Caliente is the location of a horseshoe curve on Union Pacific’s Mojave subdivision on the old Southern Pacific Los Angeles to San Francisco Valley Route, which was built between 1875 and 1876. It is 2 miles down Bealville Road off CA 58.

There’s generally lots of traffic in both directions, both Union Pacific and BNSF, and there are many different spots at and around the horseshoe for catching the action. I visited in September 2008 and February 2010. The photographs on this page are from both visits.

Caliente, CA, should not be confused with Caliente, NV, a disused depot on the Union Pacific line between Los Angeles and Las Vegas (part of the old Western Pacific Los Angeles & Salt Lake City line). The station building there has been turned into a small local museum.

Morning on 5 September 2008 and an eastbound freight crawls down the grade. It’s actually heading west geographically, but will face east again as it passes over the left hand track in the lower half of the photo.  

12 helpers are bunched waiting to move west out of the siding.

Having dropped some 200 feet from the hills above Caliente Creek, the line swings through 180° to arrive at the valley floor.  

The triple header, mixed consist negotiates the curve with BNSF GE C44-9W #4407 in the lead. BNSF GE C44-9W #4847 and #5380 assist.

The tail end of the train can be seen just behind the trees below the TILX car, with BNSF GE C44-9W #5009 pushing the last of the consist into the curve.

The train rolls east into the curve at the far end of the valley.

As the east bound main clears, the helpers head out with BNSF GE C44-9W #4373 in the lead.

It’s a mixed bunch, including Norfolk Southern liveried GE C40-9W #8918 and BNSF GE C44-9W #5120.

Related links:

www.maps.google.com

www.trainweb.org/brettrw/maps/caliente.html

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The elderly ATSF #2441 is in the rear (GP30 built by EMD in 1962, rebuilt 1984).

The helpers head up the grade.

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An eastbound intermodal freight hauled by BNSF GE ES44DC locomotives #7450 and #7632, and GE C44-9W #5174 pulls onto the siding at Caliente to await cross over with  a westbound freight on the morning of 14 February 2010.

Above, this panoramic view of the horseshoe curve looking east was taken from just off Caliente Bodfish Road (running around the foot of the embankment on the right of this view.

The curve was completed in 1876, along with the nearby Tehachapi Loop, to carry the Southern Pacific railway down from the Mojave plateau to the San Joaquin Valley through a narrow spur of hills that connects the southern end of the Sierra Nevadas and the Tehachapi Mountains (you can see photos of Tehachapi Loop on this website). Caliente is 1,290 feet above sea level, but the line has to climb over this spur and, in the next 25 miles, rises 2,674 feet to Tehachapi Pass, a grade averaging just over 2%.

Three years after the line opened, Crofutt’s New Overland Tourist and Pacific Coast Guide noted that there were several stores, a hotel, a large station building and freight warehouse here, with a considerable volume of freight being re-shipped in wagons to the surrounding countryside. Today, there are a few farm houses and a small general store that doubles as the local post office.

Hauled by BNSF GE ES44DC locomotives #7785 and #7224, EMD SD70Ace #9326  and GE C44-9W #4188, the westbound double stack container freight rounds the curve at the upper leg of the horseshoe.

As the westbound rounds the curve and crosses the eastbound, its load stretches back up the valley.

It relies on dynamic braking to maintain a relatively low speed as it is about to enter the curve.

With the line clear to proceed, the eastbound starts into the curve.

This is an excellent location to get grandstand views of the action!

As the train climbs out of the valley, the GE GEVO engines of the AS44DC units are roaring.

BNSF is one of the main users of the the new 4,400 hp Evolution Series of diesel locomotives built by GE. They were designed to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Tier 2 locomotive emissions standards, which came into force in 2005. Depending on the customer's preferences, they are equipped with either AC or DC traction motors. ES44DC indicates that the two lead locomotives here are Evolution Series, 4,400 HP, DC traction engines.

BNSF rosters 726 ES44AC units, 25 ES44C4 units and 553 ES44DC units.

Climbing grade...

...and rounding the curve...

Twenty minutes after the eastbound has cleared the curve, a double stack westbound freight edges down.

This sequence was taken from Caliente Creek Road close to the Caliente Bodfish railroad crossing.

As the engines approach the curve, the rugged nature of this country is evident in the view below.

ATSF GE C40-9W #626 leads BNSF GE C40-9W #5447, #5017 and #5417 as they round the curve and take the railroad crossing.

#626, sports the old Santa Fe warbonnet.

The train rolls east towards Bakersfield.

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