Tehachapi and Cajon

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

I am going to LA soon and I wonder if forum members could help me with a few questions I have.

I would be grateful to hear whether you think the RR museums at Tehachapi and in San Bernardino are worth visiting. Is there a RR museum in Los Angeles?

I would be delighted to have the opportunity to visit Tehachapi and Cajon to see the trains.

I would be very grateful if anyone could suggest the best places to see trains on the Tehachapi loop and Cajon, bearing in mind that I want to avoid trespassing.

Could I ask which is the best place to see trains, is 16203 Cajon Blvd (which I found on Google Maps) or the end of Cajon Blvd a good place or are there better places?

16203 Cajon Blvd - Google Maps

or

2769 Cajon Blvd - Google Maps

Could I kindly enquire as to whether there are guided tours at LAUPT station in Los Angeles?

Could I kindly enquire as to whether I am permitted to take pictures or video footage there?

I would be grateful for any information regarding good places to see trains in Los Angeles.

Is Rondeo Roundhouse accessible?

I would also be interested to know whether the bridges over the LA River are safe to view Amtrak trains from (E Olympic Blvd bridge).

Could you kindly let me know what the rules are for taking photos and videos filming of trains in public places?

Is it freely allowed or are there restrictions?

I would like to thank forum members in advance for any information they might be able to provide.

Edmond

PS: I found this place at LAUPT(now Union Station) with a parking lot, is this a good place

2

You may want to try the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, which is about 25 miles south of San Bernardino. Travel Town on the Pomona fairgrounds may also be worth a visit.

3

Rail Giants in Pomona website http://www.railgiants.org/

On the north side of Griffith Park is the Travel Town rail museum. Haven’t been there in decades but it was good back then. https://traveltown.org/

The Tehachapi Depot Museum on the south side of the tracks on Green Street is small but has a lot of neat items relative to the railroads coming over the pass. There are no rolling-stock displays, but loads of trains come by that you can watch from the north porch. Also, Kohnen’s Bakery is just to the west on the boulevard, but be warned that the deli sandwiches have a history of being huge. https://tehachapidepot.com/

As for the loop, probably the best vantage point is from Woodford Tehachapi Road. It appears that there have been some improvements in the viewing point (I didn’t get out there last spring on our Tehachapi visit). Either head west on Cal-58 and get off at Keene and come back east on the road, or find your way over to Woodford Tehachapi Road in town and head west. The viewing point is very obvious now and there is parking available on both sides of the road, it looks like. Expect people to be there most of the time, though not a crowd.

4

Thank you for the information. I will this put on my list.

5

Thank you for te information. Was the now operating Big Boy not on display in Pomona?

6

As far as museums are concerned you did not state your interests, so it is difficult to answer your inquiry. My guess is you are a contemporary operating person and would find the Tehachapi and San Bernardino museums boring.

There is a strip of parking places by the Tehachapi Loop (on a back road), otherwise parking is limited, mainly at rare places to pull off the road.

The current issue of TRAINS (September 2024), pages 56 and 57 (two top photos), illustrates Tehachapi Pass back roads and lack of parking.

On Cajon, there is a great place off Cleghorn Road (a freeway exit) where many railfans regularly park on Cajon Blvd. (that parallels the BNSF tracks) about a half mile long with little traffic. The biggest problem is weekday morning and evening rushes on the freeway and the main Cajon Blvd., like traffic backed up for miles!

You can use the above mentioned location as a staging area to see other sites in the Pass. The great Summit on Highway 138 is NO more, and safety is questionable with 55 M.P.H. vehicles passing by. And watch for that single roadway hairpin turn on Highway 138!!! (You’ll see all the long skid marks!)

(I consider myself a Cajon Pass local, so the advice herein is trustworthy.)

The Perris museum (second post herein) is super! The Rail Giants museum too is super, but much smaller.

7

Both your locations on Cajon Blvd. will give good viewing of a lot of trains. The area just West of I-15 by the highway 138 bridge over the tracks is also great, but requires a bit of hiking to find really good spots.

In the Tehachapi area, my favorite spot is Caliente, off highway 58 a few miles West of the Loop. The tracks make a grand horshoe and begin the assent in ernest there. Never had any issues with tresspass, just stay close to the road.

In both locations, bring water, sunscreen and beware of rattlesnakes!

The Perris museum is really good but be aware that the emphasis is on transit rather than on mainline railroads. Still probably the best in So. Cal. Travel Town, near the LA Zoo is mostly for kids, and worth visiting only if you are nearby and have time. The collection at the Pomona fairgrounds used to be pretty good but I haven’t been there in many years. Big Boy 4014 used to be there, but there is other worthwhile stuffed, mounted steam and desiel.

LAUS is of course worth a visit. Technically, some areas are off limits to anyone without a ticket, but you can see everything pretty well. You can always buy a Metrolink ticket to Glendale for a few $$, but as the station is home to heavy and light rail transit lines, with throngs of people transfering, I don’t think you should have any problems. I never had any issues taking pictures there. As far as I know, there are no regularly scheduled tours, but group tours can be arrnged. If you’re there, do yourself a favor and walk 2 blocks north on Alameda Street to Phillipe’s, home of the French Dip Sandwich. The cole slaw is also excellent and prices (for California) are decent.

Enjoy.

8

More on Cajon Pass …

BNSF is currently adding a fourth track Verdemont to downtown San Bernardino, which may be worthwhile to check out. And, or course, the old San Bernardino depot has that museum in it. Be advised the depot has a sign warning of a stiff fine for being by the depot tracks without a fare! ($1300 as I recall.) You may want to check out, too, the new San Bernardino-Redlands light rail train (9 miles or so) called Arrow. A heavy rail pocket track was built for overnight stays in Redlands for the lone Metrolink train that follows the Arrow route to Redlands.

Long gone old timers (Steinheimer, Walker) would turn over in their graves if they knew of the great train counts Cajon Pass sees now!

9

Hello everyone,

Sorry I was unable to reply earlier due to technical problems with the forum.

I would like to thank everyone who replied to my thread.

I enjoyed my trip to Los Angeles, I will be going back as I was not able to do everything I would have liked to do.

If you have any more or new information I would be delighted to hear from you.

10

Thanks for the update and glad to see that you hadn’t given up on replying.