Chris Parker, along with his friend Tim, met myself, Bob Riskie and Bill Compton at my house and we drove out to Pepper Street at West Colton to wait and see which way Union Pacific 844 would be heading over Cajon Pass. One report was that it would be reversing around the balloon track or the other option was to reverse up to CP Rancho then proceed up the northeast leg of the wye leading to the Palmdale Cutoff. The latter was the route chosen. Now, would the train be going to the BNSF at CP Keenbrook or CP Silverwood? We watched the freight train action while we waited.
This yard switcher set pulled a long cut of cars out of West Colton Yard then reversed in later.
The GATX yard at West Colton.
The yard set then reversed into the yard with that cut of freight cars.
Another power set pulled out to our location then went back onto a train.
A freight train departed West Colton for Bakersfield.
There were many railfans on the Pepper Street bridge waiting for Union Pacific 844 to leave.
The DPU on that Union Pacific train departed. Now we waited, but minutes later saw steam heading our way, then the rear of our train approaching.
The train reversed towards Pepper Street, after which I moved to the other side of the bridge.
Here is the emblem for this trip.
Union Pacific SD70ACe 1996, the Southern Pacific Heritage Unit.
Union Pacific 4-8-4 844.
Union Pacific 844 left West Colton for CP Rancho.
A power set came out with a CSX locomotive then we drove east on Interstate 10.
We passed the steam train at CP Rancho then got on Interstate 215 which we took to Palm Avenue, crossed the BNSF mainlines, went under the Palmdale Cutoff, parked and set up for our pictures.
There were a few railfans here as well.
The pre-train photo location. A few minutes later we saw the smoke of Union Pacific 844 then heard the sounds before it came into view.
Union Pacific 844 came and went by us at Palm Avenue. From here we returned to Interstate 215, taking that to Interstate 15 and exited at California Highway 138. The train took the Keenbrook Connection to the BNSF and because of that, I changed our next photo location to the "S" curve above the Mormon Rocks. We set up thenn watched the smoke from Cajon up through Sullivan's Curve and towards our location.
Union Pacific 844 put on a fantastic show as it went by us. We drove back to California Highway138 to Interstate 15 east to California Highway 18, which we took out to the bridge over the BNSF mainline and Mojave River at the Upper Mojave Narrows.
