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The Trip Home via Tehachapi Loop 11/27/2022



by Chris Guenzler



Elizabeth and I arose at the Best Western Hilltop House in Bakersfield and following our Internet duties I drove us over to Maggie's Sunrise Cafe where I enjoyed French Toast and crispy bacon and Elizabeth enjoyed a Denver Omelette. We filled the car with petrol then I drove us to the top of Tunnel 2 and we waited for a train.

















Union Pacific 8422 East with Norfolk Southern C40-9W 9841 and DPU Union Pacific 7435 in the consist at Tunnel 2. We left here but were stopped at Bealville by this same train then headed to the Tehachapi Loop and had a big surprise as the overlook area has been upgraded.





The new Tehachapi Loop overlook.





Tehachapi Loop historical marker.





The people behind the overlook.





The National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark marker.





Tehachapi station museum sign across the road. Soom BNSF 8318 West arrived and stopped in an excellent postion for us.





BNSF 8318 West stopped at Walong.





















Union Pacific 8422 East rounded the Tehachapi Loop. Now it was BNSF 8318 West's time to round the Tehachapi Loop.





BNSF 8318 West completes the Tehachapi Loop. We went to Woodford but had another train coming our way.





Union Pacific 2674 East with Kansas City Southern 4615 at Woodford, photograph by Elizabeth Guenzler. We then went to the Tehachapi station.





Southern Pacific caboose 1098, built by the railroad in 1941, which has been re-numbered to 2009 to commemorate the centennial of the city's incorporation.





The Tehachapi station signal garden. We went inside the station, signed their guestbook then heard a horn and went back outside.





Union Pacific 7180 West came through town.





The agent's desk circa 1920.





A case of Southern Pacific dining car china.





Railroad uniforms.





Stations, siding and names of tunnels along the route.





A picture of the over and under.





An aerial photograph of a Union Pacific train rounding the Tehachapi Loop.











A timeline of the Southern Pacific.





The San Joaquin Valley Railroad map.





Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe family tree and map.





A one and a half inch scale model of a 2-6-0 Baldwin Mogul "Virginia Lil" built by Tim and Michelle Cruz. I heard a horn and went back outside.





Union Pacific 8422 East came through town next.





Union Pacific SD70ACe 8422.





Norfolk Southern C40-9W 9841.





Union Pacific DPU C44ACM 7435. We visited the gift shop, bought a pair of golf shirts and I bought "Railways of Southern California" by Colin J. Marsden before driving us back to Soledad Canyon west end then Elizabeth drove us to Jersey Mike's in Orange where I had a roast beef sandwich and Elizabeth a turkey sandwich, before the short drive home.



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