smp11512
07-12-2006, 02:45 AM
We set out for another Tehachapi weekend last friday night. Heading up to meet Curt , Chuck , and Kevin at Caliente. The rail traffic was slow as we worked our way through the pass but it livend up as we got near the detector at Woodford where we saw our first train. The traffic livened up a bit as we got to camp but I was trying to preserve the battery on my cam for the next day.
After trying to sleep for a few hours I rolled out of the car to find a UP manifest in the hole at Caliente, it had been there since 5:30 A.M with a dead 2nd uniit, unable to move. I started paying attention right as the conductor was tying down brakes on the cars which couldn't be a good sign as to when they would be moving, I'm just glad it was on the siding. We headed up to Tehachapi to get breakfast and I managed to snag this shot of a train climbing through the upper tunnels of the route
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/2784/07070809061217ry.jpg
When we got back to camp the UP manifest was still sitting there and we were getting curious to see if it had DPU's and what might have been on them, as Kevin said "If we didn't go and look it would have been heritage ACe's " Seeing as we did go and look, they were only UP AC4400CW-CTE's
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4479/07070809061252nc.jpg
We found a Northbound as well that was going around the stalled manifest.
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/3755/07070809061279yl.jpg
We hiked back up to camp to see that dispatch was still doing a good job of running traffic around the stalled train
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7847/07070809061363xf.jpg
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/1865/07070809061433iy.jpg
We sat there for the remainder of the day watching the oddball power units that were getting sent by us. Some great stuff !
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/8095/07070809061567qu.jpg
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/5327/07070809061666mw.jpg
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/3669/07070809061673io.jpg
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/2616/07070809061680pv.jpg
http://img220.imageshack.us/my.php?image=07070809061715cc.jpg
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/903/07070809061720ml.jpg
Some radio chatter told us that dispatch was planning on pulling a unit off a downhill UP train to stick on the stalled manifest to get it moving ( it's about time, 15 hours and a crew change later :+ ) We thought it might be something worth watching so we headed for the front end of the train.
We were greeted by a BNSF manifest
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/7636/07070809060473gq.jpg
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/4605/07070809060512qj.jpg
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/171/07070809060530qg.jpg
I had to get what I could before my light died, here are the two EMD's on the stalled manifest, The bad unit was the 2nd, UP 5129
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/21/07070809060435td.jpg
The downhill train decided that burrying the lended SD70M as 4th in two would be in order so the crew on the stalled train called up the dispatcher to ask for the switch. " Just do what you need to do and get back to me when your done" was her reply and they did just that
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4187/07070809060634hj.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/1734/07070809060643xs.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/2845/07070809060856pe.jpg
A yellow striped C44- ( yes they actually forgot to put an "8" on the side )
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4253/07070809060904pb.jpg
The sunlight died before both trains were able to leave, but after their switching move dispatch gave the northbound the clear and told the southbound that they'd be sitting for one more before they were able to get on the move. Sure enough a BNSF Intermodal came down the hill and after they got the clear. Still only making 10 MPH out of Caliente it was going to be a very slow night for that UP manifest after 16 hours of waiting at Caliente
Not to mention the brooklyn bound Z stashed behind it.
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4253/07070809060904pb.jpg
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/8500/07070809061010mc.jpg
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5966/07070809061037jk.jpg
I managed to get a bit more sleep on Saturday night compared to Friday seeing as I was a bit more tired . The train traffic in the morning was busy as we got a few more cool units.
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4917/wbr6py.jpg
I thought this unit looked a bit odd, no BA logo ( just font ) or Flag
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/121/07070809061196qe.jpg
Not to mention the Powerbar ES44DC, Wasn't this one of the first three to wear this scheme ?
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/5523/07070809061083wk.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9564/07070809061102wu.jpg
One thing we didn't fail to see a bunch of is Ex Conrail, thankfully it was all NS and no CSX or I might have had to not shoot ;) :P :+
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7180/07070809061148ev.jpg
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/5937/07070809061161vj.jpg
We chose noon as our quit time mostly because most of us wanted to go home and find a shower to hop into lol. Thanks to Curt, Chuck , Kevin and his dad for making this trip another one to remember !
Shane
http://shanestrains.socalrails.com
"Some Call it Innovation, we call it KAAAAHHNNN!"
After trying to sleep for a few hours I rolled out of the car to find a UP manifest in the hole at Caliente, it had been there since 5:30 A.M with a dead 2nd uniit, unable to move. I started paying attention right as the conductor was tying down brakes on the cars which couldn't be a good sign as to when they would be moving, I'm just glad it was on the siding. We headed up to Tehachapi to get breakfast and I managed to snag this shot of a train climbing through the upper tunnels of the route
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/2784/07070809061217ry.jpg
When we got back to camp the UP manifest was still sitting there and we were getting curious to see if it had DPU's and what might have been on them, as Kevin said "If we didn't go and look it would have been heritage ACe's " Seeing as we did go and look, they were only UP AC4400CW-CTE's
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/4479/07070809061252nc.jpg
We found a Northbound as well that was going around the stalled manifest.
http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/3755/07070809061279yl.jpg
We hiked back up to camp to see that dispatch was still doing a good job of running traffic around the stalled train
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7847/07070809061363xf.jpg
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/1865/07070809061433iy.jpg
We sat there for the remainder of the day watching the oddball power units that were getting sent by us. Some great stuff !
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/8095/07070809061567qu.jpg
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/5327/07070809061666mw.jpg
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/3669/07070809061673io.jpg
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/2616/07070809061680pv.jpg
http://img220.imageshack.us/my.php?image=07070809061715cc.jpg
http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/903/07070809061720ml.jpg
Some radio chatter told us that dispatch was planning on pulling a unit off a downhill UP train to stick on the stalled manifest to get it moving ( it's about time, 15 hours and a crew change later :+ ) We thought it might be something worth watching so we headed for the front end of the train.
We were greeted by a BNSF manifest
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/7636/07070809060473gq.jpg
http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/4605/07070809060512qj.jpg
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/171/07070809060530qg.jpg
I had to get what I could before my light died, here are the two EMD's on the stalled manifest, The bad unit was the 2nd, UP 5129
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/21/07070809060435td.jpg
The downhill train decided that burrying the lended SD70M as 4th in two would be in order so the crew on the stalled train called up the dispatcher to ask for the switch. " Just do what you need to do and get back to me when your done" was her reply and they did just that
http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4187/07070809060634hj.jpg
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/1734/07070809060643xs.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/2845/07070809060856pe.jpg
A yellow striped C44- ( yes they actually forgot to put an "8" on the side )
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4253/07070809060904pb.jpg
The sunlight died before both trains were able to leave, but after their switching move dispatch gave the northbound the clear and told the southbound that they'd be sitting for one more before they were able to get on the move. Sure enough a BNSF Intermodal came down the hill and after they got the clear. Still only making 10 MPH out of Caliente it was going to be a very slow night for that UP manifest after 16 hours of waiting at Caliente
Not to mention the brooklyn bound Z stashed behind it.
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/4253/07070809060904pb.jpg
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/8500/07070809061010mc.jpg
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5966/07070809061037jk.jpg
I managed to get a bit more sleep on Saturday night compared to Friday seeing as I was a bit more tired . The train traffic in the morning was busy as we got a few more cool units.
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4917/wbr6py.jpg
I thought this unit looked a bit odd, no BA logo ( just font ) or Flag
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/121/07070809061196qe.jpg
Not to mention the Powerbar ES44DC, Wasn't this one of the first three to wear this scheme ?
http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/5523/07070809061083wk.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9564/07070809061102wu.jpg
One thing we didn't fail to see a bunch of is Ex Conrail, thankfully it was all NS and no CSX or I might have had to not shoot ;) :P :+
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/7180/07070809061148ev.jpg
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/5937/07070809061161vj.jpg
We chose noon as our quit time mostly because most of us wanted to go home and find a shower to hop into lol. Thanks to Curt, Chuck , Kevin and his dad for making this trip another one to remember !
Shane
http://shanestrains.socalrails.com
"Some Call it Innovation, we call it KAAAAHHNNN!"