03-09-2000
RAILFAN REPORT
While out in California I had a chance to run up to Cajon Pass with my father for an afternoon. We arrived on the summit of Cajon around 11:30 on March 9th. The action started right away and kept us busy for the rest of the afternoon. Here are some photos of our afternoon on the pass, enjoy.
We had just arrived at the summit when this eastbound doublestack behind BNSF 4337 came swinging around the curve just west of the summit.
A few minutes later a helper set of BNSF 1031 & 6952 makes its way to the summit. An indication that a westbound must not be far off.
A little while later the westbound Doublestack appears being led down the hill by BNSF 4608.
The two helpers we had seen before bring up the rear of the train to help assist in bringing the train safely down the pass.
Another eastbound Doublestack appears behind a full set of Heritage II GE's.
This may be the first time I have seen a solid set of the Heritage II scheme on a BNSF train.
A northbound UP freight makes its way up the Pass on SP's Palmdale Cuttoff as the BNSF Doublestack rolls by in the foreground.
A little while later a regular eastbound freight makes its way toward the summit behind BNSF 4808.
A nice solid set of ex-Santa Fe blue and gold SDs help push the freight up and over Cajon Pass.
A westbound freight appears behind BNSF 4610. The main reason for wanting to visit Cajon was to photograph some Heritage II units on the pass. Every BNSF train we saw had them on the point!
The other reason for visiting the pass was to view the new connection the UP built west of summit between the Santa Fe line and the Southern Pacific. Two monsters bring a loaded coal train through the new connection. I am curious what was wrong with the connection the ATSF and SP installed back when they planned to merge down at the bottom of the Pass near Devore, where the tracks are much closer.
