Amtrak 4, the eastbound Southwest Chief, detours via Metrolink's River Subdivision and past the aging, long neglected ex-Southern Pacific turntable pit at Taylor Yard as it heads for Mojave. Once the home to a plentiful amount of power - from steam locomotives in the early 1900's up to the mid-1990's deisels - this roundhouse played an important servicing location for the SP before it was demolished less than 10 years after the company's purchase to the Union Pacific. While there was hope that Taylor would remain in service to the UP, the company ceased all operations here in 2003 after completing their move of locomotive and railcar services to West Colton.
Far from the days of cab-forward steam locomotive and fast passenger 4-8-4 "Daylight" GS-4's, today's Southwest Chief is lead by back-to-back facing P42's that will lead their train through Soledad Canyon to the Union Pacific wye located near the middle of their yard in Mojave before pointing its nose east once again to race accross the desert to Barstow to rejoin its normal route.
