Tehachapi Loop.

[GW Jim]

Dear all.

 

I am planning a visit to Los Angeles very soon and would like to take a trip to see the famous Tehachapi Loop. Can anyone help with perhaps what is the best time of the week to visit and is there one viewing point worth finding?

 

Any info would be a help as I getting from the boss!!!! 'what happens if we go and see no trains' etc. So would like to go with a bit more info then I have able to find on the web.

 

Many thanks in advance for any help. Regards to all.

 

James.

[JWB]

Traffic on Tehachapi is generally considered "extremely heavy", but luck is always a factor. Over the past few months, for instance, the BNSF has had major derailments in the Mojave Desert which tend to back up the whole railroad, and that can kill train watching on Tehachapi or Cajon. Same applies, even more so, for derailments on the Bakersfield-Mojave trackage, which can stop everything. But assuming things are running, it's not unusual to see two or three trains in an hour, more if you're willing to drive between sites.

 

The best places to watch are in Mojave proper, where there is often some type of switching going on. Another good and interesting spot is the cement plant at Monolith, a few miles south of the town of Tehachapi -- even if there are no trains, the plant itself is interesting. The town of Tehachapi has several good spots for trainwatching, as well as stores and restaurants that might appeal to your wife. Farther north is the Walong Loop itself, which you reach by taking the Keene exit from Hwy 58 and heading south on the local road. It's interesting to see a train go around the loop, but unless you have a telephoto, shots aren't that great from the viewing area. Along the route between Keene and the Loop, the tracks parallel the local road at Woodford, another good place to see and shoot trains.  Just off the Keene exit there's the Keene Store restaurant, where you will get the sort of food they serve in "real" California.

 

Farther north are Bealville and Caliente, reached from the Bealville exit off Hwy 58. The horseshoe curve at Caliente is worth a visit, and the western scenery is good in this area.

 

If you go farther north from Caliente along the Caliente-Bodfish Road, you pass numerous places where you can see the tracks. Bena is where the grade to Tehachapi starts and has several good scenic features, including an abandoned fertilizer plant that's inspired a structure on my layout.

 

Leaving aside "stuff happens" contingencies, you can expect to see 4-6 trains in a 3-hour visit, but where they'll be and so forth is unpredictable. It takes some patience and a venturesome spirit overall to get the full benefit of the visit, although it's definitely not same-old commercial-strip country and can be very rewarding. Your wife might enjoy that part even leaving the trains aside.

[APOLLO]

A good few years ago we stayed a couple of nights in the La Quinta Hotel on East Tehachapi Boulevard, about a mile east of town and right opposite the tracks. Its the spot where they uncouple the mid train helpers, quite a few trains through the night back then - wife was not amused !!

 

Ask for a room "with a railroad view" !!

 

http://www.google.co.uk/hotels/?gl=GB&cu_link=1#search;l=Tehachapi,+California;q=tehachapi+motel;d=2013-12-22;n=1;h=7809621596931141419;si=;av=d

 

The loop itself is a few miles north, easy to find, and there was a nice model railroad shop on the main road in town.

 

Good luck,

 

Brit15

[Kenton]

I did it at the height of the heat wave. Difficult to describe (I'll look up the map later if no one else comes up with it. Basically turn off the interstate (it is sign posted) turn right at the T junction (it isn't sign posted!) drive past the "yard" and onward into the hills. You will think you are driving away from it and it gets quite steep. Just before the summit there are two lay by and probably other cars and bikes.

 

While I was there there were about 20+ bikers (mostly lawyers and other professional) all waiting cameras at the ready. It seems there is not much of a timetable they just seem to go through in turns. We waited nearly an hour and saw nothing. Cooking in temperatures of 108'F we finally gave up.

 

This shows the loop - no trains.

 

Once back on the interstate and heading back to Barstow we passed 2 long trains waiting to go through

 

Beware of trespass - lots of signs indicating unfriendly locals on adjacent lands - in the "village" there is a small cafe where you can purchase water. No fuel, or none that we could find.

[roundhouse]

There are a few hotels opposite the railroad right in the town of Tehachapi. Again ask for a railroad view room. The newer hotels will gave double glazing so they shouldn't keep you awake all night.

On our last visit we heard the trains during the night then nothing all morning yet we have been there and seen train after train jfollowing each other all within a few hours so it is very much hit and miss in my experience.

 

The loop itself a few miles out of town has numerous vantage points but do keep away from the tracks and don't trespass on people property then you will be fine.

 

The roads to the loop are narrow and winding more like being in a mountainous part over here but Americsn rental cars are generally quite poor handling on such roads so take it easy when driving near the loop.

 

Ian

[jamie92208]

When I was there in 2010 I saw nothing between Barstow and Tehachapi via Mojave so drove on down to the loop as described above.  I got there about 3.pm and got chatting to a UP track ganf foreman.  He ahd spent a few hours replacing some rail and had just handed the track back to allow all the scheduled evening trains out from the Bay area.  They started then and there was one about every 20 minutes for 2 hours.

This was taken from just below the loop from public land beside the road.  Any tgrain over 75 cars long will cross itself.

I then moved down to Caliente and this was one of several coming upgrade.

It then rounded the horseshoe and ended up above and behind me.

 

I would say that afternoon/evening time is your best bet but as other posters have mentioned anything can throw a spanner in the works.

 

Have fun.

 

Jamie

 

[GW Jim]

Hello all.

 

Many thanks for your time in replying I will put this info to good use.

 

Thanks.

 

James

[alastairb]

I was lucky enough to visit Tehachapi in Jan 2005 for 3 days during a work trip to California. Its a great location, albeit the weather was mixed in January. I found the best spot to be on the hill above Tunnel 10 looking down on the loop. There is a very obvious footpath from the lay by where the historical marker is. The spot is almost certainly private property, I didn't have any problems but I can't guarantee that would be case now. One big advantage is that you can get a number of different photo angles by only moving a few yards. The following shots were all taken of the same train from this spot, all were with a 55-200mm lens on a Canon D SLR.

As regards train frequency I saw about 10 trains in 4 hrs on a Friday morning, about 20 in 8 hrs on a Saturday and half a dozen in 3 hrs on a Sunday morning. Longest period without a train was about an hour. There were no MOW possessions which can be a problem apparently. However Walong loop was out of use due to a derailment, you can see 2 boxcars off the track in one photo.

 

Hope this is useful and you have as good a time as I had.

[Kenton]

 

There is a very obvious footpath from the lay by where the historical marker is. The spot is almost certainly private property, I didn't have any problems but I can't guarantee that would be case now.

The same spot now has local trespass spotters and hideous barbed wire. I don't blame them as the footfall by so many tourists must wreak havoc on the delicate vegetation.

No doubt there are gaps in the wire probably some cut deliberately but I'm always very cautious of anything in the US that can be claimed to be defending property against trespass. The area is not renown for the California peace and love brigade.

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Pretty much all of the line between Mojave and Bakersfield is regarded as 'zero tolerance' by the railroad police.  I've given up visiting since 2009, just got fed up with the constant hassle )and the total domination of tractors).

 

There are a couple good spots left that are not on railroad or private property, but they take a little finding.  If I remember, I'll dig out the pics which are on my other PC.