In 1899 facing the threat of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway completing their own link between northern and southern California via the Tehachapi range the Southern Pacific Railroad negotiated a trackage rights deal with their new rival in the Golden State. The new agreement would see the Santa Fe share Southern Pacific's Tehachapi crossing between Kern Junction (Bakersfield) and Mojave, a distance of roughly 68 miles. In 1995 the landscape on Tehachapi changed when the Santa Fe merged with the Burlington Norther to form the BNSF, further changes followed a year later when the Union Pacific acquired the Southern Pacific, putting an end to the near century long rule of the SP-ATSF over the Tehachapi, turning the page to begin the next chapter in Tehachapi's history, the UP-BNSF era. 15 years removed from the BNSF merger the once familiar and beloved colors of the Santa Fe, still earning their keep under the BNSF banner, finds a leading role on the western slope of the Tehachapi grade. With its train wrapped around the neck of Clear Creek Ravine BNSF 610, ex-ATSF 610, will within moments enter tunnel 5 as the eastbound stack train climbs the mountain towards Cliff.
