I might note that early in the month I traversed the Lost Hills oil fields on Cal-46 east to Wasco and Cal-99 and it seemed like a lot more grasshoppers were active in that area than I had seen working in the past. I guess higher oil prices will do that.
There is very little if any pipeline infrastructure that goes over the Continental Divide. I would suspect BNSF is bringing in crude oil from the New Mexico portion of the Permian Basin in the Carlsbad region. New Mexico is the third leading producer of oil in the US after Texas and North Dakota. For a while the former Santa Fe line in to SE New Mexico was leased to a short line operator, but a few years ago BNSF took the operations of the line back. Some of that oil may be heading west to this transload facility on the Sunset Railway.
There is also growing oil activity in Utah to the southeast of Provo in the vicinity of the former DRGW. UP could transport oil from this play to the transload facility in Taft.
It appears the petroleum facility that inspired the rehab can be found at 35°08'02.75" N 119°14'30.32" W on Google Earth.
Going through historic imagery shows it under construction in 2014. The line ends SW of the facility, long enough to accommodate a 7000' train of tank cars and apparently allow for engine run arounds as well. The current image from February has three BNSF units south of the switch to the facility.
The Sunset was (is?) jointly owned by Santa Fe and SP. It has absolutely no connection with or to the Sunset line. It was operated by each RR in alternate years.
I think this line is part of the Sunset Railway, which as I recall was jointly owned by SP and ATSF.
I looked the road up in the April, 1967 issue of the Guide--and found it listed under both the SP and the SFe, complete with stations and mileposts from Bakersfield to Taft. Apparently both roads had an interest in it back then.
Johnny
Found this on youtube, news to me but the video is from 2014. I am guessing it is UP RR doing the rebuilding? Taft is near Bakersfield, CA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI9M0Dj7Cj0
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