BGuthrie Photos: CA -- Walong -- Tehachapi Loop

CA -- Walong -- Tehachapi Loop:

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[1] TLOOP_170717_01_STITCH.JPG

[2] TLOOP_170717_05.JPG	[3] TLOOP_170717_08.JPG	[4] TLOOP_170717_11.JPG
[5] TLOOP_170717_15.JPG	[6] TLOOP_170717_21.JPG

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. TLOOP_170717_05.JPG: California Historical Landmark Tehachapi Loop From this spot may be seen a portion of the world renowned "loop". It was completed in 1876 under the direction of William Hood, Southern Pacific Railroad engineer. In gaining elevation around central hill of loop a 4000 foot train will cross 77 feet above its rear cars in tunnel below. Dedicated October 25, 1953 Marker placed by Kern County Historical Society Bakersfield Parlor No. 42 NDGW El Tejon Parlor No. 339 NDGW Kern County Museum Southern Pacific Railroad State Registered Landmark No. 508
2. TLOOP_170717_08.JPG: National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Tehachapi Pass Railroad Line Constructed 1874-1876 Commemorated October 1998 In front of your is the world famous Tehachapi Loop which is about halfway upgrade to Tehachapi Pass. This steep line averages 2.2% in gradient in its 28 miles of length. This feat of civil engineering genius was the crowning achievement of civil engineer William Hood of the Southern Pacific Railway Company. It is one of the seven wonders of the railroad world. The Tehachapi Pass Railroad Line was cut through solid and decomposed granite by Up to 3000 Chinese laborers from Canton China. They used picks, shovels, horse drawn carts and blasting powder. This line, which climbs out of the San Joaquin Valley and through the Tehachapi Mountains had 18 tunnels, 10 bridges and numerous water towers for the old steam locomotives. It was completed in less than 2 years time under the leadership of civil engineer J. B. Harris, Chief of Construction, a remarkable feat. This line was part of the last and final link of the first railroad line connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles. It was a primary factor in the early growth of the City of Los Angeles and the State of California. This single track line, essentially unchanged, is still in constant use today, 122 years after its completion. It passes an average of 36 freight trains each day. This attests to the superior job of both engineering and construction done by the two civil engineers and the Chinese laborers. This plaque is dedicated to them. History & Heritage Committee Los Angeles Section and Southern San Joaquin Branch American Society of Civil Engineers
Wikipedia Description: Tehachapi Loop
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Tehachapi Loop is a .73 miles (1.17 km) long 'spiral', or helix, on The Union Pacific Railroad through Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The railroad line connects Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Antelope Valley. The loop takes its name from the circuitous route it takes, in which the track passes over itself, a design which lessens the angle of the grade. The loop gains a total of 77 feet in elevation as the track ascends at a sustained 2% grade. A train more than 4,000 feet (1.2 km) long (about 85 boxcars) thus passes over itself going around the loop. Today, the railway line, with almost 40 daily trains on average, is one of the busiest single-track mainlines in the world. Notable contributors to the project's construction include Arthur De Wint Foote and the project's chief engineer, William Hood.

Originally built by the Southern Pacific Railroad, it passed into the ownership of the Union Pacific following the two railroads' 1997 merger. However, trains of the BNSF Railway also use the loop under trackage rights. The area is considered to be one of the prime railfan areas in the country with its combination of frequent train traffic and spectacular scenery. The Loop has been considered one of the greatest engineering feats of its day (ca. 1876), and a railroad museum, featuring many related historical railroad relics, has been constructed in the nearby town of Tehachapi. In 1998 it was named a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

The location of the loop is known as Walong, named in honor of Southern Pacific District Roadmaster W. A. Long. The loop contains a siding, known as Walong Siding. It also contains a tunnel, known as Tunnel 9 because it was the ninth tunnel built as the railroad worked from Bakersfield.

A large, white cross has been placed in the center of the loop, at the peak of the hill. Known as "The Cross at the Loop", it is in memory of two Southern Pacific Railroad employees who were killed in a train derailment on May 12, 1989 in San Bernardino, California.

The La Mesa Model Railroad Club has created a scale model of the Tehachapi Pass at the Model Railroad Museum in San Diego which is open to the public.
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