 speed shot is my favorite; that GE used to be SP 300 in Speed Lettering.

Great stuff..!!  It looks like you had a nice trip.

Good reference!  Slow & steady wins, doing what I can to cover the bases and believing that 'The best is yet to come' (another music reference :-)

Here's the La Mesa post from the Model Railroading board:  https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,4687718

Hookdragkick Wrote:
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> Makes me wonder how you keep from going under,
> RGDave (music reference). The West is glad to have
> some fresh eyes btw. #9 speed shot is my favorite;
> that GE used to be SP 300 in Speed Lettering.