[6v][4k] Magical Mountain Pass, Union Pacific and BNSF Trains on the UP Mojave Sub, CA 06/27/2019

The sixth episode of the "Expedition to SoCal" railfanning adventure series takes us to a railfan's paradise: The pass traversing the Tehachapi Mountains is an extreme challenge for railroading. Narrow valleys require many curves, but the trains also have to tackle steep grades. Between Caliente, CA - its horseshoe curve is the central feat in this video - and the summit of the Mojave Subdivision near Tehachapi, CA, the trains have to negotiate about 2,700 feet height difference on 25 track miles, which is a steady 2% grade. Watch massive power consists and spectacular views of trains hugging the mountains and embracing the Caliente Valley on the unique horseshoe curve, where the engineer can watch his train's rear end DPUs working hard. Enjoy!

[@jamestally4612]

Good stuff man😀😜😌😔💻🔮🔮🎥🎥🎥📷📷🎥💾🎥🎥📷📷📷

[@mbmars01]

Many thanks!!

[@iusetano]

That is the kind of mountain climbing that I like seeing. Excellent action. Excellent video.

[@mbmars01]

Exactly. Because I like to see this so much myself, I drove deeper into those mountains. They put up a great show, It was huge fun. Great you enjoyed the video!

[@gragor11]

Lovely scenery. Great panoramas and explanations. No music except the wind and the squeaking of the wheels. What a lovely way to spend a day. I'm officially jealous now. ;)

[@mbmars01]

It was so nice to be out there on this beautiful, quiet day paired with great scenery and amazing train action... Of course, trying to capture it all on video is really hard work, but I still loved it.

[@RailfanTurner]

Terrific catches/power/meets/races! Amazing mountain background scenery!

[@mbmars01]

Cool, great you like it.

[@J3scribe]

America's "other" horseshoe curve. Fantastic video!

[@mbmars01]

Yea, it was great to see the trains coming around this curve. Good you like it!

[@PC10.8]

Awesome video 😎 👏 So many engines at 25:37!

[@mbmars01]

Thanks! There will be even more engines on one train in the next video!

[@jleveille2]

MBMARS I would like to start of with a joke my reading. When you listed the engines in your video I thought it said tier 4 credit union I guess I have to go back to school and learn to read. MBMARS there are so many things I liked about this video I cannot begin to list them all. I loved the sound of the big GE’S and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. This has my vote for one of your year end videos. Thank you again for everything.

[@mbmars01]

Lol. I agree, this is a video I like very much myself. It was a special day out railfanning, one of the best I've ever experienced. The conclusion of that day will be in the next video and it will be spectacular.

[@Zsolti0NYM]

The Caliente location isn't just beautiful, but spectacular too. It's incredible how much the trains climbs up there. I guess this puts a lot of pressure on the locomotives. One malfunction and everything stalls. The nine locomotive train was a monster! The cute little PRLX engine looks a bit weird among the big boys. :) Another breathtakingly great video, thanks and congratulations. I can't wait to see the next episode. ;)

[@mbmars01]

Thanks so much. This was an ambitious video project. For exactly the reasons you mentioned I wanted it to come out right and reflect the beauty and challenge of this kind of mountain railroading. The PRLX engine was simply transferred to a location in West California.

[@mikehowey4869]

Man, what a day you had for railfanning!! Fantastic watching them make the climb.Thanks so much for bringing this to us!😀

[@mbmars01]

Yes, this was an exceptional day - one of the most exciting ever despite the fact that filming the action and watching it are two different things. It's hard work, but I 'm glad it came out this well. You're very welcome! Keep watching, there will be much more from other mountain lines.

[@borisobrucicov8630]

Another great video that was awesome! I love living in California. We got good views great hiking trails and gray scenery.

[@mbmars01]

Yeah, you got all that and I hope you go out as often as you can and enjoy it! These mountains are not too far away from the big cities, but very quiet and beautiful.

[@borisobrucicov8630]

@@mbmars01 I do I love hiking I get to see him all the time. Where do you live?

[@mbmars01]

Very cool. I live near Atlanta, GA.

[@ahmadclemons4963]

I absolutely enjoy your content!!

[@mbmars01]

Excellent! Keep watching; there will be more :)

[@ahmadclemons4963]

@@mbmars01 Fantastic!!

[@carolyng651]

FIRST TIME I'VE SEEM THAT AMOUNT OF FREIGHT MOVING IN ONE LOAD

[@jleveille2]

Sorry MBMARS to take up more space I loved watching your video on my new iPad I also turned up the sound it was great. Thank again

[@mbmars01]

The sound in the mountains is always awesome. This wasn't different here. I loved it.

[@tom-and-mom]

@mbmars01 The 325 is rebuilt from an EMD GP38-2, now a Progress Rail EMD24B locomotive. The locomotive was fresh out of Progress Rail in special PRLX paint, and his new design, Tier 4 Geep, a brand new wide cab, a low short hood, and new 4 axle trucks under here, as shown in that UP Freights video.

[@mbmars01]

Thanks for sharing additional information about this new design! I was happy I could catch it.

[@carolyng651]

EXCELLENT!!!! I ENJOYED THIS SO MUCH GREAT JOB!!!!! THANKS FOR POSTING!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mbmars01]

Thanks so much! Glad you had fun watching it.

[@rustyrailspikeproductions]

Man this is not cool. Because of you my rail fanning places to go bucket list is now substantially longer. I love the video keep up the great videos.

[@mbmars01]

Yeah, I know what you mean. It also happens to me at times when I watch train videos and think I should see that area in person. Thanks! Cool you like them.

[@railfanmaximstill7279]

@@mbmars01 Really? try Fremont Nebraska I have done a few not many though

[@railfanmaximstill7279]

@@mbmars01 Really good railfan spot except on holidays and sometimes Sundays

[@railfanmaximstill7279]

Didn't need to add 2 replies but it works

[@mbmars01]

No problem. Nebraska is on my list, actually the entire midwest corridor. I hope I'll find some time to visit this part of the country asap.

[@Sacto1654]

20 years ago, it would be mix of wide cab trains and older locomotives going by with a faint cloud of black diesel exhaust smoke from all the engines.

[@mbmars01]

Yep, but I would replace "faint" by "thick" ;-)

[@120alvarez]

Excellent video,good job!

[@mbmars01]

Thanks!

[@Jacobkorowin4014]

Nice video sir!! Awesome shots!! I’m looking forward to your next videos!!

[@mbmars01]

Thank you! Since I got almost all South California covered railfanning-wise on this trip you can expect to watch a lot more videos from various different locations in future videos.

[@jamesstallings2007]

Excelllent as always !!!! Thanks Much !!!

[@mbmars01]

Thank you! Great you like it.

[@oldgoat142]

Excellent! And so picturesque! I missed this one somehow, but then again, I was going through a particularly unpleasant period this summer so it's possible that it slipped my notice because of that. Always nice to catch up. You know, it just occurred to me. How awesome this must've looked back in the age of steam? Or when Southern Pacific, UP, and Santa Fe were in their glory days? Serious, grimy, heavy-duty work with manned helpers, and men who were simply a different breed? No slight on anyone, but just some musings. Thanks for the upload.

[@mbmars01]

Well, I have to agree. I literally tried to imagined how it must have been there in those old days. But I was pretty impressed by the contemporary version of railroading, too. I really enjoyed it to be out there and exploring those mountains.

[@oldgoat142]

Thank you for bringing us a piece of that experience.

[@mbmars01]

You're welcome :)

[@spacecalander]

Great show!

[@mbmars01]

Thanks to UP and BNSF it really was a great show. I just loved it to be out there in those mountains on that beautiful day.

[@MrCameronsterling]

Keep up the good work

[@mbmars01]

I will!

[@gigiofnm]

Excellent video, thanks for sharing.

[@mbmars01]

Thanks, you're welcome!

[@norfolksouthernguy9350]

great video

[@mbmars01]

Cool, thanks!

[@BorisLu]

Super video!

[@mbmars01]

Thanks!

[@rrelectric5159]

Nice stuff!

[@mbmars01]

Thanks!

[@dannygayler90]

Shame 4723 was not part of a consist , but most enjoyable , Thanks mate !

[@mbmars01]

You're welcome!

[@secretcode4954]

I just can’t imagine the stress between the first few couplers on the cars on a long train going upgrade on slopes like this with no dpu

[@mbmars01]

Exactly right, but my impression during my (admittedly short) visit was they they seem to know what they are doing. In contrast to my experiences on other roads, UP and BNSF manage to keep their trains running, even in extreme terrain. It was fun to watch.

[@dannywilliamson3340]

I have read somewhere that couplers are rated for 350 tons of tractive force....about 7-8 locomotives worth.

[@AUSSIETRAINDRIVER]

Awesome spot! I recall driving on a simulation through there! I take it, it's only lightly populated there a caliante?

[@mbmars01]

It really is. Right, population is small in the entire Tehachapi mountain area.

[@AUSSIETRAINDRIVER]

@@mbmars01 awesome! Looks like a mad spot!

[@coloradorailfan8310]

I pressed the like button before i watched it 👍🏻

[@mbmars01]

You won't regret it :)

[@arandomtrip8082]

This was cool!

[@mbmars01]

Great!

[@catpurrson3651]

Wonderful! Re the WB mixed manifest: Why add the GP to the lashup? It only adds about 2k hp and is, therefore, way underpowered compared the rest of the locos?

[@mbmars01]

I think it was simply transferred to some location in northwest California and not supposed to contribute to moving this train. The other engines provided sufficient power and tractive effort.

[@catpurrson3651]

@@mbmars01 That makes sense. It looked so little in the lashup. But it was nice and shiny.😊

[@HolidayDecorator]

Cool Video. Question: Are the Grade Crossing Signals set to "strobe" like that or is that something that your camera added to the video that created that effect? Reason I ask is I've heard that railroads are actually starting to use Grade Crossing Signals that will strobe like that to gain a persons attention quicker. So was just wondering if that's what this was or an added effect due to the camera settings.

[@mbmars01]

I'm not an expert in "grade crossing warning signal devices" as they call them here on CSX, but I guess the flickering you observe is caused by some sort of strobe effect captured by the camera. If done for added safety or technical purposes (multiplexing to reduce power consumption) I don't know, but I suppose the LEDs are flickering at a rate of about or more than 25 Hz, which is at the limit of what the naked eye can see (by just looking at it I can't see the flickering). However, the video mode I use on my camcorder records 50 frames per second and thus it can capture the effect.

[@paulperrottet113]

Another ripper! The California sky colour and light is very much like Australian conditions. Are those loco bells ringing for you?

[@mbmars01]

Glad you enjoyed it. Well, there were also work crews out there, but I would claim responsibility for some of the bell ringing at least :)

[@dannywilliamson3340]

Do you suppose reefer units have been made "smart" yet? I mean, I can imagine that in the interest of protecting the cargo, the cars could be equipped to phone home if the chiller fails so a repair crew could be dispatched.

[@hawk4174]

Most of the newer reefer units yes can be controlled remotely an can be monitored from a far.

[@railfanmaximstill7279]

Why do you call them reefer cars when you can call them refrigerator cars

[@mickboakes7023]

Another amazing video. Love the trains,scenery and your excellent photography . As I’ve said before, such a shame the locos are now being targeted by the spray can morons. Seems to be a worldwide occupation for those with nothing better to do. Anyway I’ve my moan and look forward to the next vid. All the best, be safe, Mick🇬🇧

[@mbmars01]

Nice the video could convey at least some of the adventure on that day, which was really outstanding. I agree with you, I also don't like to see the graffiti. I almost feel there's more of it in the west than down here in the southeast where I live. Have a nice weekend!

[@railyardfilms6491]

Come see Union Pacific 7400 unit with brand new cp 8071 had on valley sub in Roseville CA yard grain train was lead by

[@mbmars01]

I wish I could just come by but I live in the east.

[@dannygayler90]

The consist at Caliente was that a funeral train , ( or part thereof ) ?

[@mbmars01]

Funeral train ?!

[@RailfannerJones]

MbMars, do you Railfan Canada?

[@mbmars01]

I have not yet done it, but I definitely would love to do it at some time in the near future.

[@mbmars01]

Yes, but not deep into the state. My "home line", the CSX Abbeville Subdivision, terminates in Abbeville, SC.

[@cwiford20]

When you coming back to Alabama and where??

[@RailfannerJones]

Rip I wish I went to Railfan Abama.

[@mbmars01]

I've always had fun railfanning in 'Bama. I have no actual plans as of now, but this can change anytime. Alabama is close enough to Georgia.

[@railfanmaximstill7279]

@Railfan Parker Daniel I saw the Rio grande heritage unit for union Pacific in Fremont Nebraska and didn't get it on video because it appeared during my flag football practice.

[@cwiford20]

Ok just wondering I go to irondale but not all the time cause I’m in school now

[@MichaelGibson5047]

can you do more csx

[@mbmars01]

Sure, there will be more CSX videos here soon. There are currently about 300 CSX videos on my channel. Maybe you find one or the other that you haven't yet watched :)

[@MichaelGibson5047]

@@mbmars01 ok

[@railyardfilms6491]

Like

[@mbmars01]

Thanks!