Where is tehachapi loop

Tehachapi was always a railfan favorite; not only did trains cross over themselves but also involved more than just Southern Pacific movements. From its early days, the Santa Fe enjoyed trackage rights over the pass offer enthusiasts the chance to see multiple liveries and operations. The Southern Pacific has a whole host of renowned achievements it is credited with, far too many to go into detail here. Many of its trains shared the same name as its paint scheme, Daylights.

Southern Pacific's Donner Pass. The "Cab Forwards". Southern Pacific's Lucin Cutoff. Union Pacific, SP Successor. Upon building its main line through south-central California and the San Joaquin Valley the Southern Pacific found that it would be required to traverse the short, but steep Tehachapi Mountain range, which averaged about 6, feet in height across its line. The best grade through the region was the Tehachapi Pass, located along the northwestern section of the mountain range, and is where the SP ultimately decide to lay its line.

Tehachapi Loop began construction in and, a project headed by Southern Pacific's civil engineer, William Hood. Built during a period when almost no type of heavy machinery existed, except dynamite, the loop was erected using a large force of laborers, consisting almost entirely of Chinese workers, more than 3, in all. Hood's loop used cut and fill methods to keep the grade at no greater than 2. The Loop was officially completed two years later in and was not only Hood's crowning achievement of his career but also cemented him in the annals of history as one of the great engineers of all time.

At the time of the loop's completion, however, no one could have imagined the length trains would reach. Today, with train's more than a mile in length it is possible to see the unique phenomenon of watching Union Pacific and BNSF Railway freights crossing over themselves on the loop, which is a major draw for railfans along with the many trains that pass through the area each day.

Throughout the years there have been a number of impressive photographs taken capturing this phenomenon and the panoramic scenes are quite breathtaking. The only way to make this possible was for tracks to be laid east from Bakersfield over the Tehachapi Mountains into the Mojave Desert and back to Los Angeles.

The need resulted in one of the greatest engineering feats of its time, the Tehachapi Loop. The loop allows trains to gain the elevation necessary to make it up a portion of the mountains by making the incline more gradual.

The loop is roughly 3, feet long and covers a 77 foot incline. The passage is traversed daily by an average of 50 freight trains, making it the busiest single-track line in the United States. Land Ownership: Private. Email Facebook Twitter. Tehachapi Loop The Tehachapi Pass Railroad Line was constructed in the late 19th Century at a time when major rail expansion helped fuel the settlement of the American West.

Additional Photos. It is about 14 miles to the site by traveling westward about 10 miles to Keene, CA. Chavez Labor National Monument is also in Keene. County: Kern Submitted by: S. Chung et.