Interesting to read the comments about why Tehachapi was built,etc. I did ride around the Loop on the old SP Daylight and that was thrilling to see and be a part of. Doesn't often happen today unless Amtrak does a reroute or special.
Chief409As I recall, there is a low point on the Coast Sub where the tracks get flooded at very high tides
Elkhorn Slough, north of Salinas, near Santa Cruz.
THIS pot hasn’t been stirred for years, so maybe it is time to re-stir it!
In Cajon Pass, BNSF 7-8 years ago laid a third track. (See Cajon Pass Triple-Tracking Updates) They erected a signal bridge unlike the others they had erected, on a wider graded area than normal.
The speculation back then was that BNSF would someday get rights to haul trains over the UP Palmdale Cutoff, saving 40 miles or so by not having to go via Barstow on a Bay Area to Los Angeles trip. What BNSF would exchange for getting the opportunity to do that is unknown, but if such happened, BNSF would be in a better position Bay Area-Los Angeles, which would make Tehachapi even more important to BNSF.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
Ulrich Looking at the map of UP in California, there's a perfectly good line that runs from Oakland to LA along the coast. The line through central California through the Tehachapi mountains is by all accounts tortorous in comparison to the route along the coast. So why was it built in the first place and why does it remain so important in this day and age?
Looking at the map of UP in California, there's a perfectly good line that runs from Oakland to LA along the coast. The line through central California through the Tehachapi mountains is by all accounts tortorous in comparison to the route along the coast. So why was it built in the first place and why does it remain so important in this day and age?
Having lived in northern California for many years and having been on trains on both routes, I can tell you thet the Valley route from Sacramento to Los Angeles is FLAT all the way down to the Tehachapei pass. Trains runs quite fast as compared to the coast line whic his over the Pacific Coast mountain range. The line has many curves and the Cuesta grade is long and steep in both directions. This means slower speeds than on the valley route.
On the UP, Tehachapi Pass is basically a north-south I-5 Corridor pass. For example, a Portland, OR to Los Angeles, CA train would have at least 100 miles extra to go via the Coast. And, the Coast line is a curvy affair. The practicality side of the matter dictates the Central Valley and Tehachapi Pass be the route of choice.
Of course, from the BNSF standpoint, via Tehachapi is the fastest route to the Bay Area from the east.
As I recall, there is a low point on the Coast Sub where the tracks get flooded at very high tides. Also the curvature, Questa Grade, AMTRAK, Metrolink and the fact the railroads hubs (UP and BNSF) are east of LA, so freight traffic would need to be routed on very busy subdivisions to get to West Colton for the UP. Which is why the SP constructed the Palmdale Cutoff, to get freight out of the LA. The Saguas (now Metrolink Valley Sub) from Palmdale south, is used for Z intermodal to and from LATC and the "Rock Train".
Of course the Coast is a back up for the Fresno and Mojave Subs if there is a major incident on the Mojave Sub over Techachapi. But then, the Coast has problems with mudslides from Golata south along the coast to Ventura. I've seen AMTRAK reroutes over Techachapi more then once. Also becuase of the passenger train traffic, the Coast Sub can only absorb a limited amount of freight traffic, the UP starts rerouting traffic futher east, as does the BNSF when something happens on the Mojave Sub. Then the Coast reroutes mostly dry up when the short distance clog is cleared.
ericspAlso, using the Coast Line means the trains would have to go through Los Angeles area with all of the Metrolink trains
Bingo!
If I remember correctly, the sidings on the Coast Line are generally short, and the MRVWCs/MWCRVs are usually very long. Also, using the Coast Line means the trains would have to go through Los Angeles area with all of the Metrolink trains.
"No soup for you!" - Yev Kassem (from Seinfeld)
MidlandMike The coast route has the Cuesta grade, although it is less than half as high as Tehachapi Pass. Except for the Pass, the inland route is fairly strait thru the valley, whereas the costal route folllows the rugged coast.
The coast route has the Cuesta grade, although it is less than half as high as Tehachapi Pass. Except for the Pass, the inland route is fairly strait thru the valley, whereas the costal route folllows the rugged coast.
UlrichLooking at the map of UP in California, there's a perfectly good line that runs from Oakland to LA along the coast. The line through central California through the Tehachapi mountains is by all accounts tortorous in comparison to the route along the coast. So why was it built in the first place and why does it remain so important in this day and age?
It was completed by the SP in 1900 as an alternate to the older Tehachapi route shared with the Santa Fe; at the time there was far more north-south traffic to Los Angeles (especially agricultural products).
For today's freight traffic, the Coast line is pretty circuitious, longer and slow. The Tehachapi route is used as BNSF's primary east-west route to the SFBA and San Joaquin valley. After SP built the Palmdale cutoff in the 1960s, most traffic bypasses Los Angeles in favor of West Colton and points east.
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
Seems to me like it is more a part of an east-west route than a north-south.
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.