The busiest mountain railroad in the world

Mark LaCiura.

A BNSF Office Car Special train passed through the Tehachapi Loop on Oct. 16.

On any given day you can see about 60 to 80 trains within a 24-hour period passing through Tehachapi. Trains march up and down the 2.5% grade, some of which reach more than a mile in length, with oil tank cars, grain cars, gravel cars and freshly cut wood – all kinds of products that are needed to build or power our country.

On Oct. 16, we had an historic BNSF Office Car Special train with VIP folks on board. I saw about 11 of the most beautiful silver passenger cars from the 1940s and 1950s. BNSF also owns about six former Southern Pacific passenger cars used in this pretty train.

BNSF (Burlington Northern Santa Fe) Corporate executives often use this unique mode of travel to promote railroading, showing there are ways to get around other than flying or by car.

Remember, we never see any passenger trains operating on the Tehachapi pass these days, but at 2:46 p.m., this fantastic train went through the location known as Cable (near tunnel No. 16) which you can seen from Highway 58.

I was told by a rail fan photographer there were about 50 people from the California Transportation Commission riding along with BNSF representatives. Also a few VIPs from our City of Tehachapi onboard, as well.

My photo was shot near the lower end of the Woodford siding, which is just above Keene, California and below the Tehachapi Loop.

You never know what you will see on our busy mountain railroad tracks, so keep your cell phones and cameras at the ready.