Ok, Sis, the Tehachapi Loop!

[TerryC]

For Sis and any other railroad fans, the Tehachapi Loop!




There is also a museum nearby. If you are into trains, this is a required stop! ╦╦C

 

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[TerryC]

In the first video you hear the engine toot his horn. He just signaled when he crossed his own boxcars, meaning he is now above the rear portion of his train! ╦╦C

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

cool

 

[RustyRelics]

I've always wanted to visit Tehachapi! I think it is one of the coolest rail destinations in North America for sure. I personally like Horseshoe Curve, with all of the renovations they did to it.

 

[1637]

cool place,but i found it hard to find a good place to see or get pictures,you did a good job,i didnt know about a museum.is it out there or in tehachapi?
brad

 

[1637]

the sacramento train museum is the go to place in calif.its crazy there are trains on the 2nd floor.brad

I've always wanted to visit Tehachapi! I think it is one of the coolest rail destinations in North America for sure. I personally like Horseshoe Curve, with all of the renovations they did to it.

 

[TerryC]

At the plaque in the video, is a path worn down by those that venture to the tracks to take closer pics and videos. I did not go down to the tracks. Here is the sign across the road mentioning the museum...
╦╦C

 

[TerryC]

Get off hwy 58 at the exit to Tehachapi loop. You will be going up (or down) the long grade that is 30 miles east of Bakersfield. Follow the sign up to the viewing spot where I took the videos and pic(s). At that spot, you will see a path that goes downhill towards the tracks. I saw cattle in the loop so there might be retaining fence lines keeping them there. You may be trespassing so enter at your own risk. ╦╦C

 

[TerryC]

I would also suggest another train..... ride! Try the Chicago to San Francisco ride called the California Zephyr. I did it from Chicago to Sacramento recently... in winter (snow). Most just jump on at Denver and take it across the Rockies..... the best half. ╦╦C

 

[tamrock]

Last time I road the train was talking my oldest daughter out to Davis, California from Denver to visit her grandparents maybe 25 plus years ago. I went out with her and I stayed one night and headed back the next day. The time before that I took a train in 1976 from San Francisco to a Depot South of Des Moines, Iowa. It was when the SF Zephyr still took the route across Wyoming. That was in the winter and it was so cold the train was restricted to a speed limit of maybe 40 mph, because the rail could potentially fracture from being so cold by a fast moving train. It was shortly after that the Amtrak switched to the route through the mountains of Colorado to go after the ski business.

 

[WannaDig3687]

OMG!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!

I have never seen a loop before. OMG! Very cool videos! Thank you! Thank you! The coolest thing I have seen in person is the Rock Island Arsenal Bridge. We were camping somewhere in Illinois along the Mississippi ( I believe it was the Mississippi Palisades State Park). Mr WD and I were checking out the river and saw a train coming around the bend along the riverside. That was cool. Then we ended up at Rock Island.

Calling me out in the videos was a surprise. LOL!

What did you say those other engines are called? Sleighs?

A train excursion is on my wish list!

Thank you so much, Terry!

 

[TerryC]

First, I believe this is the only RR loop of its kind in the world! Second, a train only has one engine. The units with the engine are called SLAVES. RR engines pull the train using electricity. The engine and slaves use diesel motors to produce the electricity. So, the next time you and a friend see a train go by with more than one "engine" unit, ask how many engines they count. ALWAYS just one with the other units being slaves. ╦╦C

 

[TerryC]

I was almost killed by a train in NY state. I was moving my sailboat from Milwaukee WI to Little Creek VA. At "Castleton-on-Hudson", we stopped to put the mast back up. We had it lowered to navigate the Erie Canal across NY. We wanted to cross the tracks on foot to get to the only local café. WHOOSH! I had to jump back as the commuter train, going down to the Big Apple, FLEW by at about 70 mph.... no whistle. We did this in '91. Castleton-on-Hudson was a town that STOPPED growing back in the mid '50s! Like stepping into a time-warp. We completed the journey in three weeks and one day. ╦╦C

 

[WannaDig3687]

First, I believe this is the only RR loop of its kind in the world! Second, a train only has one engine. The units with the engine are called SLAVES. RR engines pull the train using electricity. The engine and slaves use diesel motors to produce the electricity. So, the next time you and a friend see a train go by with more than one "engine" unit, ask how many engines they count. ALWAYS just one with the other units being slaves. ╦╦C

Well, I thought you said "slaves" but maybe "sleighs." I tried looking it up and all I got was Underground RR information. Thanks for clearing that up. I don't get out of the area much, so I doubt that I will get to see this one of a kind RR loop. I will definitely share all of this train trivia. I might even be able to impress my friend, who is a train engineer, with the fact that I know a little something. It might even lead into picking his brain for more information.

 

[WannaDig3687]

I was almost killed by a train in NY state. I was moving my sailboat from Milwaukee WI to Little Creek VA. At "Castleton-on-Hudson", we stopped to put the mast back up. We had it lowered to navigate the Erie Canal across NY. We wanted to cross the tracks on foot to get to the only local café. WHOOSH! I had to jump back as the commuter train, going down to the Big Apple, FLEW by at about 70 mph.... no whistle. We did this in '91. Castleton-on-Hudson was a town that STOPPED growing back in the mid '50s! Like stepping into a time-warp. We completed the journey in three weeks and one day. ╦╦C

I am glad you didn't get killed! Geesh! Castleton-On-Hudson sounds like a neat place to visit.

https://www.castleton-on-hudson.org/about/village-history.html

 

[TerryC]

I am glad you didn't get killed! Geesh! Castleton-On-Hudson sounds like a neat place to visit.

https://www.castleton-on-hudson.org/about/village-history.html

The stools at the café were round and leather covered. They had a Milwaukee Braves world series pennant on the wall AND an autographed ROOKIE year Warren Spahn pic next to it! WOW! BTW, The Milwaukee Brewers put a covered roof on the ball park.... retractable. Now, the Old Soldier's Home, on the hill, overlooking the park, cannot watch the game when the top is closed. SOLUTION: All those Vets get free tickets and a ride down to the park at Brewers' expense! NEAT! ╦╦C

 

[WannaDig3687]

The stools at the café were round and leather covered. They had a Milwaukee Braves world series pennant on the wall AND an autographed ROOKIE year Warren Spahn pic next to it! WOW! BTW, The Milwaukee Brewers put a covered roof on the ball park.... retractable. Now, the Old Soldier's Home, on the hill, overlooking the park, cannot watch the game when the top is closed. SOLUTION: All those Vets get free tickets and a ride down to the park at Brewers' expense! NEAT! ╦╦C

Really? They do that? That is pretty neat, indeed!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

That is so cool!

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

I drive that area in my Semi just about everyday but have never checked it out .Until today ,My wife and I went to the spot with the monument and really enjoyed checking it out, my wife loved it.She loves to always find something new to discover, we enjoy having a lot of first time experiences and this was our first time seeing this, but it won't be our last as we will probably be moving to Tehachapi in the next few years as I pull cement from one of the plants up there, the one you can see from highway 58 out in the flats.Any Big Bang fans out there will have a leg up on Sheldon because I never heard him mention this even though he loves trains.BAZINGA LOL

 

[sprailroad]

The Tehachapi Loop. Remember it well. I've been over it a number of times. In the late 80's we were moving equipment, and I was operating a "Rail anchor applicator" on a steel gang, (removing and laying new rail) that had "electric" brakes on it, going "downhill", my machine became something of a "runaway" piece of equipment, with the brakes working "sometimes, and sometimes not", became something of a concern, as in a little panicky. All ended well, I'm here typing on Treasure Net. (They went back to hydraulic brakes) Train Engines, Haulers and Pushers. Heavy freight trains in mountain type territory, (such as Tehachapi Loop) would has Engines in front, Haulers, and Engines at the rear of the trains, Pushers, working together in order to make it up the grade. The only electric engine I was aware of would be like a "Commuter" type train engine. Crossing main line tracks? well, in "curved territory" you really NEED to Stop, Look, and Listen before you cross the tracks, Amtrak and local Commuter trains are pretty quiet, they cannot stop on a dime and will kill you.