Tehachapi Derailment: The Aftermath

I went up to the derailment site today expecting a hive of clean up activity, but it would appear, they are waiting until everyone is not on overtime! There wasn't a soul there except my friend, Les Combs, who was also just getting some video and pix.
So, join me for a walk around of the aftermath of the derailment!
Please help support the channel if you can!
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[@ritaloy8338]

Thanks Mark for letting us know about this derailment and the aftermath.

[@michaelalix4943]

Great coverage, thanks. I hope you keep making videos following the progress of the clean up

[@janisaroyan6416]

Thank you Mark! Glad you provide this channel for us

[@glentanner4770]

That's pretty crazy! I'm glad you were on the scene to capture this, very interesting, what a mess, it's going to be one hell of a challenge to fix it.

[@carolinafrog4365]

you stay safe up there!!! long ago back in 2011, i lost a steer tire off my 2009 Freightliner Cascadia at the top of the drop there at Tehachapi and (thank you Schneider and Prime Inc for those simulator trainings!) managed to bring her to a solid stop without becoming one with the scenery!

[@scottmarshall4996]

Great coverage Mark. I enjoy what you put out. It's like being able to travel without leaving home, and reminds me of when I lived in SoCal.

[@kens.3729]

Now this is what yo7 would called Close-up Action. Very Impressive, Mark. Thanks for your efforts with this Derailment and ALL the other videos you post for us. 👍

[@jamescotter5376]

Thanks for keeping us updated on that Mark that was very kind keep them coming brother

[@charlesglandon7840]

Great video, Mark. They sure repaired that section fast.

[@charlie.dowd-lebow]

Mark thanks again for your continuing coverage of the cleaning up of recent tehachapi pass derailment. Also thank you for caring enough about the content that gets uploaded to your channel to double check the footage you record before putting it up and making it public. Other channels I subscribe to sometimes forget to it more often than they possibly should and I feel like I need to leave feedback on the useablety of the audio the video or both. Anyway keep doing what you can to get us more content for your channel.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you! I try to make sure it all looks and sounds good. Thanks for checking it out!

[@donalddodson7365]

Mark, I was surprised there were not a bunch of railroad officers keeping you from videotaping. I thought they still had 18th century jurisdiction to prevent "trespassing." Thank you for your dedication to bringing us the pictures. Be safe.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I am a 40 year employee in this area, retired in good standing. I spent a couple of hours the first day hanging out with the UP special agents. They know I'm not going to get in the way.

[@donalddodson7365]

@@MarkClayMcGowan Does help to have a good reputation. Take care.

[@AnontheGOAT]

Trains didn’t exist in the 18th century.

[@ronaldweir712]

Mark even a retired rail employee could be considered a member of the public if you are walking among wreckage and the track beds in the U.K. I worked on the railway building the track to Galashiels but that wouldn't allow me to walk along the tracks now. Still if you were with other railway employees then that's fine. The penalty for trespass would be around a thousand pounds in the U.K.

[@HappyQuailsLC]

@@AnontheGOAT A lot of people don’t know that the 18th century occurred during the 1700’s.

[@amfwelsh]

Thanks for taking us up there Mark

[@winstonpugh3817]

Thanks for your hard work to bring this to us.

[@skywatcherca]

Mark, your videos are always exceptional, but this one is another step up! GREAT video, and excellent commentary (hey, I like your commentary and speculation, I like it) - I am amazed at how quickly the crews have replaced the broken line and (apparently) have reopened the track to traffic. This must be a major route - the track crews must have worked all night to repair this line. Clean-up is going to be a bit of a challenge I guess - as you say, not too much room to work. As always, take care of yourself, be safe, and keep the hot coffee and calorie-free donuts handy. TU.

[@GilmerJohn]

I suspect the clean up will wait until after all the traffic is caught up and they can "reserve" a track for, say, an 8 hour shift and repeat as necessary.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you for the compliment! This a major route for BNSF and UP with an average of 35 trains every 24 hours, so you can understand why they burn the midnight oil to get it up and running!

[@EXROBOWIDOW]

It's pretty much the ONLY route between Los Angeles, the country's 2nd most populous metropolis, and the Central Valley, one of the top food production areas in the country. Just a tiny bit important, I suppose. It's also the route that the supposed "high speed rail" from L.A. to San Francisco is going to go.Though for that, they'll have to put in something that doesn't use the Tehachapi Loop.

[@ohwell2790]

I worked as a switchman/brakeman in the 1970's for Southern Pacific. Our moto was" up hill slow, down hill fast, tonnage first and safety last " But the pay was really good. That was in the days of having a caboose and a rear brakeman and a head brakeman, ran for a lot of switches in those days. Worked out of Taylor Yard.

[@railwayaustria]

What 😀

[@user-sh9du2nv5y]

My dad worked as a brakeman working in van nuys at gemco.

[@KimberleySanchez]

Great shots & info! You were right up in there - so cool.

[@mattc.310]

The're pretty quick getting the lines opened. Lots of money and customers sitting around waiting isn't a good thing for them. Thanks for heading up and giving us an update.

[@trainmaster0217]

That was a very nice video. Thanks for showing us the "aftermath".

[@metrolinkfan8007]

Very good video Mark Tehachapi has a place in my heart cannot wait to go back pretty soon. Awesome video and aftermath derailment at Tehachapi loop CA.

[@RobertMartinez354]

First time commenter, long time follower; how very informative! I was up for Father's day and drove past four times, only happened to notice it on the second pass.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thanks for checking out the channel! Yeah, it's kind of in a place where you really need to be watching the road! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@bnrailfannz8262]

Hello from New Zealand. Great coverage of this latest whoopsee. The opening shot was certainly an eye opener. Most impressed with the track staff getting the mainline up & running. Will subscribe to keep an eye on future developments . Thankyou

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thanks for the subscription and for checking it out! I really enjoy hearing from folks in far away lands! Love my Kiwis!

[@HashDogg06]

@@MarkClayMcGowan Yeah we like our trains & for me wish we could experience such big ones here in NZ but our rail is very minuscule & use narrow gauge.

[@jacksmith7726]

All those containers would have been stripped bare in New Zealand.

[@kevinkeller2819]

Hey Mark!! Kevin J. Keller here, from Dayton, Ohio! We know each other from your a Selfless contributions to the Tehachapi Train Depot! Just LOVE your work here!! Thanks for keeping the memories of my time there so Precious.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

My pleasure!

[@chrisstromberg6527]

Nice coverage Mark! I’m always amazed how quick you guys get everything back together after a derailment.

[@glennfoster2423]

I worked more derailments than I care to remember. First question:. Was anyone hurt?

[@glennfoster2423]

Next question: How soon can a train run? There is no revenue if the wheels. Are not turning. Back then the loss of revenue was many thousands of dollars per hour.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

No injuries. It opened up about 24 hours after the derailment occurred

[@woodstock911snoopy]

Thanks for the update! Nice to see from the top of the wreck! Hopefully clean up soon to get the prime packages to there correct location.

[@jovetj]

Thanks for the upclose and personal view! What a mess... but, no one injured (I expect).

[@paveltolz6601]

Thanks for the video Mark, much appreciated.

[@robertridgley3278]

Thanks for the update Mark.

[@EmuIix]

Drove by that when returning from Bakersfield, the amount of derailments that have happened on the pass is definitely concerning. Great coverage!

[@regular-joe]

The sound that the derailment made must have been something to hear.

[@kacythomas7436]

Thanks for the coverage, watching the trains go by is one of the things I miss about from where I lived many a year ago. And yes, it is a common happing for trains to derail, even with the constant maintenance of the tracks. There is no way to predict when a rail crack.

[@HobbyMoose79]

Old stomping ground, love the area. Just heard about the train derailment. Thank you for sharing. Really cool.

[@bengone3349]

Good follow up and hopefully, more to come. Thanks

[@dutch2120]

Thank You Mark! I was watching your video yesterday and I knew you would make an updated video of the carnage!! Ha! Ha!

[@gandydancer823]

As a track maintenance foreman you absolutely NEVER depend on crossing warning devices as an indicator of an approaching train. This is why we have a required sight distance per speed of track for lookout protection. Never ever in a blind curve. BTW in my area railroads use Hulcher tracked equipment to pick up derailed rolling stock.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I don't, but with 4 tunnels and a crossing, plus a 10mph speed restriction, only fouling the tracks for a few seconds (as I stated), and keeping a close eye on things, I felt pretty safe. 40 years in the signal department never goes away, but thanks for your concern!

[@johnslanicky]

Thank you for the video - you do great work! 👍🚂

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Wow that was sure something Mark! Great coverage and views, thanks our friend! (Dave).

[@olcraigsen]

that was a great informative video thanks so much for your time. we live in Bakersfield and for a while we didn't hear any trains at night. now we know why

[@billdennis2993]

Thx Mark for you informative and entertaining video. Keep 'em rolling

[@divox9pqr]

Terrific video of the loop from points I’ve never seen before. I can recall being on the Coast Starlight when it diverted from its normal route and took the loop, and your video adds even more to the thrill we experienced. Thanks so much.

[@jerryjohnson6929]

You guys do great work it's a lot of time to do it

[@dmorgan28]

Hey thanks for that video Mark. We appreciate it. ❤️👍

[@MyrtleBeach123]

Awesome Mark. Thanks for the update.

[@mec253]

Yet another great video !! I see you have the "gray ghost" back.

[@my3boysonly]

Mark, thanks for the great videos. Those are protective housings on top of the tank cars. They keep the valves and fittings from getting sheared off in case of a roll-over.

[@williammunford476]

Right and survived rolling down hill cool

[@MrGbutter]

Thanks for the video and content, stay safe, and keep up the good work.

[@gusshadleythelunaticfromar7125]

Thanks for the look on the"loop". My Ole dad had a infatuation with the "loop", he even built a compressed HO layout of it, pretty clever it was the train would run it go through the tunnel and come back through the tunnel in opposite direction. He had everything athearn made in "espee". I need to go and rescue the motive power and rolling stock. His railroad, aside from the holes in the wall is all gone. Dispute between him and mommy dearest, he tore it all down in 77. I ran some on it, it was a fun run.

[@D_Cali_Life]

Awesome footage. Just 2 weeks before, I witnessed a train in Tehachapi with sparks and flames under the rails. Apparently it was braking hard and was still gaining speed. This was around 8:00pm on a Sunday. Very loud and very bright scene. This was south on the 58 just west of the 14.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

That was probably the rail grinding train. Here is a video of it at work. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbZkHZtaJaDZ5o

[@BUBBAV2]

Hey Mark!! Virg. Great stuff. I just asked the wife the other day about that derailment as we were driving to pick up the grands.

[@mindymartindale6425]

Wow, great video! Thanks!

[@briankemp5206]

Thanks for the video Mark.

[@HeavyHaulKen]

That's going to be a challenge to clean up! Saw that on the hillside on Wednesday afternoon.

[@Max_Marz]

I live right next to a rail yard where tankers are going back and fourth constantly at low speed, nice to know one of those things wont pop with a fairly non-violent derailment. Especially with the sorts of chemicals I see go by 😱

[@robinroberts3335]

Great job mark . Love your work 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Robin 🇺🇸🇨🇦

[@mikepate6404]

thanks for the up close footage - very interesting.

[@Hyrev1]

Excellent video and commentary!

[@sptraxide]

Thanks for the update.

[@drewyager4020]

I like the two different perspectives. The RR bedding is just so wild. All that material of rocks. Incredible

[@socalfun64]

Great Footage, ThankYou!!

[@justme8340]

You actually have a good voice for narrating these vids. Great work! (This is from a guy who dreads the sound of his own voice with a Boston accent)

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you, and thanks for checking it out!

[@amelierenoncule]

A pleasant, train-spotting, demeanor you possess, mon ami !

[@littlelittledeer1435]

Thank you for this video.

[@eezyclsmooth9035]

Nice video. Typically a derailment in a populated area, the rail company wastes no time or worries about Expense. They got going Immediately. After the clean-up, no remnants of an accident is left. In mountainous regions of Mexico, their are many carcasses of freight cars left where they fell. This nice video gives you views of cars (tops, bottoms, bogeys) that you rarely ever get to see! well done.

[@michellewelch6013]

So interesting. Thank you!😊

[@HotForgeChaos]

We had a dozen log and boxcar wagons go over when the rails washed out on a line here in New Zealand a couple days ago. The two locos and first half dozen cars made it through and the rest of the train is safe, but there's pallets of pulp and logs scattered throughout the farmer's paddock in the floodwaters

[@HoraceBluenose]

Thanks for the report!

[@magmathon2]

I've loaded railcars like those, snd those domes on top of the tankcars are called crash box. They are designed to protect the dipleg and N2 valve for unloading. Great video by the way.

[@davidpulaski5628]

"MCM, another damn fine post. Excellent videography, ('didn't see any "shakiness') !!! Had to subscribe this time !

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you for the compliments and subscription! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@trainchaserelliot]

WOW!! I hope to get out that way soon! Subscribed!

[@68dart]

Awesome , Thanks MCM😊

[@johnleach7879]

Mark, you are a jewell. No fluff, or fooling around. How did the local newspapers do?

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thanks! I read none of the local papers, nor do I watch any of the local news, so I don't know. Thanks for checking it out!

[@duanerigge1870]

Thank you Mark

[@knoxmotorsports]

I seen many of these working for U.PRR .MY last 10 years was mostly surface and line Jackson 6700 . Lots of concrete ties Eastern Oregon .

[@krisdrinkwine6045]

I find it amazing they had that line up and running in just over 24 hours. Also amazing is those tankers not leaking from that long tumble. Wow.

[@johnoconnor431]

awesome job Mark

[@michaelnagel2557]

Outstanding how tough they make those tanker cars, I remember freight trains on the highline comming out of the north Dakota oil fields doing derailing and making a major mess

[@MRRAILFANVON]

Congratulations mark the derailment videos are your most popular videos!

[@terryatpi]

Subscribed because of this one. Thanks !

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

Thank you! I hope you find the time to go back and check out many of my videos!

[@strikef16falcon58]

Thank you.

[@SteamCrane]

Is this on the east side of the loop, or on one of the curves north or south of it? Thanks.

[@vrmntthb]

Open container contents looks like a boiler I’ve seen in that color and shape but they usually are cardboarded up for shipment so it’s anyone’s guess … it’ll be interesting how they’ll tug those up and over that left the train ride they were on….and it they were loaded. Great stuff MCM (and we dont mean 1900 )…

[@tmpoland7641]

Thanks Mark!

[@jheller5973]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the cleanup/recovery. I have seen derailed railcars laying by the track for years in rural Tennessee. And the crash scene from The Fugitive - It's still an attraction beside the rails on a tourist ride out of Bryson City, North Carolina.

[@grc_whale1304]

At the San Diego Model Train Museum the have a replica of the Tehachapi loop it’s beautiful.

[@kansascityshuffle8526]

I was driving through a place called chaplin sk in Canada about 10 days ago. The derailment they had there piled containers so high the pile was bigger than some apartment blocks.

[@arnoldthompson481]

Just North of OKC is a dog food plant and at one time we switched it two times a day. Busy place. We had to go open doors etc for them for bad doors on box cars. Then after a long time I had to go there and the rails going in were covered with gravel. I saw a lot of docks had been built into the South side of the building and JB Hunt trailers were at all of them and I figured we had lost all that business to trucks but as I was almost back to our shop IN saw the piggy back tracks were being loaded with JB hunt trailers. So really we lost the switching but got the road hauls.

[@pauliedweasel]

It’s quite impressive that the IBCs held those two blue containers together. When I was working in the BNSF Telecom shop on Sheila Street it was always impress to feel the ground shake when a straddle buggy would accidentally drop a container.

[@wotan20]

Those tanker cars are the newer double hull design. That's why they are so much more resilient than the older single hull design was.

[@glennfoster2423]

Many years ago at Getz, Arizona east of Kingman a fire started at a propane facility. I don't recall why or how, but the tank cars were single wall and the fire burned at the dome. As the product release increased due in part to heat, the tank ruptured in a violent BLEVE (boiling liquid, evaporating vapor explosion). You may be able to find a report on the event: several firemen perished in the explosion. That was seminal in the DOT requirement for double-wall tank cars

[@shelleycrawfordirwin5868]

Nice footage I will continue to follow ❤

[@richardmcnamer5231]

Thoroughly enjoyed your derailment videos. I’ve worked on a few myself as a retired semi driver for the UP. Started in 1979 on the good ol SP as a track worker, aka gandy dancer, in Lovelock Nevada. Worked all over the western states & know the Tehachapi area. Mostly hauling track material & equipment. What was your OTS (On Track Safety) while getting your videos? 😉 Rick McNamer Smith River, Ca

[@erniemathews5085]

Good stuff. Thanks.

[@oisiaa]

I had a derailment on my property a few years ago and it took them almost a year to remove the cars.

[@brianhickey5949]

I always learn something when I am listening to your videos. This time it was dynamic braking. I know it's there on these engines and yet it didn't strike me how it was used until you mentioned that single lead engine probably wouldn't have enough dynamic for the descent. This is worth a forehead slap :) Very cool! Thank you for that :) What is with the rampant theft from the railroads? I guess the crooks can't settle for the more normal types of theft when a single container holds more promise. Sad state of affairs.

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

The rampant theft in California is about to get much worse with the closing of many yards and prisons. I'm already seeing more unauthorized passengers on trains.

[@brianhickey5949]

@@MarkClayMcGowan Wow! I know there are "Hobos" that ride, but they aren't into theft. Scary times!

[@delbertcast3543]

Back in the 90s I worked for a train derailment company Hulcher professional services Inc. We had 72 divisions in the United States I was out of the Stockton division we worked the whole West Coast plenty of Tehachapi Loop, Sierra derailments . It was harder than Boot Camp at the Marines we would work 57 hours straight on any given time no exaggeration.

[@oldpeterbiltdriver]

Mark, they probably put those tank cars that way so they could be unloaded easier! I drove tank trucks back in the day, unloaded many a tank car that way!

[@youtubeblockscomments]

It would suck if you’re a train hopper in a situation like this

[@Ostin_Colwell]

Great video! I've been wondering what the deal is with this. I drive by it almost every day making deliveries to auto shops.

[@ferdinandfrancis9673]

Excellent video Sir.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Cdntrvler54]

Which direction is The Loop from where this derailment occurred. Only been that area the one time, this past October (for the Edwards AFB show) and visited The Loop as a side trip. Thanks from across the border (49th that is)

[@549BR]

I'm surprised that you don't carry a scanner with you; but, you do good work none the less.😎

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

I have one, but unless trains are talking to the dispatcher, which they would have no reason to be doing here, there's not much to listen to. As a huge Hee-Haw fan (I AM from Bakersfield!), I love your handle! Thanks for checking it out!

[@tonymckeage1028]

Great Video, curious situation, i assume the losses for derailments are on the railway! the delay and damage for the stock in that derailment must be huge

[@MarkClayMcGowan]

All of it is insured and the railroads are bonded. It all comes out in the wash! Thanks for checking it out!