UP 8132 and its heavy manifest find the morning light as the train begins its assault on the first of many grades of Tehachapi while climbing into Ilmon.

A heavy BNSF grain train rolls downgrade crossing Tehachapi Creek soon to enter Sandcut and Bakersfield California. This train had 3 mid-train and 2 end of train DPU units.

With SP's loaded Oil Cans stopped just west of Ilmon, a member of the helper crew walks back towards his units after conferring with the head-end crew regarding the problem with the train. The hea... (more)

A venerable SD70MAC, UP 4166, brings up the rear of a West Colton-bound manifest at Ilmon as its train slowly approaches the "narrows" where it will stop to wait for the northbound ZLCLT.

Snaking Out of the Narrows. As the lush, green hills of Tehachapi slowly begin their turn to brown as temperatures across Southern California begin to feel more and more like summer - UP 76... (more)

A northbound BNSF freight passes through Ilmon, CA shortly after crossing the Tehachapi Mountains on the UP Mojave Sub. The train is crossing Caliente Creek which is flowing quite well on this we... (more)

The Tioga Pass brings up the markers on northbound No. 14 The Coast Starlight. Detouring off the Coast Route due to Tunnel work being done in the Chatsworth area, Amtrak No. 14 the northbound Coa... (more)

Detouring off the Coast Route due to Tunnel work being done in the Chatsworth area, Amtrak No. 14 the northbound Coast Starlight, is free of the slow speed of the pass and can notch it out for the... (more)

A Union Pacific stack train is leaving Rodeo Canyon on the Tehachapi Pass line on a fine fall evening. In front C45AH #2620 leads the train, assisted by SD70M #4203 and #3867 and AC45CCTE #7861.

View from high above Ilmon On a hazy but comfortable Feb afternoon a Southbound stack train led by BNSF 9061 climbs through Ilmon during Spring in California. The green hills popped up ear... (more)

About a month after the devastating flood, when both Tehachapi Creek and Caliente Creek went wild, a Santa Fe eastbound crosses the latter at Ilmon. Even at this late date, the creek, which is usu... (more)

SP helper engineer and conductor make their way off their trailing unit. The BKDOU they're helping has suffered some sort of failure near the head end, and the conductor (closest to us) will walk ... (more)

After exiting the Tehachapi pass, BNSF 6722 rounds the curve as it enters Ilmon, CA just outside of Bakersfield, CA.

A Roger Puta Photograph

A westbound SP manifest rounds the curve just west of Ilmon after crossing Caliente Creek.