Western Railroad Discussion > A cold day at Tehachapi - 1st rail fan trip to the famed loop

First visit to Tehachapi Loop today. Snow on the mountain tops, rainbows following passing rain/snow squalls. 

We got an approach light on the signal east of the loop. Okay -- something's coming. . . . . heading eastbound ... mmmm   . . .  when? Wait, Wait, wait. 

Spent more than an hour waiting for a train, any train.

Then a green -- something is on the way. 

A UP mixed freight. And it was a start of two hours of train watching -- the east bounds were on the move. 

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The first train had some real rolling stock antiques -- recalling a number of UP fallen flags.

CNW -- just a few behind the locomotives
SP - getting the shove up the hill.
And wow look at all the SP box cars!!!

 

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Good shots there! Looks like they might be moving SP Boxes and Golden West cars!

The UP was nearly past -- and two more east bounds were in sight. 
Next up was a BNSF empty stack train.
Before the UP train is out of sight to the east -- the BNSF enters the picture. 
 

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The third train -- a BNSF mixed freight with a motive power mix that was worth the cold and wait.
new locomotives -- gensets and 2nd gen units.
Finally -- my friend, Ray, and I surrendered. We were too cold. My fingers were ice. 
While we were walking back to the car -- another train. 
A BNSF stack train. Drat -- no good photos. 


 

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linton122 Wrote:
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> CNW -- just a few behind the locomotives
> SP - getting the shove up the hill.
> And wow look at all the SP box cars!!!

Unfortunately almost all of those SP cars are being moved from storage lines out of Portola to what appears to be the scrap lines. I count 49 cars included, the 4 right in front of the DP, and a cut of 45 more midtrain. Only a couple of the SP cars look to have future plans on the UP. This is part of the system wide cleaing out of some long stored cars.

> Unfortunately almost all of those SP cars are
> being moved from storage lines out of Portola to
> what appears to be the scrap lines. I count 49
> cars included, the 4 right in front of the DP, and
> a cut of 45 more midtrain. Only a couple of the SP
> cars look to have future plans on the UP. This is
> part of the system wide cleaing out of some long
> stored cars.

Why move all these boxcars to scrap when there is a demand for more boxcar service??!  We're read articles here on TO about shippers begging for more boxcars--the business is there!

The cars are at the end of the FRA life span I believe 

Ive seen a lot of those 50' SP box cars in lumber service to the east coast.   Lots of them in New Jersey

Nice series!

Reminds me of my first visit to the Loop 55 years ago.

Have fun be safe

Bruce “Doc” Jones. Sierra Madre CA

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