Nostalgia & History > Some SP on Tehachapi in the Good Old Days

   To me, this was such a great time to chase trains anywhere on the SP in Southern California.  Since the Tehachapi area was practically in my back yard, I took advantage of it.

1.  By now, #51, the "San Joaquin Daylight" wasn't long for this world.  Amtrak was looming, and this train didn"t fit into their grand plan.  Here we see #51 between Walong and Woodford in its waning days. March, 1971.

2.  The early morning light favors a classic locomotive in a classic paint sceme at East Mojave.  When I worked that district as a brakeman/conductor, the SD9's were my favorite.

3.  Let's take a diverging route from Tehachapi and look at this westbound on the Coast Line at Capitan with all first generation power. July, 1969.

   Thanks for looking, and as always, comments welcome.

Brian Black
Castle Rock, CO.

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Breathtaking shots!  Thanks for the two postings.

#2 takes the prize.

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

Really NICE series, very interesting shots of the good days!

Larry

I agree with HT6.  Breathtaking!

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Beautiful high quality photographs. I couldn't pick a best one as they are all winner's.

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography

Those are three really nice, historic shots.  Thanks for sharing.  I hope you have more to post.

Gerry

Great looking trio Brian.  Those Cadillacs at East Mojave take the cake though.  Thanks for sharing.

Kent in CArmel Valley

Outstanding trio!
JB

Great Stuuff ! Love those Cadillacs.

Excellent, especially the first pic!

Another Fantastic trio! That "Black Widow" scheme sure looked nice on the SD-9's!

All true classic shots...beautiful!

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

I love that little dwarf / pot signal in the 2nd photo at East Mojave, allowing for westbound movement on the eastbound main.  I wonder if it's still there...??

coach Wrote:
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> I love that little dwarf / pot signal in the 2nd
> photo at East Mojave, allowing for westbound
> movement on the eastbound main.  I wonder if it's
> still there...??

The searchlights have all been replaced on and around Tehachapi. As far as I know the closest ones still left are at Palmdale Jct.

tehachcond Wrote:
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>
> 2.  The early morning light favors a classic
> locomotive in a classic paint sceme at East
> Mojave. 

 In addition to being a wonderful shot, it presents some operational observations and questions:

1. Extra 5440 East appears to be on the eastward main track with the high signal,  an automatic, governing eastward movement on eastward main track. The absolute dwarf governs westward movements on eastward main track. I'm assuming the dwarf is controlled by the Mojave interlocking and is for westward trains going against the current to Cameron, which in late 1966, was an interlock.  I think the Mojave plant was converted to interlock in 1966 at the same time the eastward track from Mojave to Cameron was signaled bi-directional. Was this photo pre-1966 or post-1966? This photo looks more like West Mojave. 

2. In 1966 SP had four scheduled second-class eastward trains out of Mojave  (802, 804, 806 and 808) on the Mojave Subdivision. Nothing says that this eastward can't run extra to Burbank Jct., but did trains stop at Mojave. to change indicators to reflect a scheduled train? I thought I remember a Special Instruction saying that trains on the Bakersfield Subdivision between Bakersfield and Mojave could run with schedules even though in CTC territory. It would certainly make sense for westard second-class freight (801, 803, 805, 807) to do so.

BCHellman Wrote:
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> tehachcond Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > 2.  The early morning light favors a classic
> > locomotive in a classic paint sceme at East
> > Mojave. 
>
>  In addition to being a wonderful shot, it
> presents some operational observations and
> questions:
>
> 1. Extra 5440 East appears to be on the eastward
> main track with the high signal,  an automatic,
> governing eastward movement on eastward main
> track. The absolute dwarf governs westward
> movements on eastward main track. I'm assuming the
> dwarf is controlled by the Mojave interlocking and
> is for westward trains going against the current
> to Cameron, which in late 1966, was an
> interlock.  I think the Mojave plant was
> converted to interlock in 1966 at the same time
> the eastward track from Mojave to Cameron was
> signaled bi-directional. Was this photo pre-1966
> or post-1966? This photo looks more like West
> Mojave. 
>
> 2. In 1966 SP had four scheduled second-class
> eastward trains out of Mojave  (802, 804, 806
> and 808) on the Mojave Subdivision. Nothing says
> that this eastward can't run extra to Burbank
> Jct., but did trains stop at Mojave. to change
> indicators to reflect a scheduled train? I thought
> I remember a Special Instruction saying that
> trains on the Bakersfield Subdivision between
> Bakersfield and Mojave could run with schedules
> even though in CTC territory. It would certainly
> make sense for westard second-class freight (801,
> 803, 805, 807) to do so.


When I came on board on the San Joaquin Division.. the only scheduled eastbound trains from Bakersfield to Burbank Jct were 52 and 340.  We carried the iidentification of the schedule all the way through from Bakersfield to LA.  I never used indicators because the section or sections of these schedules were identified by the engine number.  We would receive a trainorder number 340 has engine 9066 for example. 

Great photos Brian !!  all three pictures were taken at my favorite spots..  Caliente almost to the bottom of the hill.. Mojave almost ready to highball towards Palmdale,, Of course Capitan.. great beach and scenery..  If you have more please post them !!