smp11512
08-07-2006, 08:00 PM
Well I really didn't think I was going to be spending the weekend in Tehachapi , but it wound up that I did which was great because I needed to get away and just do some railfanning and Cajon wasn't looking safe with that serial killer running loose down there.
Anyway we got to Tehachapi at about 4 or 5. We headed down to the bottom parts of the pass like normal and didn't see anything moving until we got to Bealville, the Z-WSPRCH was heading for Bakersfeild through the grade crossing around a stopped UP Autorack/Manifest so I decided what a better train to catch coming out of Tunnel 5 then a loaded/underpowered UP train ! Wasn't long before he was on the move
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/2955/08050606083sz4.jpg
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/8066/08050606088zw1.jpg
After he cleared we heard a BNSF empty coal train getting the line up out of Caliente and I thought of the perfect spot to catch him, don't ask how I made it down there on time :+
http://img173.imageshack.us/img173/1609/08050606094bi9.jpg
We figured since there was still some sunlight left we'd make our way to Bakersfeild, The traffic was looking good for trains heading away from the sun but nothing was lined downhill just yet.
Going away at Beena
http://img173.imageshack.us/img173/6143/08050606097vc3.jpg
We got ahead of the WSPRCH which had a Warbonnet on the lead, I decided that there wasn't a "right side" of the tracks to be on with the sun in it's position so I shot what I could hoping it would come out.
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/3056/08050606101eu1.jpg
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/7948/08050606105fp2.jpg
He slowed down for a stop off of the BNSF interchange and UPLA54 said he'd be stopped for a bit due to a yard crew working in Bakersfeild (Holding the hottest train on the line for a yard crew ? He musta been new :+ )
This gave me a chance to explore the UP side of Bakersfeild
http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/6157/08050606106gk6.jpg
http://img319.imageshack.us/img319/3968/08050606109xw3.jpg
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/1927/08050606110ja1.jpg
My light was dying so we headed back for the pass, seeing as the WSPRCH wasn't going anywhere. We picked the loop as a camping spot this time , mostly because I was railfanning at that part of the pass when we decided to call it a day.
My first spot the next day was Rowen, I wanted to see what I could do about getting a shot of a train in the good sunlight, unfortuneately that was a time when DS was fleeting trains in the opposite direction :P
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/2160/08050606115zx3.jpg
The curves and scenery in this area are amazing :D
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/9274/08050606117za7.jpg
I heard the horn of one coming down the pass, this one being a GEVO ;) so we went down the siding a bit to see if I could find a location that didn't involve shooting into the sun, the Z train that was currently making it's way down the siding just made it over the detector at 347 when it declared he had a hotbox at axel 80. Dispatch called him up and he wound up stopping at the bottom end of Rowen to check it . (It's funny, I don't think the crews like this dispatcher because whenever she gets on and a train gets a hotbox they always make her call them and ask who got it :P )
I had hoped they would stop the GEVO behind him but to no luck, they sent him down the siding which blocked him from my view. Dispatch called to UP 5738 to tell him he'd be in Caliente for a few northbounds, so we headed down there to get some meet shots ! :D
GEVO in the new Building America Scheme
http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/4885/08050606135wv2.jpg
http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/596/08050606139yh6.jpg
UP 5738
http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/2609/08050606149xb0.jpg
He got on the move after the BNSF train with the hotbox cleared and he went right back in at Bealville for another Intermodal and a grain train. They were having a problem with the signal at the lower end of Cliff and it was made appearent when a BNSF train came around the corner at track speed and ran a red signal that was supposed to be green, this stopped him requiring him to flag down to the crossing at Bealville
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4439/08050606037xn0.jpg
The signal maintainer was there by the time the grain train went in at Cliff, he also was promised a green and got a red which he ran at track speed, he too had to flag down the hill.
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/4184/08050606039qf9.jpg
The UP got on the move out of Bealville headed up the hill, we took this advantage to move to our next location. On the way up the hill I snagged this shot, a preview of the area I'm going to explore on the next trip up.
http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/306/08050606042bj3.jpg
Next up was a train in the hole at Cable, He had an SD75M as 2nd in tow which I got to shoot while he waited for the UP 5738 to climb out of the pass.
NOTE : I was on the wrong side of the tracks for these photos due to sunlight, but I wasn't about to cross infront of the crew on the train sitting there because I didn't want to be kicked out of this spot atleast until I got my shots
http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/9378/08050606053mw9.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/3397/08050606063ng7.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/6744/08050606069dt8.jpg
http://www.shanestrains.socalrails.com/tripreports/08_05-06_06/images/08-05_06-06073.jpg
The BNSF Train got on the move after the baretable cleared and a train came down behind him with an NS unit leading. This spot is pretty decent when you cooperate with the sun
http://www.shanestrains.socalrails.com/tripreports/08_05-06_06/images/08-05_06-06078.jpg
I shot that and then headed up to Monolith for the last location I wanted to hit this trip. I think cropping got the best of me, didn't have any memory left to try another so I headed towards home :D
http://www.shanestrains.socalrails.com/tripreports/08_05-06_06/images/08-05_06-06001.jpg
Shane
http://shanestrains.socalrails.com
"Some Call it Innovation, we call it KAAAAHHNNN!"
Anyway we got to Tehachapi at about 4 or 5. We headed down to the bottom parts of the pass like normal and didn't see anything moving until we got to Bealville, the Z-WSPRCH was heading for Bakersfeild through the grade crossing around a stopped UP Autorack/Manifest so I decided what a better train to catch coming out of Tunnel 5 then a loaded/underpowered UP train ! Wasn't long before he was on the move
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/2955/08050606083sz4.jpg
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/8066/08050606088zw1.jpg
After he cleared we heard a BNSF empty coal train getting the line up out of Caliente and I thought of the perfect spot to catch him, don't ask how I made it down there on time :+
http://img173.imageshack.us/img173/1609/08050606094bi9.jpg
We figured since there was still some sunlight left we'd make our way to Bakersfeild, The traffic was looking good for trains heading away from the sun but nothing was lined downhill just yet.
Going away at Beena
http://img173.imageshack.us/img173/6143/08050606097vc3.jpg
We got ahead of the WSPRCH which had a Warbonnet on the lead, I decided that there wasn't a "right side" of the tracks to be on with the sun in it's position so I shot what I could hoping it would come out.
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/3056/08050606101eu1.jpg
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/7948/08050606105fp2.jpg
He slowed down for a stop off of the BNSF interchange and UPLA54 said he'd be stopped for a bit due to a yard crew working in Bakersfeild (Holding the hottest train on the line for a yard crew ? He musta been new :+ )
This gave me a chance to explore the UP side of Bakersfeild
http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/6157/08050606106gk6.jpg
http://img319.imageshack.us/img319/3968/08050606109xw3.jpg
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/1927/08050606110ja1.jpg
My light was dying so we headed back for the pass, seeing as the WSPRCH wasn't going anywhere. We picked the loop as a camping spot this time , mostly because I was railfanning at that part of the pass when we decided to call it a day.
My first spot the next day was Rowen, I wanted to see what I could do about getting a shot of a train in the good sunlight, unfortuneately that was a time when DS was fleeting trains in the opposite direction :P
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/2160/08050606115zx3.jpg
The curves and scenery in this area are amazing :D
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/9274/08050606117za7.jpg
I heard the horn of one coming down the pass, this one being a GEVO ;) so we went down the siding a bit to see if I could find a location that didn't involve shooting into the sun, the Z train that was currently making it's way down the siding just made it over the detector at 347 when it declared he had a hotbox at axel 80. Dispatch called him up and he wound up stopping at the bottom end of Rowen to check it . (It's funny, I don't think the crews like this dispatcher because whenever she gets on and a train gets a hotbox they always make her call them and ask who got it :P )
I had hoped they would stop the GEVO behind him but to no luck, they sent him down the siding which blocked him from my view. Dispatch called to UP 5738 to tell him he'd be in Caliente for a few northbounds, so we headed down there to get some meet shots ! :D
GEVO in the new Building America Scheme
http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/4885/08050606135wv2.jpg
http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/596/08050606139yh6.jpg
UP 5738
http://img333.imageshack.us/img333/2609/08050606149xb0.jpg
He got on the move after the BNSF train with the hotbox cleared and he went right back in at Bealville for another Intermodal and a grain train. They were having a problem with the signal at the lower end of Cliff and it was made appearent when a BNSF train came around the corner at track speed and ran a red signal that was supposed to be green, this stopped him requiring him to flag down to the crossing at Bealville
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4439/08050606037xn0.jpg
The signal maintainer was there by the time the grain train went in at Cliff, he also was promised a green and got a red which he ran at track speed, he too had to flag down the hill.
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/4184/08050606039qf9.jpg
The UP got on the move out of Bealville headed up the hill, we took this advantage to move to our next location. On the way up the hill I snagged this shot, a preview of the area I'm going to explore on the next trip up.
http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/306/08050606042bj3.jpg
Next up was a train in the hole at Cable, He had an SD75M as 2nd in tow which I got to shoot while he waited for the UP 5738 to climb out of the pass.
NOTE : I was on the wrong side of the tracks for these photos due to sunlight, but I wasn't about to cross infront of the crew on the train sitting there because I didn't want to be kicked out of this spot atleast until I got my shots
http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/9378/08050606053mw9.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/3397/08050606063ng7.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/6744/08050606069dt8.jpg
http://www.shanestrains.socalrails.com/tripreports/08_05-06_06/images/08-05_06-06073.jpg
The BNSF Train got on the move after the baretable cleared and a train came down behind him with an NS unit leading. This spot is pretty decent when you cooperate with the sun
http://www.shanestrains.socalrails.com/tripreports/08_05-06_06/images/08-05_06-06078.jpg
I shot that and then headed up to Monolith for the last location I wanted to hit this trip. I think cropping got the best of me, didn't have any memory left to try another so I headed towards home :D
http://www.shanestrains.socalrails.com/tripreports/08_05-06_06/images/08-05_06-06001.jpg
Shane
http://shanestrains.socalrails.com
"Some Call it Innovation, we call it KAAAAHHNNN!"