Burlington Northern Santa Fe Photo Gallery Click on the picture to view - Full sized image will open in a new window Click on the location link to view a map and information on the photo location.
There are currently 59 photos in this gallery
Date: April 30, 2003 Location: Tunnel #2
An Eastbound BNSF Z train is shown as the power is about to enter Tunnel #2.
Date: April 30, 2003
Location: Woodford
Shown in these two photos is a rolling meet between two BNSF trains at Woodford. The intermodal train is an Eastbound rolling slowly through the siding, while a Westbound manifest holds the main.
Location: Caliente
A Westbound BNSF log train rolls downgrade through the community of Caliente.
Location: Bena
A Westbound BNSF train enters the double track mainline at Bena.
Date: April 28, 2002 Location: Sandcut
A Westbound BNSF freight is shown making the climb up the short grade at Sandcut.
Date: March 27, 2002 Location: Kern Junction
An Eastbound BNSF train is about to enter UP trackage at Kern Junction. The road crossing in view is Sumner Ave.
Date: March 24, 2002 Location: Caliente
A colorful 10 unit BNSF power move rolls East toward Caliente. The units in this power move included 5 different BNSF paint schemes (BNSF H I, H II, Red/Silver, BN Green, ATSF Yellow) as well as two foreign units (CSX and NS).
Date: March 24, 2002 Location: between Tunnel #1 and Tunnel #2
The power of an Eastbound BNSF train is surrounded by green hillsides and clouds on an overcast May day.
Date: Feb. 12, 2002 Location: Kern Junction
A Westbound UP Z train rolls slowly toward a crew change just before dawn on a clear, cool morning in Bakersfield.
Date: Feb. 1, 2002 Location: Ilmon
An Eastbound BNSF train speeds through the desert-like setting at Ilmon.
Date: Feb. 1, 2002 Location: Sandcut
The first light of the first day of February greets an Eastbound BNSF train at Sandcut.
Date: Jan. 29, 2002 Location: near Edison
Late evening and overcast creates a shiny glare off the sides of an Eastbound BNSF train heading towards an assault on Tehachapi Pass.
Date: Jan. 29, 2002 Location: Walong
Snow from a winter storm blankets the hillsides surrounding the loop at Walong in three sequential shots of an Eastbound BNSF train climbing its way up the mountain.
Date: Jan. 20, 2002 Location: Caliente
The green hillsides of the Caliente Creek canyon frame an Eastbound BNSF intermodal train below Caliente.
Date: Dec. 28, 2001 Location: between Edison and Sandcut
An Eastbound stack train splits the vineyards and orchards that line the tracks East of Edison.
Date: Dec. 28, 2001 Location: Bealville
An overcast day allows this photograph to be taken from the "dark side" of the tracks. On a sunny day, this photo would be looking directly into the sun. Today, the overcast skies block out the backlighting and make everything gray.
Date: Dec. 28, 2001 Location: Caliente
An Eastbound BNSF intermodal train begins the climb up the hill at Caliente with its train still wrapped around the horseshoe curve just out of the frame of the photo to the left.
Date: Dec. 20, 2001 Location: Caliente
An Eastbound BNSF train rolls through the s-curve below Caliente coming out of the Caliente Creek ravine between Ilmon and Caliente.
Date: Dec. 19, 2001 Location: Between Bena and Ilmon
The sandy bed of Caliente Creek makes for a barren desert-like appearance around this Eastbound BNSF train shown approaching the West switch at Ilmon. This view is from a hillside located directly next to Bena Road, which can be easily accessed from a large turnout off of the road.
Date: Dec. 17, 2001 Location: Walong
The best time to take photographs in the Tehachapi Mountains is on a relatively clear day after a recent storm. Such is the case on this day, with good sunlight and clear air allowing for amazingly clear and deep photos highlighting the bright colors of the BNSF power with the visible details of the mountains in the background which are usually obscured by the persistant haze.
Date: Dec. 10, 2001 Location: East of Mojave on the BNSF Barstow Line
An Eastbound empty grain train has just moved onto home tracks and begins accelerating toward Sanborn.
Date: Dec. 5, 2001 Location: Bealville
An Eastbound empty unit coil steel train climbs past the East switch of Bealville siding.
Date: Sept. 28, 2001 Location: Sandcut
An Eastbound BNSF manifest approaches the curve at the top of the hill at Sandcut.
Date: Sept. 28, 2001 Location: Sandcut
A Westbound BNSF Manifest climbs the hill at Sandcut on the "wrong" track.
Date: Sept. 26, 2001 Location: Bena
An Eastbound BNSF intermodal train passes the helper spur at Bena, with its train stretched out on the hill from Sandcut.
Date: Sept. 20, 2001 Location: MP 377 near Mojave
An Eastbound BNSF train rolls the last couple of miles downhill into Mojave.
Date: Aug. 29, 2001 Location: near Edison
An Eastbound BNSF train leaves Bakersfield with four ex-Amtrak SDF40-2's in the power consist, a rarity at this late date as these units probably have a limited future with the BNSF.
Date: July 16, 2001 Location: Woodford
The RBB&B Circus train climbs through Woodford on its Eastbound trip over Tehachapi Pass.
Date: June 24, 2001 Location: Caliente
A long BNSF train headed by a flock of C44-9W's is shown in two shots at Caliente. In the first shot you see the power and the head-end double stack cars heading toward the Caliente-Bodfish Road crossing. In the second view taken minutes later and a few yards to the south, the rear end Auto-Max cars are passing the East Caliente signal while the head end is approaching Tunnel #1 on the hillside in the background.
Date: April 25, 2001 Location: Tunnel #2
A wide angle shot of an Eastbound BNSF train rounding the curve into Tunnel #2.
Date: April 25, 2001 Location: Tunnel #2
The BNSF Eastbound train known locally as the "Wine Train" is led by a colorful consist of locomotives as it rounds the curve approaching Tunnel #2.
Date: April 20, 2001 Location: Bealville
An Eastbound BNSF train passes the signal protecting the East switch of Bealville siding.
Date: April 18, 2001 Location: Edison
A short train of Auto-Max articulated auto racks is rolling Eastbound out of Bakersfield near the town of Edison.
Date: April 6, 2001 Location: Bena
While the old helper spur is no longer used on a daily basis, it does see some traffic from time to time. Here a trio of BNSF C44-9W's idle away, giving a rare chance for a close up portriat.
Date: April 5, 2001 Location: Sandcut
A Westbound BNSF train led by two shiny Red and Silver "Warbonnets" climbs the hill at Sandcut, before reaching the straight downgrade line into Bakersfield.
Date: April 2, 2001 Location: Quantico, East end of UP Bakersfield Yard
A common sight in Bakersfield, an Eastbound BNSF train is led by an impressive number of locomotives. This practice is a holdover from Santa Fe days, which is usually a power-balancing move between the isolated Valley line and Barstow.
Date: March 12, 2001 Location: Edison
A unit train of Auto-Max articulated auto racks accelerates Eastbound out of Bakersfield near Edison.
Date: March 12, 2001 Location: Between Bena and Ilmon
The same BNSF train shown in the previous photo traverses the short stretch of single track between Bena and Ilmon. Just out of view to the left of the photo is Bena Road, while the Caliente Creek is visible to the right of the train.
Date: March 7, 2001 Location: Tunnel #5, East of Bealville
A long lens shot of the train in the previous photo taken from Bealville. As Eastbounds leave Bealville, they reappear high on the hillside to the East as they exit Tunnel #5 and approach the West end of the siding at Cliff.
Date: March 7, 2001 Location: Bealville
An Eastbound BNSF train pulls out of the siding at Bealville after running around a stopped UP manifest holding the main line.
Date: February 27, 2001 Location: East of Kern Junction between Quantico and Magunden
Another Eastbound BNSF intermodal train accelerates out of Bakersfield under the Oswell Street overpass.
Date: February 20, 2001 Location: Kern Junction
An Eastbound BNSF train pulls onto the UP Mainline at Kern Junction. The SJVR Buttonwillow branch leaves the mainline to the left side of the photo, while the UP Bakersfield Yard is visible to the right.
Date: November 27, 2000 Location: Sandcut
On a foggy november day, an Eastbound BNSF train leans into the curve at Sandcut. Due to its proximity to Bakersfield, Sandcut is one of my favorite spots for short photo outings. By catching a train leaving Bakersfield, you can drive ahead to this spot and usually only wait 10 to 15 minutes for it to arrive.
Date: February 5, 2000 Location: Tunnel #3/Bealville
A Westbound BNSF train has just emerged from Tunnel #3 and is approaching the East Switch at Bealville.
Date: March 14, 2000 Location: Quantico-East end of UP Bakersfield Yard
An Eastbound BNSF train accelerates away from Bakersfield, headed toward Tehachapi Pass. The signal bridge in the photo protects the east entrance to the UP Bakerrsfield Yard.
Date: April 21, 2000 Location: BNSF Bakersfield Yard
Several Eastbound BNSF trains are staged in the yard, awaiting their turn to attack the grades of Tehachapi Pass. The photo is taken from F Street, on the south side of the BNSF tracks. The road crossing at F Street has been removed, and the area completely fenced in. This photo was taken over the fencing, from the bed of my pickup.
Date: May 5, 2000 Location: Train at Allard/Bealville taken from above Tunnel #2
The photo, taken from above Tunnel #2, shows an Eastbound BNSF train climbing along the 13,270 foot Bealville Siding. The headend has passed the crossover in the middle of the siding, while the tail end of the train shown below is just entering the horseshoe curve located west of the Bealville Road crossing. The photo is taken with the equivalent to a 420mm lens (210mm with a 2x teleconverter).
Date: February 8, 1999 Location: Woodford
This photo is actually the rear end helpers on a Westbound coil steel unit train. The rusty track in the foreground is the Woodford spur track used mainly for the storage and staging of work trains.
Date: February 8, 1999 Location: Sandcut
A Westbound BNSF train is cresting the grade up from the drainage basin of the Caliente Creek, and will soon be on the straight track headed for Bakersfield.
Date: February 8, 1999 Location: Bealville
A Westbound BNSF train with green hills in the background is shown passing the East Switch of Bealville, having just passed through Tunnel #3. Minutes before, the train passed through Tunnel #5, which is visible on the background hillside above the last unit of the train.
Date: February 12, 1999 Location: Between Edison and Sandcut
Having made the descent from Tehachapi Summit, the crew of this Westbound BNSF train is only a few miles away from the end of their run. The train will get a new crew at Bakersfield that will take it up the valley north through Fresno and Stockton.
Date: June 15, 1999 Location: BNSF Bakersfield-Fresno Line
Photo shot while waiting for Santa Fe 3751. Although unsure of the location, I believe it is just South of Hanford, CA. The train is an Eastbound (geographically South).
Date: July 15, 1999 Location: West of Caliente
Coming out of an area known as the Caliente Creek Narrows, an Eastbound BNSF train skirts the creek on a sweeping S curve. This area was recently (1983) double tracked by connecting the sidings of Ilmon to the west, and Caliente to the east.
Date: December 8, 1999 Location: Caliente
An eastbound BNSF train has just begun digging into Tehachapi's grade at Caliente. With its train wrapped around the horseshoe curve, the head end is approaching the bridge over Bealville Road and the Tehachapi Creek.
Date: December 8, 1999 Location: Bealville
This photo was taken on the reverse curve just west of the Bealville Road crossing near the East Switch of Bealville Siding. This location is 1 mile by car from Caliente, but around 4 miles by rail. Train speeds of 25 MPH or lower make photographing the same train at both locations easy to do without much effort. This is the same train as the above photo.
