The old guard at Walonger…… On September 11th, 1996 the vast empire of the Southern Pacific Railroad was folded into the camp of their age old ally and rival, the Union Pacific. Since that time Southern Pacific's crossing of the Tehachapi Grade has witnessed many changes over the last two decades. None of the changes over the years have been quite as physically drastic as 'Walonger', the project in which the 4800' siding at Walong was linked up with the 6189' siding at Marcel, creating a new stretch of double track railroad. Work began on the project in 2015 and one year later the new main track was placed in service. With the pristine new main track two right of way basking in the afternoon sun a eastbound empty cement train emerges from tunnel 10 while climbing the grade behind former SP AC4400 #181, now UP 6229. It has been over 20-years since the once familiar scarlet & grey was the ruler of these rails but even now the old guard can still be found visiting the locations that were once so common to it, after all this will forever be remembered as Southern Pacific's Tehachapi.
