The Coast Starlight had reached Caliente and would now take the Horseshoe Curve to reverse direction and start the climb up the 2.2 percent grade towards Tunnel 1.
Rounding the Horseshoe Curve.
Commencing the climb towards Tunnel 1.
Crossing Tehachapi Creek and Bealville-Caliente Road.
Looking back to the Horseshoe Curve.
Looking down at Caliente.
Looking down the grade as we climb higher.
The view at Caliente and that Horseshoe Curve.
Passing through Tunnel, 1 323 feet long.
Looking up to tracks we would be on in a few minutes.
The Coast Starlight about to enter Tunnel 2.
Entering Tunnel 2, 219 feet long.
Exiting Tunnel 2.
We were now at Allard, the start of a long siding to Bealville.
We passed a westbound BNSF freight as we continued to climb.
There was another Horseshoe Curve just above Allard.
More curves yields more views of our train.
That BNSF freight train was now between Tunnels 2 and 1 on its way to Bakersfield.
Our train had reached Bealville and you could see all the way up to Cliff, where we would be in a few minutes.
We left Bealville behind and would now ascend to Cliff.
The Coast Starlight passed through Tunnel 3, 494 feet long, on its way to Cliff.
Tunnel 3 was longer before the earthquake hit in 1952.
Cliff Siding was above us on the hill.
Here you can see where the shoofly was located to bypass a closed Tunnel 5 after the 1952 Tehachapi earthquake, which closed Tunnels 3, 4 and 5. After the line was rebuilt, Tunnel 4 was daylighted.
The Coast Starlight entered Tunnel 5, 1,175 feet long.
Looking back to near where Tunnel 4 once stood.
We passed through Tunnel 5 and reached Cliff iding.
A view of where this end of the shoofly connected with the mainline.
That BNSF freight we passed at Allard was now rounding the Horseshoe Curve way down the hill at Caliente.
Cliff Siding really sits on the side of a cliff.
The tracks twist and turn to gain elevation.
It is a long way down from the tracks to Tehachapi Creek.
The Coast Starlight continued to climb the grade high above Tehachapi Creek.
Our train left Cliff siding behind as we now climbed towards Rowen.
The view looking down at Tehachapi Creek.
We entered Tunnel 7, 520 feet long.
Tunnel 7.
Views between Tunnels 7 and 8.
The train went through Tunnel 8, 689 feet long.
Between Tunnel 8 and Rowen.
Rowen siding, including a water car used in case of fires.
The Coast Starlight left Rowen behind.
Crossing Tehachapi Creek once more as we made our way to Woodford and a meet with the northbound Coast Starlight which was waiting there for us.
Views between Rowen and Woodford.
At Woodford, we passed the northbound Coast Starlight which had private cars "Silver Lariat" and "Silver Solarium" on the markers.
A work train at Woodford.
The water towers at Woodford.
Our train left Woodford behind as we continued to climb the steep grade.
Our crossing of Tehachapi Creek and we would now be making giant "S" curve to reach the Tehachapi Loop that everyone on this train was waiting for.
After crossing Tehachapi Creek, we made one more 180 degree curve to reach the World-Famous Tehachapi Loop.
