If Tehachapi-Mojave area interests you, and you're a railfan who likes to see lots of action, which trains traversing steep, mountain scenery, read on... as Tehachapi will be your kind of place to railfan.

Friday, May 16, 2003:  I managed to get off from work a little early, so I hopped into my truck and drove south on Highway 99 to Modesto to pick up my friend of 30 years, Rob Carlson. Rob is the guy who publishes all of those great Railfan Timetables that you don't want to be without when you're railfanning.  

  Under Construction, as of December 31, 2005.

I hadn't seen Rob for several years, so we had a lot to talk about as we drove south on 99.  The drive would be extremely boring, except for the fact that the highway closely parallels the tracks most of the way from Sacramento to Bakersfield.  Thus, armed with Rob's scanner, we had a chance to observe many trains during the 4-hour trip from Modesto to Bakersfield.  We didn't stop to take any photos, as we were headed to the Tehachapi area.

After stopping for gas in Bakersfield, it was time to head east toward our first stop, the siding at Sandcut.  

Now most people would simply head east on Highway 58 and turn off at the Edison exit, and head to Sandcut from there.  Not Rob.  He likes to take the least-traveled "scenic" route.  So what we did is head east on Bakersfield's "Golden State" Boulevard, which is old Highway 58.  Immediately after the Kern River is crossed, the area becomes skid row.  You pass stripper bars, 3rd rate motels, 50's era fast food joints, boarded-up houses, and many not-to-prosperous business that seem to cater to the Latino trade. The highlight is near the old S.P. yards where there is a rescue mission where there are lots of homeless-types and hobo wanna-bes are hanging out in a small, ratty park.

The first real railfan stop we made was at Sandcut.  There is a little hill that the rails pass through; the earth is sandy, hence the name Sandcut.  This is where the country starts to change, from the flat valley to the rolling foothills of the Tehachapis.

We managed to catch several trains at Sandcut, including U.P.'s "Fuego Express." Then, it was on to Caliente, via the Caliente-Bodfish Road, of course that's the back way that roughly parallels the tracks.

We'd planned to spend some time in Caliente, to photograph the action at the big horseshoe curve at the east end of town.  Bear in mind, that Caliente could hardly be called a town.  In S.P. days, there was a whole community there, but now all that remains is a post office, some boarded-up commercial buildings and a few houses.

As we approached town, there was a B.N.S.F. freight blocking the crossing.  Rob and I stopped to check it out. As I was getting out of my truck, a low-rider type pulled up next to me and motioned to me that he wanted to talk.  I didn't like the looks of this guy, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.  

This guy was a nice guy.  He said he was concerned, as he'd been following us and noticed that my right-rear shock had come loose.  After looking under the truck, sure enough it had, and was dragging on the pavement.  I thanked him and he went on his merry way.

So, Rob and I sat and discussed whether we should abort the trip and go back to Bakersfield and buy some new shocks.  I decided not to, as who knows how long it had been loose, and the truck seemed to handle ok. So, I dug in the toolbox and pulled out a keeper strap, and strapped the shock to the axle, so it wouldn't drag on the ground.

We caught a few trains in the Caliente area and then decided to head to Cable, the ultimate destination of the day being Mojave, where we planned to spend the night.

 

Left:  May 16, 2003- B.N.S.F. 5320 leads an eastbound container train at the horseshoe curve at Caliente.  Right: May 17, 2003- U.P. 5709 at the point of a westbound manifest at the strange Tehachapi speed sign.  Note the numbers "23;" rather strange.

We joined Highway 58 at Bealville Road, and drove east.  As you head east, you'll notice the famed Tehachapi Loop to your right.  We didn't stop, as Rob and I are burned-out on the place and the guys at the Loop Ranch are, understandably, somewhat hostile to rail fans.  Over the years, uninformed and inconsiderate rail fans have done a lot of stupid things around the loop, making it a place that we tend to avoid.  Keep in mind, if you choose to visit the loop,  please TREAD LIGHTLY on public and private land.

Traveling east of Walong and the loop, you'll notice a series of tunnels on your right; this is Marcel, accessible only via 4WD any time of the year.  

At the east end of Cable, there is a dirt railroad access road that heads down from the highway to the tracks, that provides access to Cable.  This road could be driven by a passenger car in dry weather,  but if the road is wet, it becomes a Class 3 four-wheel drive trail, due to the sticky mud.

We hung around Cable for a while and caught several trains.  I had noticed that the shock had come loose again, so I got under the truck to fix it, after photographing a westbound.  Unbeknownst to me, Rob kindly snapped my photo as I was engaged in repairs!

Left:  May 16, 2003- Rob snapped this shot of me making temporaty shock repairs as a train passes us at Cable. Right:  May 16, 2003- U.P. 5705 on the point, eastboud at the west end of Cable.

We then took the railroad access road east to Cable Crossover and left the tracks at the city of Tehachapi. We then joined Highway 58 and drove east to Mojave.

We checked into the Motel 6 at the west end of Mojave.  We requested a 2nd floor room facing the tracks in order to get a good view of the action.  The tracks are only about 100 yards from the motel, so you can sit on the balcony and watch trains to your heart's content.  However, we had a more urgent matter: Food.

We chose to eat dinner at Mike's Roadhouse Cafe.  There aren't a whole lot of sit-down places to eat in Mojave; only a hand full.  Neither Rob nor I have a problem with national chains, but we prefer to eat at a local place, featuring "local"cusine.

In my opinion, Mike's is the best place to eat in Mojave.  As you go inside, the first thing you notice is the funky decor:  Wood paneled walls, tricycles, pedal cars, old fashioned scooters and kids' bicycles mounted on the walls and overhead.  I guess this is "early roadhouse deco" or something like that.

Now, Mike's has something to satisfy every taste, including American, Italian, Mexican, seafood, soups, salads, sandwiches, etc., not to mention their Daily Specials.  The prices are very reasonable, the service is great and the portions are huge.  If you have an appetite and you're in Mojave, Mike's is the place to eat at.

After a satisfying dinner, it was time to head back to the motel and relax.  Rob whipped out his notebook computer and uploaded a bunch of photographs that he'd taken to post on his web site, as I relaxed on the balcony, smoked cigars and watched trains. We sat around and chatted for a while, then it was time for bed.

 

Saturday, May 17, 2003 dawned as a typical, beautiful Mojave desert morning.  We got up around 0600, and check-out about an hour later.  First stop of the day:  Food.

Rob decided that I should pick the restaurant, so I chose Jerry's Restaurant, located at the east end of town.  We had your typical railfan breakfast of potatoes, eggs and coffee.  It was good, but not spectacular.  Next time, I'll probably eat breakfast at Mikes.

Rob wanted to head west to Tehachapi and photograph a train near a very odd speed sign of 23 MPH.  Yes, this is real...only in Tehachapi!

We drove west through the city of Tehachapi and joined the dirt, railroad access road at the west end of town, and drove along the tracks to Cable.  Then, we headed east on Highway 58 to the vicinity of Marcel, turned off the highway and headed east again with the destination in mind of tunnels 14 and 15.

The access road to these tunnels is hard to find.  As you head east on Highway 58, a small dirt road will suddenly turn off to your right.  You have to be going slow or you'll miss it, a risky thing to do when you have all sorts of cars, tucks and big rigs zipping by you at freeway speeds.  Just be careful and you can negotiate it safely.

This dirt road will provide access to tunnels, 14 through 17, as well as the siding of Marcel.  Note that this road is a Class 2 trail on a good day, and a Class 3 trail on a not so good day.  Word to the wise, do not attempt to travel this road unless you're driving a four-wheel drive vehicle with a low-range transfer case.

We caught a few trains in the vicinity of tunnels 14 and 15, and then decided to start heading home by way of Bealville and Caliente.  Of course we turned off of Highway 58 on Bealville Road and then headed west on Bodfish road with our destination being tunnel #2.

 

Left:  May 17, 2003- U.P. 5052 westbound blasts out of tunnel #14.  Right:  May 17, 2003- U.P. 5032 leads a westbound double stack into tunnel #2.

A dirt road will take you to a spot right on top of tunnel #2, which affords a marvelous view of  sweeping curves in both directions.  We weren't alone when we arrived at tunnel #2, as there were several groups of railfans all set up to take lots of photos.

As we sat around and got to know one another, one of the guys pointed out to us what was going on.  To the east we could see several trains that were stopped.  It seems that a B.N.S.F. train had broken an airhose and several trains were backed-up because of this train.  It seems that the dispatcher finally realized what was going on and ordered some trains to back up a bit, so they, in turn, could go around this guy. Quite a B.N.-made bottleneck!  All of the guys were laughing at this.  After spinning a few tall tales and reciting "war stories," our group became, collectively-known, as the "Bealville Greasers."

 

Left:  May 17, 2003-  Eastbound B.N.S.F. 5329 leads a trailer train into tunnel #2.  Right: May 17, 2003- The "Bealville Greasers" cheer as B.N.S.F. 4550 west finally is able to enter the tunnel.  This was the train that caused the bottleneck.

After checking out the action and catching a few trains, it was time to head home as it was getting late.  We stopped just north of Bakersfield for a trucker's buffet at the "Flying J" truckstop.  For $7.95, you get all you can eat.  The buffet was very basic, but it had a good selection and the food tasted good and it was hot and fresh.  

I dropped Rob off at his place in Modesto about 2200, and I was finally home around 2330.  I was certainly glad that I didn't have to be to work at midnight!

This was a fun, fast-paced trip.  Hopefully sometime next year, I'll be able to visit the area again.

Happy trains to you!