Tehachapi Really Does Have Trains That Cross Over Themselves

by Ken Humphreys

Any rail fan who has driven across California Route 58 between Bakersfield and Mohave must have made the obligatory stop below Tehachapi to view the famous Tehachapi Loop. For those who have not had the opportunity to see that the incredibly long BNSF and Union Pacific trains that traverse that route really do cross over themselves, images are provided below to prove it. Trains coming up the mountain pass through a short tunnel and then circle more than 360 degrees crossing over the tunnel as shown on the USGS sattelite photo below. It is incredible to see.

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ImageDescription
USGS satellite picture of Tehachapi Loop.
Santa Fe mixed-consist train partway around the loop. Note the 80-ft cars on the track below the tunner just barely visible to the far left.
The train almost seems to catch itself.
The engines have completed the loop yet a part of the train is still emerging from the tunnel below.
The train continues up the mountain while the rear of the train has finally cleared the tunnel.



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