BNSF Railway train Z-LACALT7-11 has been steadily climbing a 2.2% grade since shortly after it departed San Bernardino twenty-five miles ago. Now, as this Priority UPS-LTL Intermodal train passes through Silverwood, the Summit of Cajon Pass is just one mile ahead, after which this train will be able to pick up speed for a while as it ferries its 72 loaded cars from Los Angeles’ Hobart Yard to Alliance, Texas. Behind lead engine BNSF 6258 (an ES44AC) are three pool power units that arrived in LA shortly after midnight on Baretable train B-SIFLAC4-09A (Stockton CA to Los Angeles), and before that they were on grain train G-SWEFRS3-03 (Sweetgrass MT to Fresno CA). Two of them are also ES44ACs (Union Pacific 8235 and Canadian Pacific 8751), but the third engine CP 7014, is a rebuild SD90MAC (formerly CP 9121) that was rebuilt into an SD70ACU (similar to the rebuilds that Norfolk Southern has been doing), and painted in the CP’s retro paint. (CP painted five of these in the version with script lettering, as on CP 7014, and five in the version with Roman lettering). These four engines are generating 3.4 horsepower per ton to get this 6731-toot, 5089-ton train over the railroad. (Cajon Pass, California – June 11, 2020)
