Western Railroad Discussion > Meet Monday - BNSF at Bena, UP Tehachapi Pass Line

This spot has often intriegued me, and was about the best spot for a "look down" over Bena before drones.  On this day in June 2011, an eastbound BNSF manifest is waiting for the signal to light up green after a westbound BNSF grain train moves off the single track from Illmon and heads toward Sandcut and Kern Junction.  

Kit Courter
Evergreen, CO
LunarLight Photography

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Very cool shot. SP used to have a unilateral, or wye type switch at this junction, always wondered why UP's wisdom replaced it with a turnout that MOST westbound (northbound) traffic goes through instead of straight track which is what MOST eastbound (souhtbound) traffic uses?
JB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/26 10:47 by 3rdswitch.

Neat shot!

An uncommon view, excellent.
—Mac

Nice shot; thanks for posting, thanks to system wide seniority, I put in some interesting time working the rails in the neighborhood with some fine railroaders.  Mr. Bromley; if ur still following T.O. THE BUTCHER will return some day for more tales.....

Darn nice Kit!

Posted from Android

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Very cool shot. SP used to have a unilateral, or
> wye, switch at this junction, always wondered why
> UP's wisdom replaced it with a turnout for MOST
> westbound (northbound) traffic instead of straight
> track which is what MOST eastbound (souhtbound)
> traffic uses?
> JB

Good question.  Why did UP remove so many of SP's spring switches on so many sidings, which allowed for continuous train movements?  Why did UP get rid of overlap switches up near Mt. Shasta, which allowed 2 trains to approach one another, but diverge and keep moving?  Maybe UP really doesn't understand good train movement, and fails to see the benefits of such improvements, harking back instead to rigid norms.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 3rdswitch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Very cool shot. SP used to have a unilateral,
> or
> > wye, switch at this junction, always wondered
> why
> > UP's wisdom replaced it with a turnout for MOST
> > westbound (northbound) traffic instead of
> straight
> > track which is what MOST eastbound (souhtbound)
> > traffic uses?
> > JB
>
> Good question.  Why did UP remove so many of SP's
> spring switches on so many sidings, which allowed
> for continuous train movements?  Why did UP get
> rid of overlap switches up near Mt. Shasta, which
> allowed 2 trains to approach one another, but
> diverge and keep moving?  Maybe UP really doesn't
> understand good train movement, and fails to see
> the benefits of such improvements, harking back
> instead to rigid norms.

Well, for Mott it's simply not needed. Two extra switches to maintain with no perceivable benefit. Reduction of spring switches should be obvious. But you're right, there is certainly someone who doesn't understand good train movement.

 I've often wondered why Espee / Ewe Pee hasn't filled in that small section of single track through Bena...

Aprefugee Wrote:
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>  I've often wondered why Espee / Ewe Pee hasn't
> filled in that small section of single track
> through Bena...


The photo was taken in 2011. I worked this territory and my last trip to Bakersfield was in 1998. I believe with the track up grades this area in now double main track all the way to Caliente. As far as the Wye being there at Bena do not recall it ever existed.

Posted from Android

I went looking for old topo maps that might show a wye at Bena.  How about half a wye - a spur going back into the stock area, I'd guess for loading or unloading cattle?
1972 topo map - nothing shown on the 1943 map.

For what it's worth.

Kit

Kit Courter
Evergreen, CO
LunarLight Photography



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/26 08:43 by CimaScrambler.

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A BNSF trainmaster would be fired today for sending out such a short train.

BB

There was a standpipe out on the wye half about where the track straightened out. Saw tank cars spotted
there quite often. I was never quite sure of loads or unloads but it was an intersting prototype.

Out 

Nice find Kit. I was only referring to the wye, or unilateral type switch, which was good for fifty either direction I believe. The switch UP replaced it with is a standard turnout that most northbound traffic has to go through instead of making it the straight track it could have been greatly reducing the chance of derailment and wear and tear on the points.
JB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/26 10:48 by 3rdswitch.

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It is still single track from Bena to Ilmon.

Regards,

-Frank C.

SanJoaquinEngr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Aprefugee Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >  I've often wondered why Espee / Ewe Pee
> hasn't
> > filled in that small section of single track
> > through Bena...
>
>
> The photo was taken in 2011. I worked this
> territory and my last trip to Bakersfield was in
> 1998. I believe with the track up grades this area
> in now double main track all the way to Caliente.
> As far as the Wye being there at Bena do not
> recall it ever existed.
>
> Posted from Android

Frank Christ
Cloverdale, CA
FranksRails Photography, LLC.