Tehachapi Loop Trip

This weekend my son and I decided to spend some time together.  He's not into the train thing to any great degree but does like them enough to do some rail fanning with me.

 

We decided to do a quick trip up to the Tehachapi Loop.  Despite many trips out Hwy 58, we've never viewed the loop.  I wanted to make a trip up to the Barstow yards to do some prototype research, and figured that it would be a good time to make a detour to Tehachapi. 

 

Our trip started out at about 7:30 from Temecula.  We just headed north on I15 to Hwy 395.  While heading up the grade leading to the Cajon Pass we spotted a couple of freight trains headed south.  It looked like it was going to be a decent day for rail fanning.

 

Well, as promising at it looked, it started to feel like there wasn't going to be much to see.  We hit Kramer Junction and headed west in Hwy 58 toward Tehachapi.  Didn't see a single train all the way to the loop.  I was pretty sure we were going to be there a while.

 

Anyway, we exited first off at Broom road.  (NEVER TRUST A GPS).  Broom road really doesn't go anywhere any more.  But there was a interesting view of some auto racks scattered about the area.  Not having been here before I didn't know if this was normal, but thought not.  More on that later.

 

Back on the highway heading west to Keene road.  Big sign there about the historical markers.  So we followed Keene road 3 miles back up the grade and finally came to a wide spot in the road.  There are the following 2 road side markers that over look the loop from the south side looking north. 

 

 

 

Well we start reading the plaques and just kind of enjoy the area and begin to relax for a wait.  I don't think we had been there more than 90 seconds, when I hear off in the distance a loco grinding it's way up the grade.   I'm realizing that I can't see where the loop crosses over itself.  Another rail fan points out where to look and realized at viewing height and angle you can't see it.  So I high tail it to the right (up the road) and find a path that will take me due east of the loop.  From here you can see Tunnel 9, and get a pretty good view. I got there just as the engines were passing through the tunnel.

 

Here's on shot of the train.  You can see it's passed through Tunnel 9, then looped the hill on the right and is heading around to approach tunnel 10 off to my right.  (for a better view, please click the picture to get a full sized image).

 

 

 

Well we walked back to the plaques to capture the images above. 

 

 

We got back in the car and headed further up Keene road.  I didn't have a clue where it was going to go, but figured we'd find out. 

 

Around a couple of curves we came across this scene. 

 

 

The train has exited tunnel 10 and is passing a bunch of auto racks sitting on the ground next to the track.

 

We spent some time at the Tehachapi RR Museum in the rebuilt depot in downtown Tehachapi. The auto rack story, according to museum personnel, is that there was a bit of a wait at the loop a few weeks back. One train was stopped on the upgrade side of the loop waiting on a train to come through. A second train, a UP from what the story teller says, was also stopped, behind the second train. The engineer on the UP train slips his breaks thinking, supposedly, to close the gap between him and the one in front. Loses control and rams the back of the first train at 21mph. He knocks a helper engine (it's been removed) off on to it's side and derails several auto racks. The rescue equipment got the engine up and removed and picked up the auto racks, but no one seems to car about picking them up so there they site.





 

 

Anyway, hope you enjoy.  I'll show some pics we got at Barstow in a couple of days.

 



More on the final track plan

Spent some time before the business meeting reviewing the track plan.  Got some pretty decent comments on it and I think it's pretty ready to go.  I've added some scenery and structures to give it a better feel for what I can actually do with it.  That odd green/grey/red thing in the middle is the SF tower in the Barstow yard. 

Short Track Railroad Facebook page

Spent some time last night building out the clubs Facebook page.  Did a presentation about social media and model railroad clubs.  It's an interesting way to promote your club.

Anyway, here's the link if you care to view it.  http://www.facebook.com/ShortTrackRR

If you find your way there please consider tossing us a like.

Final (maybe) track plan

Well the shed progresses.  Finished out the drywall this afternoon.  It's taped and mud is drying.

Really been around the bend with the track plan.  The struggle has been how to have a roundy-round layout that allows for some operations, and no duck-unders. The problem with that is that you only have one real choice and it's a dog bone.  BUT as my friends at NScale.net would say, I get in trouble with the reach police.

But at the same time I get in trouble with visitors if I make them duck under the layout to come visit.

This plan is a compromise.  First thing you'll notice is that the door now swings out.  Decided to rip out the door and re hang it.  That makes for much more operational room in the shed. 

The bridge at the door way is planned to be an easy lift out.  And will the bottom of it will be around 48" high so it will be possible to duck under as well.

Electrical

Ok, going to keep this one pretty short.  Pictures well tell a lot.

Decided to go with a short pig tail into a standard 125amp 4 breaker panel.  After that pretty much the rest of the electrical is to standards or code.

I've run 3 breakers.

• Breaker/Circuit 1 - Run to 2 outlets, dedicated to heating and AC. 
• Breaker/Circuit 2 - Run 2 switches
• Switch 1 goes to 2 banks of t5HO florescent lights
• Switch 2 goes to 5 LED light bars
• Breaker/Circuit 3 - Run 2 switches
• Switch 1 runs to 1 outlet.  Dedicated to DCC power pack
• Switch 2 runs to 3 outlets.   Will be used for powered accessories, etc.

Vents Part 1

Just a quick update.  Originally, and this shows how much there is to learn, I had not intended to build out any vents, intending to just use windows and AC/heat.

Night before last I came home and the shed had been closed up.  Condensation running down the walls convinced me I do need ventilation. I installed a roof vent yesterday, and will do a floor vent tonight.

Now I don't have pics yet, but will soon.  Pics of a vent just aren't exciting.  But I still have to deal with dust that will come in via the vents.  I'm going to build boxes to hold filters in front of both of the vents.  I'll post a bit about that in a few days.

Electrical - The plan

Well for those who are following the progress on the shed, I thank you for the time.

 

I finally found someone at Home Depot who was a full expert and knew exactly what I was trying to do here.  Turns out he had done something similar with his shed a few months back.  So with that I figured I'd show the electrical plan.

 

First on the out side of the shed will be a 4 breaker box with temporary pig tail installed. I'm specifically building this out so that when the time comes I can run the wire from my main panel, and just hook up to the box without tearing out walls, and layout.

 

The outlet plan below has 2 circuits.  One that runs to the heater and the AC units.  Wire for that will be 12/2 and will run direct.  The second circuit will run 14/2 wire to a pair of switches.  One switch to control power to the DCC power pack, and the second to run to the rest of the receptacles for other accessory power. 

 

 

Below is the plan for lighting.  One circuit for that.  I'll run 14/2 wire for that.  Again it will run to 2 switches.  One switch will control the work lighting.   Two florescent fixtures with T5 HO lights. I'll box the lights with fascia board.  The second switch will be dimmable and will control 5 LED light bars.

 

All the parts have been purchased and I should be able to start installation this week.