ATSF ATSF westbound through Tehachapi

Circa 1982. At Walong (Tehachapi Loop). ATSF 5132 leads 4 other units including a couple of blue bonnet locos.

 

I miss the days when it was normal to see 5-8 locomotives heading up regular trains. It just looked more powerful than these two and three Dash 9 or SD70 lashups we are saddled with nowadays!

 

I agree gang, I recall the old SP, would throw about anything that ran on their consists. They seemed to typically have at least 8 units or more on their trains through the Tehachapi's.

 

Here is an example of an SP train. Taken in Palmdale circa 1984, south (RR east) of Tehachapi. All that power just roaring by!
And mostly tunnel motors too!

 

Nice shots, Mike. That SP red seems to be lost under a ton of tunnel soot.

 

Thanks Pierce, yes they were really dirty! The ol' SP rarely had their units visit the wash rack, or it seemed that way at least.

 

You mean the SP actually had washracks???

 

Yeah, but the instructions were written in Chinese, so they never figured out how to use them.

 

Or they figured this is their contibution to Mother Earth - don't waste water on washing locomotives...