Things You Should Know About Railfanning on Tehachapi Pass!

These lists seem to be pretty popular on You Tube, so I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon and crank out one of my own about railfanning on the Tehachapi Pass. I hope you enjoy it!
Please help support the channel if you can!
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[@jonpowell-ov3yh]

Thanks Mark, lots of good advice. Railfanning boils down to being respectful - respect that it's NOT your property (you're a [mostly uninvited] guest), respect the potential dangers (on and off the track), respect that you're actually in an active place of business.

[@curtc3092]

Glad to see you give a shout-out to Kirk Quinn's airbnb at Tunnel 10. Fantastic place to stay, and as you mentioned, extremely affordable with superior views of the passing trains. Absolutely is my go-to when railfanning the area - can't be beat!

[@johnmeadows5645]

Im satisfied just sitting on the bench at the depot and watching trains. Great video Mark.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Much more comfortable, and closer to the food!

[@averageguy7136]

Great video. Kern Co. needs to hire you as a tourism ambassador. I love that you are sharing the CA foothills with people around the world.

[@Cnw8701]

Nah, let him enjoy his retirement. He worked hard enough to earn it!

[@charleswright9024]

Like I said I'm an engineer for UP my routes are Roseville tò Salt Lake City then I stay there for a day or so then off to Los Angeles few days or so then to Fresno then back to Roseville then I'm off for a week

[@paulkalff6408]

Another fabulous presentation, Mark! Since December 11th we've been in Venice, Florida, but I spent many a day on the Loop while in the Navy at China Lake and afterward. I'll miss the Loop, but with your videos and narration, it'll seem like I've never left!! Also, a hint to stay clear of the inside of curves....you never know when dunnage or loads will shift and swing into the curve. Andale! Y, con much gracia, the old Squid. 78 F and a breeze in Venice, FL, today!

[@rsmith.182]

Thanks for the informative video, looking forward to our trip through your location in May 2024. After you mentioned the slow day for trains on Mondays I had to check our itinerary. We should arrive on Friday and leave on Monday morning heading towards Grand Canyon. As your video went on I was going to ask a question about the amount of BNSF trains you catch on video but then you answered my question. The UP tends to run most of its trains at night and BNSF in the daytime. We live in a small town in Washington State on the BNSF mainline to Portland/Vancouver and the majority of trains come through at night so not good for rail fanning in the winter when days are short. Always enjoy watching your videos, keep up the good work.

[@joescarborough1]

NEVER walk through, or into, a tunnel on an active railroad.

[@user-wu1ds2sz3w]

A LOT of common sense advice! BUT...as I learned YEARS ago on my first day on patrol with SFPD..." KID, COMMON COURTESY AND COMMON SENSE AINT COMMON !" So .....GREAT JOB POSTING THE MESSAGE. Anyone looking out for the safety of others is a GREAT human being !!! THANKS !!!

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you, sir!

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Great video and super information! Very entertaining, as only you can do it Mark! (Dave).

[@user-zp2ms8cv5r]

Parking especially be courteous to everyone including railroad employees and being own tools just incase break down know your location for any situation can or will happen.

[@baconrinds]

Mark, agreed, great video. Hope to see you this summer.

[@davidbehrend7054]

16:15 the cows are speculating on what you are doing. I’ve heard they like to speculate. 😂😂

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

They're the ones who made like that!

[@jeffreygosselin7576]

Fantastic and very interesting. 👍Thank you.

[@KnoxCoRailfan]

Excellent presentation, Mark! Thanks for all the hard work you put into your videos!

[@anthonymaida5718]

Great video Mark as always

[@rrelectric5159]

Thanks Mark. Good helpful advice for people visiting the loop area.

[@skywatcherca]

Mark, Sir - your channel is very very good: it's informative and honest - and the action (positive and negative (derailments)) is great. Being as polite and respectful as is possible, you should have 350k to 500k viewers/subscribers and I have NO idea why your numbers are not at that level. I do not have a channel, I do not want a channel, I do not understand the compensation that KZbin gives to it's channel owners. I do know that it's costly to run around (fuel/maintenance/food/snacks) etc. and then there is the time and cost to create these videos. Bottom line: It's somewhat costly. I make note of 1 channel - ccrx 6700 That's Railroadin! this gentleman has 65k subscribers - I don't get it, but know that I enjoy your channel. Take care of yourself Mark.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you! I don't get it either! I've tried a few different approaches recommended by other creators, and nothing has changed. Same with my Patreon. 16K subscribers and I only have 22 Patrons! You are correct. It is not cheap to go do this. I make enough from KZbin to just about cover the gas. ccrx 6700 and I are mutual subscribers!

[@kirklonnquist3265]

Absolutely a great and very informative video of the dos and donts of railfanning in Tehachapi.

[@MeigsCountyRR]

I sure am glad I ran across this video. I really want to get out there sometime soon! Your tips are very helpful. Thanks! 😀

[@brentmiller3951]

My father worked for SP he started as a clerk because he knew how to do teletype so he hired on right out of Vietnam. He never let on that SP was so volatile. In 84 he started running in front of the train from the coos bay depot to Florence opening 3 draw bridges I got to ride from the depot to Florence or Florence back to coos bay in the engine or my favorite the caboose with a few guys that were playing cards or whatever. I had a privileged childhood and never knew it .Your videos bring back memories.

[@kens.3729]

Thanks for the Great Video about NOT being a Dumb*** around Railroad Tracks. 👍🙏

[@santiagoaldaba6378]

Thanks Mark for the info Big fan of yours... I'm from Chicago planning on taking a vacation out there and going rail faning!

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Cool! Let me know ahead of time and we'll try to get together! Thanks for checking it out!

[@robinroberts3335]

Hello mark great video . Have one thing for the people Dummy up . Be safe . Robin out .

[@JackStrawfromWichita1]

Thank you, very informative.

[@michaelwhite7275]

Great video!!

[@scottmarshall4996]

Great video Mark. Looks like I missed some cool opportunities of things to see when I was stationed at Camp Pendleton. If we do come hopefully I could stop by a day you're at the depot.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Just let me know ahead of time. I'll meet you up there whether or not I'm scheduled!

[@scottmarshall4996]

@@MarkClayMcGowan thanks, I appreciate it. I don't know yet if it will be this year or in another year or two, but I will definitely reach out if we do. I really enjoy your videos.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Well, God willing, I'll be around!

[@bigjj974]

Nice recap Thank You

[@Roger-dy5gq]

I think you should start your own railfanning tours ! Take people to the hotspots , teaching rail knowledge , good places to stop for food etc !

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I do that informally. To actually make a business of it would require permits, insurance, UP's permission, and a lot of other red tape. Besides, I don't want it to become a job. That's why I retired!

[@remylopez4821]

Mark Cajon Pass definitiv has a lot of trains and trails too. I visit Tehachapi when I go to Bakersfield for the nostalgia races. I even had the pleasure of meeting you once at the depot when you were a docent.

[@thomasrichardson9865]

I might add to never wear ear pods while you are out railfanning, as you need to be able to hear trains, vehicles, animals etc. Safety first. Great video as always 👍

[@mec253]

Another very interesting video. ......and might I add, make sure you have plenty of gas in your tank too. Thanks again.

[@bradleyjanes2949]

Great video. Thanknyou

[@amfwelsh]

This was really great stuff

[@truenorth3077]

That was a great video, Mark! Lots of memories of growing up in Tehachapi. I don't know if you remember the Superbowl train that came through the Keene area back in the 80's. I believe it was Santa Fe. I went with a friend (Mike Vukich) and we took pictures of the train over by the loop. It could have been that there were football players on the train. I was a teenager so that was many moons ago.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

It was an SP train with VIP guests that paid a ton of $$ to take it. I actually have a couple of photos I took of it at the depot that day.

[@charleswright9024]

Oh yes we have seen people and animals on the tracks

[@user-pj7xn8xw3k]

Thanks for the tips... Great acting!

[@colnagocowboy]

The last time I was there a lot of it was fenced off

[@Gunnartucker9]

Thanks you for the information

[@solo2r]

Thx for the info! Did not know you could legally drive on the right of way roads!

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Legally, you can't, but if you behave responsibly, the worst that will likely happen is you'll be asked to leave.

[@confuseatronica]

i had decent pho in tehachapi once, too

[@Jack-dw2sz]

very nice😀

[@Qrail]

I would add to wear some form of bright clothing to be visible to the crews.

[@railfanbryan7225]

21:00 Keene Cafe is good and so is Burger Spot!

[@nortonhatfield7312]

Here's another thing to know before you start rail fanning in the tehachapi. Amtrak doesn't use the tehachapi pass. That's due to congestion of freight trains using the pass. Dont count on seeing an amtrak train on the pass. The Amtrak san Joaquin train terminates at Bakersfield. If you see an amtrak train traversing the pass, it's most likely the coast starlight detouring through the central valley and over the pass.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

That's the way it's been since 1971, so it's not news. Freight is much more dramatic anyway. I do have a video from when I was still working of an Amtrak/BNSF meet at Rowen on one of their detours. Here's the link! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gmetgXards6GerM

[@sptraxide]

Can anyone drive on the dirt road right beside the tracks? The one you always drive on.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

In some easy access places, they really don't care. I don't recommend it in the more remote places

[@sptraxide]

@MarkClayMcGowan Thanks for the reply Mark. You being a retired railroad guy may be better. I tend to stay well off RR property. Too old to start a Rap Sheet now! Things are different in my area. I you even drive on the side access road, you get reported!

[@bigcatauna]

Rule 1 stay off the tracks

[@johnscanlon5889]

Is that your train coming look? On the look out when the horns sounded.

[@ArlenHarbaugh-dx7kz]

API;stands for American Petroleum Institute.

[@railfanbryan7225]

Kohnens is amazing!

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I've never been impressed, but I'm not really a pastry guy, nor am I much on soups or sandwiches, so I'm not qualified to review them! I say it's not iconic because when I moved away in 1993, it was still an abandoned packing shed! Thanks for checking it out!

[@nortonhatfield7312]

There may be more railroad construction in the near future because of California's new high-speed rail train.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Yeah. It's worked so well with the one already being built, and it didn't have to cross any mountains! I'll believe it when I see it. I'm not trying to be a butthead, just a realist.

[@brehkop275]

Another very interesting video Mark. But where do we gain access to the roadways beside the tracks shown in this railfanning video? Or are they off limits to the public? thanks again

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I am going to do a video about the places the public can easily access, and won't likely be bothered

[@ergotot45]

Mark, the access roads that you seem to use frequently, are these railroad property protected by gates? what is the policy for maintainers roads where gates are open? Im particularly interested in how to access tunnel 5, which despite many visits to the area over the years I have not been to via the dirt road from Caliente

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

The west (north) portal of tunnel % is easily accessible, but you have to use the McCarthy Ranch to access the east portal. If you do a Google Earth of the Bealville crossing, you'll see the road that goes east over tunnel 3 and up to tunnel 5. Right now, that road has been undermined between 3 and 5, so I not recommend going beyond tunnel 3.

[@frankjanvari737]

mark set a good example instead of bad example stay off union pacific property or at least 50 feet away from railroad property as the law in most states.

[@Linemanbrian]

For one he’s a former employee. Secondly you must not be familiar with the area at all. If you are not on either UP property or private property you won’t be much of anything from publicly available roads of which most have no shoulders or anywhere for you to park along either. Just saying. And no where have I seen mark encoraging people to trespass he’s just giving pointers to keep those that do out of harms way and out of trouble

[@bjjt-nu9dx]

No stay 50' away laws.

[@railfanbryan7225]

There is also P-Dubs!

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I had clips from both there and Henry's but the lighting was horrible and I didn't want to go back up just to reshoot them. I'll try to remember to mention them the next time I get up to shoot videos. Thanks for checking it out!

[@oijohnnyboi]

TK Pizza

[@febterday]

Hey will you get back to me about a possible tehachapi tour?

[@febterday]

We’re locals in tehachapi and I would love to do this for my dads birthday

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

email me [e-mail]

[@bjjt-nu9dx]

I need a clone of you for Cajon Pass. Is there one? 😊

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Not that I know of. I'm told I have a pretty unique channel. Thanks for checking it out!

[@SIGINT007]

Great video. Isn't no tresspassing the first golden rule? You worked there and have some street cred with the employees that you still know...but some rando foamer shouldn't be wandering on those RR-owned service roads, no?

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

They're going to do it anyway, and as long as you're not being a nuisance, it's unlikely anyone will bother you, so I figured I'd offer some tips. Thanks for checking it out!

[@rockymountainjazzfan1822]

It's all pretty simple--if you are on railroad property without permission, you are trespassing. Period. End of story. If you are private property without the owner's permission, you are trespassing. Period. End of story. Most landowners now have ZERO tolerance for trespassers because of potential legal liability concerns. As both a railfan and one who has worked in the railroad industry, I have seen enough bad railfan behavior to last a lifetime.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Man. That's a lot of periods! They're going to do it anyway. Some responsibly, some not so much. I might as well offer some pointers.

[@rxrcond4life]

23-mph? How about 25-MPH...

[@shmoop2481]

No, Mark is correct. Speed limit is in fact 23mph

[@rxrcond4life]

@@shmoop2481 I have the time table in front of me and max speed is 25 or less depending on several factors mainly trains TPAD and total train weight, etc...

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

You are mistaken. I have the current timetable (effective 0900 CT October 31, 2023) for the Los Angeles Area, which contains the Mojave Sub. It is 23 mph in both directions, main or siding, and on either track, from MP 335.4 to 359.5. The only exception is MP335.4 to 336.0, where northbound trains trailing more than 9600 tons or have cut in DPUs, regardless of weight, are restricted to 15mph. Under SP it was 25, but UP dropped it to 23 in 1998 after they installed concrete ties. Here is the link to a video I made last August about the timetable. Thanks for checking it out! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn2vqJ-Aobqna9E

[@glennfoster2423]

Movement of each train is governed by Authority--use of the main track from A to B, between time T1 and T2, moving under control at prescribed speed. Time is pretty simple. 3:35 PM is precise. Location, the same. But speed, we tend to think about speed in relative ways. Why not 25 mph instead of 23? Why not 20? The boundary is fixed, not open for discussion. Well, 23 is just as precise and leaves little argument for a different number close by, like 24. That last one, speed, is the variable that most folks stammering.