Tehachapi Rain Disaster!
Word is circulating about super bad flooding in the Tehachapi's, southeast of Bakersfield, CA.
Scores [plural multiples of twenty!] of rock-trucks are reportedly dumping loads and loads and loads of rock to shore up tracks and fix washouts.
Trains of UP (who owns the line) and BNSF, at least some, are making it through.
Much of the UP line south of Tehachapi and through Cajon Pass to West Colton Yard is under flashflood warnings. The line to Los Angeles via Metrolink is likewise. It is unknown how the BNSF is faring on its line to Barstow.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
BNSF issued a brief and general Service Advisory dated 12-20-2010 for slow operations and delays in its Southern California service area over the next 24 - 72 hours due to heavy rains and mudslides - though it did not specifically mention Tehachapi. See:
http://domino.bnsf.com/website/updates.nsf/updates-service-all/FD4BC8362D123CD68625780000017087?Open
- Paul North.
UP had a small derailment at Bealville last week which probably isn't helping network fluidity on the line to the Valley.
From the Cajon Pass area ...
Little radio activity was heard most of the day in the Tehachapi area (at least when the scanner was listened to), but around 4:00 P.M. much radio chatter started up. Within that hour a work train went on duty at Mojave (on the south side of Tehachapi Pass), and headed north. Another work train was reportedly in the Ilmon area, at the bottom of Tehachapi Pass (on the north side). A fleet of westbound (northbound) BNSF's preceded the work train out of Mojave.
So, at least two work trains are on 'the Hill' right now working in the darkness of early evening.
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