A Busy Weekend at the Tehachapi Depot Museum

[@jeffreygosselin7576]

Great video Mark! Thanks! 😀

[@brianhickey5949]

I would be there at the museum quite often. Look at all those trains! Thanks for the excellent views 😀

[@cartergreene750]

Thanks again for you videos Mark‼️

[@markhayes6407]

These depot meets with the trains is really cool. What better safe place to watch trains than at a depot. Another great post.

[@kevinharris1392]

I love trains and love videos of trains. When Mr. McGowan makes a video with trains,there's nothing that can be better. The bonus is when you see other people having a good time watching trains. Hope that arm is doing better sir.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you! The arm is coming along fine!

[@glengriswold9986]

Mark, watched every minute of it. Love the 30 minute plus videos to watch while working out. Keep up the good work.

[@w.m.6018]

Really a lot of railfans there at that day- and also much trains.

[@BrokenFootRailfan]

It's neat to see so many people there, enjoying the trains. We are planning to be back in Tehachapi for New Year's so hopefully we can meet up! I would love to (finally) see the inside of the museum!

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Let me know when you plan to visit and I'll meet you there whether or not I'm scheduled to work! Just shoot me an e-mail!

[@bobselders4084]

Another great video Mark thanks for doing it!

[@johnmeadows5645]

That was a great video Mark, thanks. You were at the right place, at the right time.

[@andreseduardosotoalcazar7054]

Morning ...im from ensenada mexico...like your videos...😉

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you and thanks for checking it out!

[@ATSFSuperChief]

Once again a very enjoyable video. Thanks Mark!

[@proudfoamer2]

Trains galore! This is your best video yet.

[@araneaetvelivolum1086]

I agree, IMs are boring. However, given the current supply situation, every IM is a good one 😀 Thanks for sharing, Mark.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Yeah, wouldn't be much of a Christmas without them!

[@briankemp5206]

That was a great video Mark.

[@carlstypinski1517]

Can really hear the flat spots on some of the wheels as the train passes.

[@jamescotter5376]

By the way that was a great video thank you

[@quintinivey9359]

A Conrail auto rack? When did they lay concrete ties on this line? Blue skies, no fires.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

There are still a few cars out there with markings of roads that no longer exist. They installed concrete ties in 1997-98. There are still plenty of smokey skies around but it's generally breezy enough in Tehachapi to clear things out. Thanks for checking it out!

[@charlesadamson7810]

Do you know anything about the diamond at Crusero? (sp?) It was in place for the borax train to cross the main track

[@rwnelson51]

Nice day and great videos -- busy!! You mentioned a "pull-apart" on the EB UP Manifest: does PSR and much longer trains have a greater incidence of "pull-apart"? Thanks!!

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I hear the longer, heavier trains have more problems on higher speed track but it hasn't been an issue up the San Joaquin Valley and on the Tehachapi pull aparts have been happening since I started working up there in 1984 as have stringline derailments.

[@rwnelson51]

@@MarkClayMcGowan Thank you for the reply!! Must take some "finesse" as an engineer to get a 150 car train moving but the old SP manned helpers with SD40s with DC were even more of a challenge!! Trains in my blood since I could stand up in an old car bench seat with my dad!! Glad I went to the loop in the late 70s and beyond. Take care!!

[@thomaspinnick5796]

Pull apart - assuming a knuckle and not a track joint?

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

That is correct. I guess I should have clarified that!

[@raym909]

good video. i don't know if you ever said anything about a one mile long train can take 1000? trucks off the road. but it must, and the man power and diesel has to be a big savings for the time and our air. did you see there is a rail cam now down in Edison. I would like to see one at the Mojave split. Glad to see you have gotten better after the CV. Ray (use to live in Palmdale). did you ever got to BLM (Jawbone Canyon to go shooting)? i miss that

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

The big intermodal unit trains are generally about 75 cars (not including power) and about 6,500 feet long. If all cars carry two containers, that's 150 trucks off the road. That's just the intermodals. The big grain trains can take about 300 trucks off the road. I'd say that around 1,000 trucks are taken off the road in a 24 hour period over the Tehachapi. I saw the new camera down there when I was at the museum the day I did this video. The problem at Mojave is there's no place to put a camera that it would be safe from the local gentry. I've ridden my dirtbikes at Jawbone but never did any shooting in the area. Thanks for checking it out!

[@raym909]

@@MarkClayMcGowan hi, thanks for the reply...... one time up a Jawbone, i was shorting my Mosen M1891. and fired off a shot at a hill, i figure a 1/2 miles away. I saw the shot hit a dirt pile. took like a second or two to get to there. THAT WAS SO COOL. Mojave still has some Motels along old 58, may be you can get the a motel, gas station or the Ford dealer to host the cam. There is a tire shop near the Palmdale split, talk to them. You are part of the Tehachapi RR cam croup. stay cool!!!!!!!!!

[@needs2quit1atgmail87]

Great vid bro. Thank you. Also, when will they finish the double track project?

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you! Any more double tracking on the Tehachapi would involve either daylighting existing tunnels or boring new ones as well as widening existing fills in a few places. I doubt either road is willing to pay for that and deal with the traffic interruptions it would cause.

[@kens.3729]

This would be a Bonus Weekend for Viewers. You, not so much since you volunteered 2 days.😬👍

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I doubt I could have caught more trains on video out and about. And this was only about half the trains that ran! I was too busy doing what I was supposed to be doing to get any more!

[@davesargenti6641]

Ever do a video on a hot axle sensor ?

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Yes. Here is the link to a playlist of videos I've done about how things work. The one on wayside detectors is in it. I also have a playlist about how things outside the signal department work. Thanks for checking it out! kzbin.info/aero/PL6ge3RoxmyvqBUZL-pzdFNCD9ZwWeAxwA

[@natgass8102]

Mark, the west bound UP manifest train at the 16 minute mark which was quite long and looked to be mostly empties and had no helper engines on it, would they run a train consisting of just empties? Also do the car identification readers only scan during the daytime hrs with the light or around the clock? thanks

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

They run empty trains all the time such as the eastbound grain trains and auto racks to name a couple. The AEI's scan day and night. They use a radio signal to read the information. Here is the link to a video I did about how these work. kzbin.info/www/bejne/anfIapiZeLGCppY

[@DesertHighIron]

Looked like it was mostly empty boxcars and centerbeams. Likely most if not all destined for destinations in the Pacific northwest. Lots of PNW lumber gets moved over the tehachapis

[@jamescotter5376]

How many weekends a month do you volunteer up there

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Usually three or four days a month and not always the whole weekend. My next day will be October 30th then they'll make up the schedule for the next month.

[@Samanthareneeheart1]

The next to last UP you filmed had 6 units on the head end. Either a power move OR A REALLY heavy train. Most i ever see on your videos is 3-4 on the head end most of the time its 2 units on the head end. Also I read TOFC service is coming to an end going strictly double stack except NS who will still run the triple crown bogie train.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I mentioned they were dead (and looked like it!). They're always talking about doing this and stopping that. They'll do whatever makes money!

[@davesargenti6641]

How fast can a train(speed) go over a cross over?

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

It depends on the length of the turnout. I believe the max speed at this crossover is 35 mph but the trains are rarely going that fast here. Thanks for checking it out!

[@cassandramcgowan1392]

Have you ever done a video about the graffiti on trains and how the RRs deal with it? Do they even care about it? I’ve always thought trains had some pretty good art on them.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Most cars aren't owned by the railroads and the graffiti is generally done at industries or in storage tracks off the beaten path. The railroads are more concerned with theft and destructive vandalism than graffiti.

[@charlesadamson7810]

ooops this is an older video