Union Pacific and BNSF lines through Cajon Pass, CA

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Cajon Pass, CA

Cajon Pass is broadly understood as the area between Devore and Hesperia, CA, where the Union Pacific and BNSF railroad lines climb from the Los Angeles Basin to Victor Valley and the Mojave plateau between the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California. Devore, at the southern end, is about 60 miles from Los Angeles, and it is about 24 miles from Devore to Hesperia. Cajon Pass itself is located at the head of Horsethief Canyon on California State Route 138.

This area is a real railfan's mecca, and the year round California weather means you'll almost always find chasers about. Some go to great lengths to get that perfect shot, and there are consequently tons of sites on the web showing photographs of Cajon, many the result of years of visiting by enthusiasts.

BNSF and the Union Pacific share trackage rights, so you'll see trains hauled by either carrier on the different lines. Once in a while, as I have, you may even see a mixed engine consist. I've visited the lcation a couple of times, and the photos on this page are from both visits.

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Cajon Creek Wash
Cajon Creek, Cajon Pass, CACajon Creek, Cajon Pass, CACajon Creek, Cajon Pass, CA

Above an eastbound UP mixed freight climbs Cajon Creek Wash out of Devore on what is known as the North Track, passing a BNSF intermodal freight descending on the South Track beneath Ruddell Hill.

These photographs were taken from the south end of Cajon Boulevard just off the I-15 Kenwood Ave Exit (Exit 124).

Lone Pine Canyon

UP EMD SD40T-2 #4511, UP GE C44-9W #8646, UP GE ES44AC #5404 and UP GE ES44AC #5432 pull a mixed freight west through Lone Pine Canyon.

Lone Pine Canyon, Cajon Pass, CALone Pine Canyon, Cajon Pass, CALone Pine Canyon, Cajon Pass, CA

Leaving Lone Pine Canyon, the locomotives approach Blue Cut on the North Track. These photographs was taken from Cajon Boulevard just south of Blue Cut.

Lone Pine Canyon, Cajon Pass, CALone Pine Canyon, Cajon Pass, CALone Pine Canyon, Cajon Pass, CA
Blue Cut
Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA

UP AC4400CW #7216 and UP EMD SD70M  #5020 lead a coal train down Blue Cut on the South Track.

Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA

UP GE AC4400CW #5670 and UP C44AC #6589 are on the rear end of the coal train.

The characteristic blue-gray rock, Pelona schist, which gives this area its name, is evident in all of the views above.

BNSF GE C44-9W #5245 heads a double stack freight down the South Track at Blue Cut with BNSF GE
C44-9W #5161, BNSF GE ES44DC #7402 and BNSF GE C44-9W #7550.

Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA

UP GE C45ACCTE #7650, UP EMD SD40T-2 #8586, UP EMD SD70ACe #8426 and UP EMD SD9043MAC #8191 take a mixed freight over the North Track at Blue Cut.

Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA

The train turns into Lone Pine Canyon as it exits the cut, the exhaust generated by the locomotives' dynamic braking blurring the air.

Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA

At the rear of this extremely long train (it took five minutes for it to roll by completely) is an unusual pairing of BNSF EMD SD40-2 #6937 and UP GE ES44AC #5531.

Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA

In the photos below, UP GE C45ACCTE #7614, UP EMD SD70ACe #8543 and UP EMD SD70ACe #8584 lead a train of auto rack cars over the North Track.

Blue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CABlue Cut, Cajon Pass, CA
Swarthout Canyon Road
Swarthout Canyon, Cajon Pass, CASwarthout Canyon, Cajon Pass, CASwarthout Canyon, Cajon Pass, CA

BNSF GE C44-9W #4083, BNSF GE C44-8W #731 and BNSF GE C44-9W #5370 haul a string of piggyback trailer truck cars westbound on the South Track.

Cosy Dell
Cosy Dell, Cajon Pass, CACosy Dell, Cajon Pass, CACosy Dell, Cajon Pass, CA

About a mile north of Swarthout Canyon, BNSF #4083, #731 and #5370 climb out of Cleghorn Canyon into an area known as Cosy Dell.

Cosy Dell, Cajon Pass, CACosy Dell, Cajon Pass, CACosy Dell, Cajon Pass, CA

From here, the trains continue their climb towards Cajon Junction. Traffic on I-15 is clearly visible in the middle of this view.

Cosy Dell, Cajon Pass, CACosy Dell, Cajon Pass, CA

Just south of Cajon Junction, the train is about to enter Sullivan's Curve, the west spur of the BNSF line.

The head end of the train can be seen just left of centre in the top view as it enters the curve. In the bottom view, it is just visible emerging from the curve above the four tractors on the middle right.

These two photographs were taken from Cajon Boulevard near Cajon Junction.

Summit

BNSF GE ES44DC #7552, BNSF GE C44-9W #4010, BNSF GE C44-9W #4185 and BNSF GE ES44-DC #7679 with a double stack approach Summit on the South Track.

Summit, Cajon Pass, CASummit, Cajon Pass, CASummit, Cajon Pass, CA
Summit, Cajon Pass, CASummit, Cajon Pass, CA

BNSF GE ES44-DC #7787, BNSF GE ES44CE #6600 and BNSF GE C44-9W #4043 are about to top the grade to Summit with a double stack freight in tow.

BNSF GE C44-9W #4065 and BNSF GE ES44-DC #7229 are just visible at the rear of the train in the upper photo.

Summit, Cajon Pass, CASummit, Cajon Pass, CA

The train pulls through Summit...

Summit, Cajon Pass, CASummit, Cajon Pass, CA

...BNSF #4065 and #7229 at the rear.

At Summit, a level area has been used to build crossovers, setout tracks and floodlighting to inspect westbound trains before they descend the 3% grade to San Bernardino.

These photos were taken just off Forest Route 3N45 overlooking the cut.

Below, BNSF GE ES44DC #7413, BNSF GE ES44-DC #5086, BNSF GE C44-9W #5067 and BNSF GE C44-9W #5014 cross from track #3 to track #2 on the crossover.

Summit, Cajon Pass, CASummit, Cajon Pass, CA

Below, BNSF #7413, #5086, #5067 and #5014 start on the down grade to San Bernadino. Because of different grades on the Pass, the train is reverse running on this section.

Summit, Cajon Pass, CASummit, Cajon Pass, CA
Summit Post Office Road

East of Summit, at Summit Post Office Road, BNSF GE C44-9W #4698 and BNSF GE AC4400CW #5685 haul a westbound freight on the BNSF South Track.

Summit Post Office Road, Cajon Pass, CASummit Post Office Road, Cajon Pass, CASummit Post Office Road, Cajon Pass, CA

The view below is looking west as the train heads towards Summit. Mt. Baldy, in the Saint Gabriel Mountains, is in the background.

Summit Post Office Road, Cajon Pass, CASummit Post Office Road, Cajon Pass, CA Summit Post Office Road, Cajon Pass, CA
Summit Valley Road
Summit Valley Road, Cajon Pass, CASummit Valley Road, Cajon Pass, CASummit Valley Road, Cajon Pass, CA

On the upper North Track, a UP mixed freight tracks a BNSF double stack running east beside Summit Valley Road on the South Track.

The BNSF double stack is hauled by BNSF GE ES44DC #7395, BNSF GE ES44AC #7408, BNSF GE C44-9W #5210 and BNSF GE C44-9W #5178.

Summit Valley Road, Cajon Pass, CASummit Valley Road, Cajon Pass, CASummit Valley Road, Cajon Pass, CA
1885

The California Southern Railroad, a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, built the first railway through Cajon Pass in the 1880s to connect Barstow and San Diego, CA. The line was completed in 1885 with a ruling grade of 3%. It is known as the South Track and is the lower track in the views above.

............................. 1905

In 1905, the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad began operating over the pass on AT&SF rails via a trackage rights agreement.

............................. 1912

In 1912, work started on a second track north of the original AT&SF alignment. The ruling grade of the new track, which was known as the North Track, was 2.2%.

.............................1913

Although two miles longer, the new track was used for eastbound, uphill trains, while downhill trains headed west on the original route. This meant trains had to run "left-handed", with the crews effectively on the "wrong" side of the cab.

.............................1921

In 1921, the Union Pacific gained a controlling interest in the Los Angeles & Salt Lake. The LA&SL trackage rights were transferred to the UP, which then gained access through Cajon Pass, and the agreement is still in effect.

.............................1967

In 1967 the Southern Pacific Railroad built a new, single-track line from West Colton to Palmdale, CA, fairly close to the existing AT&SF alignment between Devore and Summit. It was designated the "Palmdale Cutoff" and included two tunnels at Alray.

.............................1996

In 1996, the Union Pacific merged with Southern Pacific. The Palmdale Cutoff was then rolled into the Union Pacific and AT&SF trackage agreement. Currently, both the Union Pacific and BNSF have joint trackage rights throughout the Pass.

.............................1996

In 1996, Burlington Northern and the AT&SF merged to form the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF). The railroad has over 33,000 route miles in twenty-eight US states, as well as two Canadian provinces. The Union Pacific has over 38,000 route miles in twenty-three US states.

.............................2008

In 2007-08, the two tunnels on the Palmdale Cutoff were "daylighted" when a third track was laid by BNSF along the route. This increased potential daily capacity to one hundred and fifty trains.

.............................Today

Currently, over one hundred trains run through Cajon Pass every day. The great majority, roughly seventy, are BNSF, thirty-five are Union Pacific and there are two Amtrak trains: The Southwest Chief eastbound and westbound.

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