Jim Pearson Photography – Page 21

In this week’s Saturday Infrared Photo, we find The Valley Railroad Company #40 steaming…

In this week’s Saturday Infrared Photo, we find The Valley Railroad Company #40 steaming through the the area referred to as “the ladder” by the railroad, with a rare mixed freight move out of Essex, Connecticut on October 8th, 2024, as part of a two-day photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

This section of trackage isn’t normally seen on the railroad’s regular operation as it’s south of the depot.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Valley Railroad #40 is a ALCO 2-8-2 that was built in 1923. It was built as Portland, Astoria and Pacific No. 101, but never used there; transferred to Minarets and Western Railroad in 1921, later to Southern Pacific, then to the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad. Purchased by the Valley Railroad in 1977.

Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Nikon 10-24 @ 24mm, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 400.

November 23rd, 2024 – Episode 99 – Saturday Edited Video from Jim Pearson Photography

This week we catch action between Crofton and Guthrie, Kentucky on the CSX Henderson Subdivision and RJ Corman Memphis Line. Sit back, turn up the sound, expand to full screen and enjoy the trains!! Please like, share, subscribe and thanks for watching!

The Valley Railroad Company #40 steams toward Essex, Connecticut on October 8th, 2024

The Valley Railroad Company #40 steams toward Essex, Connecticut on October 8th, 2024 with a rare mixed freight move as they approach Bokum Road – MP 2.99, passing a driver standing next to what I’m told was a 1930s Packard car as part of a two-day photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Valley Railroad #40 is a ALCO 2-8-0 that was built in 1923. It was built as Portland, Astoria and Pacific No. 101, but never used there; transferred to Minarets and Western Railroad in 1921, later to Southern Pacific, then to the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad. Purchased by the Valley Railroad in 1977.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 26mm, f/5, 1/320, ISO 1000.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 climbs through the the area referred to as “the ladder”

The Valley Railroad Company #40 climbs through the the area referred to as “the ladder” by the railroad, with a rare mixed freight move out of Essex, Connecticut on October 8th, 2024, as part of a two-day photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography. This section of trackage isn’t normally seen on the railroad’s regular operation as it’s south of the depot.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Valley Railroad #40 is a ALCO 2-8-0 that was built in 1923. It was built as Portland, Astoria and Pacific No. 101, but never used there; transferred to Minarets and Western Railroad in 1921, later to Southern Pacific, then to the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad. Purchased by the Valley Railroad in 1977.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @ 14mm, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 160.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 steams through the early morning sunrise…

The Valley Railroad Company #40 steams through the early morning sunrise with a rare mixed freight move out of Essex, Connecticut on October 8th, 2024, as part of a two-day photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Valley Railroad #40 is a ALCO 2-8-0 that was built in 1923. It was built as Portland, Astoria and Pacific No. 101, but never used there; transferred to Minarets and Western Railroad in 1921, later to Southern Pacific, then to the Aberdeen and Rockfish Railroad. Purchased by the Valley Railroad in 1977.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 165mm, f/5,3, 1/200, ISO 125.

Canadian National 89 backs past its passenger train at the Strasburg Railroad Depot

Canadian National 89 backs past its passenger train at the Strasburg Railroad Depot as they run around the train in preparation for another departure from the depot at Strasburg, PA, on October 7th, 2024.

According to Wikipedia: The Strasburg Rail Road (reporting mark SRC) is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road Company is today a heritage railroad offering excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 mi of track in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as providing contract railroad mechanical services, and freight service to area shippers. The railroad’s headquarters are outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 110.

Engineer Mark Young keeps an watchful eye on the track ahead of Canadian National 89

Engineer Mark Young keeps an watchful eye on the track ahead of Canadian National 89 as he pulls past the engine house at the Strasburg Railroad as he prepares to hook up to the first train of the day on October 7th, 2024, at Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

According to Wikipedia: The Strasburg Rail Road (reporting mark SRC) is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road Company is today a heritage railroad offering excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 mi of track in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as providing contract railroad mechanical services, and freight service to area shippers. The railroad’s headquarters are at Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 29mm, 2.8, 1/1600, ISO 250.

Canadian National 89 rests beside the engine house at the Strasburg Railroad

Canadian National 89 rests beside the engine house at the Strasburg Railroad as they wait to hook up to the first train of the day on October 7th, 2024, at Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

According to Wikipedia: The Strasburg Rail Road (reporting mark SRC) is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road Company is today a heritage railroad offering excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 mi of track in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as providing contract railroad mechanical services, and freight service to area shippers. The railroad’s headquarters are at Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm, 2.8, 1/1600, ISO 80.

A Southern Pacific tank train makes it's way through the Cajon Pass in Sothern California in March of 1995 with 5 units pulling hard.

I spent a lot of years railfanning the pass between 1981 and 1995! It's a great place to catch trains and I've been back several times over the years since then.

In fact I'm headed back again this coming September for a week or so to see how much it has changed since I was last there several years ago. In fact, it was before I had a drone, so I'm really looking forward to railfanning from the air this next trip!

According to Wikipedia: Cajon Pass is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault, it has an elevation of 3,777 ft (1,151 m).[1] Located in the Mojave Desert, the pass is an important link from the Greater San Bernardino Area to the Victor Valley, and northeast to Las Vegas. The Cajon Pass area is on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Cajon Pass is at the head of Horsethief Canyon, traversed by California State Route 138 and railroad tracks owned by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. Improvements in 1972 reduced the railroad's maximum elevation from about 3,829 to 3,777 feet (1,167 to 1,151 m) while reducing curvature. Interstate 15 does not traverse Cajon Pass, but rather the nearby Cajon Summit. The entire area, Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit, is often referred to as Cajon Pass, but a distinction is made between Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit.

Nikon F3 Camera, Nikon 70-300mm lens, f/stop and shutter speed not recorded

A Southern Pacific tank train makes it’s way through the Cajon Pass in Southern California

A Southern Pacific tank train makes it’s way through the Cajon Pass in Southern California in March of 1995 with 5 units pulling hard.

I spent a lot of years railfanning the pass between 1981 and 1995! It’s a great place to catch trains and I’ve been back several times over the years since then.

In fact I’m headed back again this coming September for a week or so to see how much it has changed since I was last there several years ago. In fact, it was before I had a drone, so I’m really looking forward to railfanning from the air this next trip!

According to Wikipedia: Cajon Pass is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault, it has an elevation of 3,777 ft (1,151 m).[1] Located in the Mojave Desert, the pass is an important link from the Greater San Bernardino Area to the Victor Valley, and northeast to Las Vegas. The Cajon Pass area is on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Cajon Pass is at the head of Horsethief Canyon, traversed by California State Route 138 and railroad tracks owned by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. Improvements in 1972 reduced the railroad’s maximum elevation from about 3,829 to 3,777 feet (1,167 to 1,151 m) while reducing curvature. Interstate 15 does not traverse Cajon Pass, but rather the nearby Cajon Summit. The entire area, Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit, is often referred to as Cajon Pass, but a distinction is made between Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit.

Nikon F3 Camera, Nikon 70-300mm lens, f/stop and shutter speed not recorded

Santa Fe 4035 passes through tunnel 9 under their train above in the Tehachapi Loop

Santa Fe 4035 passes through tunnel 9 under their train above in the Tehachapi Loop as they begin to pull through the loop on their way west on the UP Mojave Subdivision in April of 1995.

According to Wikipedia: The Tehachapi Loop is a 3,779-foot-long (0.72 mi; 1.15 km) spiral, or helix, on the Union Pacific Railroad Mojave Subdivision through Tehachapi Pass, of the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, south-central California. The line connects Bakersfield and the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Mojave Desert.

Rising at a steady two-percent grade, the track gains 77 feet (23 m) in elevation and makes a 1,210-foot-diameter (370 m) circle. Any train that is more than 3,800 feet (1,200 m) long—about 56 boxcars—passes over itself going around the loop. At the bottom of the loop, the track passes through Tunnel 9, the ninth tunnel built as the railroad was extended from Bakersfield, CA.

The line averages about 36 freight trains each day. Passenger trains such as Amtrak’s San Joaquin are banned from the loop, although the Coast Starlight can use it as a detour. Its frequent trains and scenic setting make the Tehachapi Loop popular with railfans. In 1998, it was named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. It is also designated as California Historical Landmark #508.

Tech Notes: Nikon F3 Film Camera, Nikon 70-300mm lens at 300mm, f/stop and shutter speed not recorded

Santa Fe 5404 leads 8 locomotives as they climb upgrade through the Tehachapi Pass…

Santa Fe 5404 leads 8 locomotives as they climb upgrade through the Tehachapi Pass in central California in during early 1995 passing a caboose parked in a house track. Unfortunately I can’t remember off the top of my head where this spot is at or what it’s called. Anyone know?

According to Wikipedia: Tehachapi Pass (Kawaiisu: Tihachipia, meaning “hard climb”) is a mountain pass crossing the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, California. Traditionally, the pass marks the northeast end of the Tehachapi’s and the south end of the Sierra Nevada range.

The route is a principal connector between the San Joaquin Valley and the Mojave Desert. The Native American Kitanemuk people used the pass as a trade route before the American settlement of the region in the 19th century. The main line of the former Southern Pacific Railroad opened though the pass in 1876;[4] the tracks are now owned by the Union Pacific Railroad and shared with BNSF Railway as the Mojave Subdivision. U.S. Route 466 was built in the 1930s, and the road is now State Route 58. The Pass is also the route of the planned California High-Speed Rail line.

Tech Notes: Nikon F3 Film Camera, Nikon 300mm, f/stop and shutter speed not recorded

East Broad Top steam locomotive 16 is surrounded by steam

East Broad Top (EBT) steam locomotive 16 is surrounded by steam as it pulls a mixed freight out of the yard at Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania on October 6th, 2024, during the museum’s Friends of the East Broad top event.

According to the East Broad Top Website: Locomotive #16 was built in 1916 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works.

Entering the age of modern steam in 1916, the EBT received its first of three large Mikados. Unlike the previous three smaller locomotives, #16 came with superheaters, piston valves, and Southern valve gear. One story mentions #16 pulled 60 empty hoppers from Mt. Union to Rockhill in one train, literally clearing out the yard. #16 underwent an overhaul in 1955 and made only a handful of trips in early 1956 before the railroad shut down. On February 1, 2023, the locomotive returned to service.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @300mm, f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 220.

East Broad Top steam locomotive 16 pulls a mixed freight as the engineer and conductor keep an eye on the track ahead

East Broad Top (EBT) steam locomotive #16 pulls a mixed freight as the engineer and conductor keep an eye on the track ahead, as they head through the yard at Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania on October 6th, 2024, during the museum’s Friends of the East Broad top event.

According to the East Broad Top Website: Locomotive #16 was built in 1916 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works.

Entering the age of modern steam in 1916, the EBT received its first of three large Mikados. Unlike the previous three smaller locomotives, #16 came with superheaters, piston valves, and Southern valve gear. One story mentions #16 pulled 60 empty hoppers from Mt. Union to Rockhill in one train, literally clearing out the yard. #16 underwent an overhaul in 1955 and made only a handful of trips in early 1956 before the railroad shut down. On February 1, 2023, the locomotive returned to service.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @185mm, f/5.3, 1/400, ISO 250.

East Broad Top steam locomotive #16 pulls a mixed freight out of Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania

East Broad Top (EBT) steam locomotive #16 pulls a mixed freight out of Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania on October 6th, 2024, during the museum’s Friends of the East Broad top event.

According to the East Broad Top Website: Locomotive #16 was built in 1916 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works.

Entering the age of modern steam in 1916, the EBT received its first of three large Mikados. Unlike the previous three smaller locomotives, #16 came with superheaters, piston valves, and Southern valve gear. One story mentions #16 pulled 60 empty hoppers from Mt. Union to Rockhill in one train, literally clearing out the yard. #16 underwent an overhaul in 1955 and made only a handful of trips in early 1956 before the railroad shut down an overhaul when the EBT shut down. On February 1, 2023, the locomotive returned to service.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 320.

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 pulls past the engine house at Port Clinton

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 pulls past the engine house at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024, as it heads to Reading, PA, to begin its first day of the year of pulling Fall Foliage Excursions.

According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124.

The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s.

In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 62mm, f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 250.

70300Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house as dawn begins at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024, as it waits to begin its first day of the year of pulling Fall Foliage Excursions.

According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124.

The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s.

In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm, f/5.6, 2.5 seconds, ISO 200.

#railroad #railroads #train, #trains #railway #railway #steamtrains #railtransport #railroadengines #picturesoftrains #picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #RBNRR

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house at dawn

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house as dawn begins at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024, as it waits to begin its first day of the year of pulling Fall Foliage Excursions.

According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124.

The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s.

In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm, f/5.6, 2.5 seconds, ISO 200.

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house as dawn begins at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024, as it waits to begin its first day of the year of pulling Fall Foliage Excursions.

According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124.

The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s.

In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 26mm, f/2.8, 1/15, ISO 4500.

September 19th, 2024, BNSF 4196 leads a stack train as they approach the Summit of Cajon Pass in Southern California

September 19th, 2024, BNSF 4196 leads a stack train as they approach the Summit of Cajon Pass in southern California and the BNSF Cajon Subdivision at dusk.

According to Wikipedia: Cajon Pass is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault, it has an elevation of 3,777 ft (1,151 m). Located in the Mojave Desert, the pass is an important link from the Greater San Bernardino Area to the Victor Valley, and northeast to Las Vegas. The Cajon Pass area is on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Cajon Pass is at the head of Horsethief Canyon, traversed by California State Route 138 (SR 138) and railroad tracks owned by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. Improvements in 1972 reduced the railroad’s maximum elevation from about 3,829 to 3,777 feet while reducing curvature. Interstate 15 does not traverse Cajon Pass, but rather the nearby Cajon Summit. The entire area, Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit, is often referred to as Cajon Pass, but a distinction is made between Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit.

The California Southern Railroad, a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, was the first railroad through Cajon Pass. The line through the pass was built in the early 1880s to connect the present-day cities of Barstow and San Diego. Today the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway (the successor to the Santa Fe) use the pass to reach Los Angeles and San Bernardino as part of the Southern Transcon. Due to the many trains, scenery and easy access, it is a popular location for railfans, and many photographs of trains on Cajon Pass appear in books and magazines.

The Union Pacific Railroad owns one track through the pass, on the previous Southern Pacific Railroad Palmdale cutoff, opened in 1967. The BNSF Railway owns two tracks and began to operate a third main track in the summer of 2008. The railroads share track rights through the pass ever since the Union Pacific gained track rights on the Santa Fe portion negotiated under the original Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @240mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 12800.

September 18th, 2024, Union Pacific 4626 leads a local as it heads back to the yard at Mojave, California

September 18th, 2024, Union Pacific 4626 leads a local as it heads back to the yard at Mojave, California, off the Union Pacific Lone Pine Subdivision.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 70mm, f/4.5, 1/640, ISO 64.

September 19th, 2024, BNSF 4196 leads a stack train as they approach the Summit of Cajon Pass

September 19th, 2024, BNSF 4196 leads a stack train as they approach the Summit of Cajon Pass in southern California and the BNSF Cajon Subdivision at dusk.

According to Wikipedia: Cajon Pass is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault, it has an elevation of 3,777 ft (1,151 m). Located in the Mojave Desert, the pass is an important link from the Greater San Bernardino Area to the Victor Valley, and northeast to Las Vegas. The Cajon Pass area is on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Cajon Pass is at the head of Horsethief Canyon, traversed by California State Route 138 (SR 138) and railroad tracks owned by BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad. Improvements in 1972 reduced the railroad’s maximum elevation from about 3,829 to 3,777 feet while reducing curvature. Interstate 15 does not traverse Cajon Pass, but rather the nearby Cajon Summit. The entire area, Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit, is often referred to as Cajon Pass, but a distinction is made between Cajon Pass and Cajon Summit.

The California Southern Railroad, a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, was the first railroad through Cajon Pass. The line through the pass was built in the early 1880s to connect the present-day cities of Barstow and San Diego. Today the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway (the successor to the Santa Fe) use the pass to reach Los Angeles and San Bernardino as part of the Southern Transcon. Due to the many trains, scenery and easy access, it is a popular location for railfans, and many photographs of trains on Cajon Pass appear in books and magazines.

The Union Pacific Railroad owns one track through the pass, on the previous Southern Pacific Railroad Palmdale cutoff, opened in 1967. The BNSF Railway owns two tracks and began to operate a third main track in the summer of 2008. The railroads share track rights through the pass ever since the Union Pacific gained track rights on the Santa Fe portion negotiated under the original Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @240mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 12800.

October 20, 2008 – The late evening light rakes across the base of Mormon Rocks…

October 20, 2008 – The late evening light rakes across the base of Mormon Rocks as UP 5958 and 6266 (ex-Southern Pacific Unit) lead a west bound freight down the Cajon Pass in southern California.

Local legend has it that the rocks were named for the Mormon pioneers who camped here after their descent from the pass ridgeline. Another legend calls the rocks the ‘Chanting Rocks,’ as when the wind would blow across the portholes in the rocks it was said the sound made was similar to a low chanting or singing.

Nikon D300, Nikon 70-300 @ 300mm, 1/640, f/8, ISO 200, RAW.