Tehachapi Loop "Walong" SP South bound train: 1997

[tmotorman]

Yep! This is what draws someone like me to California.

(I live on the top of NY state)

[wexfordman20]

nice video, sp never much ran the ac4400cw's with the the dash9s that much

[ShowTyme1994]

@wexfordman20 Well they were only around for roughly a year and the last half of the AC44s weren't even around for a year when SP went under. They didn't get the AC44s until 1995 and the C44-9Ws in 1994 plus the Dash 9s were used in Illinois, Wisconsin and Great Lake Region as well as Colorado on occasion until the AC locos arrived the following year and most were reassigned to the Sunset Route and former Cotton Belt lines. The AC44s were used mostly on coal and ore trains in Utah and Colorado

[ShowTyme1994]

@wexfordman20 but were later used throughout the system as needed.

[MrW6MX]

Typical SP shot train in the Loop. Great video. Thanks.

[ROADTRAIN23]

I see many patched SP AC4400CWs here in California (West Oakland Yard),but there are still a few out there NOT patched!

[xx193941]

the 1st helper unit in not running

[rtzook]

how come an un-patched sp is rare when you have two right here? what did they do with them today?

[alladinmoua]

@rtzook

Southern Pacific was absorbed by the Union Pacific in 1996. This footage was taken in 1997, roughly only a year after the merger, so unpatched Espee units were still the norm. Nowadays, Espee locomotives are rare because some were either patched or have been completely repainted into Union Pacific's yellow paint scheme. As of 2011, UP has retired nearly all of its older Southern Pacific locomotives, making chances of seeing them even rarer.

[Illifornia2000]

does anyone know the maximum number of cars on a mostly loaded train can pull eastbound over the Tehachapis? and what's the maximum on about the mostly empty westbound trains over the Tehachapis? or at least in general?

[RedLego391]

1997 footage and still good

[madleech]

WowowowowWOW! Now that's railroading! Perfect GE chug, squealing flanges, filthy SP locos, great plumes of exhaust and screaming EMD helpers! STUNNING!

[espeeboy]

Notice that it was VERY rare to see both SP AC4400's and C44-9W's (DC) mixed in together. Seeing I railfanned Tehachapi a few times when the 3-digit AC's were fairly new in '95, and '96, I did a double-take when the trailing SP8130 (Dash-9) went by in the video. Cool catch

[TLew01]

great video!! the only time they were clean was when they were new!!!

[est86leo]

I love how SP never took their engines to the wash rack! Those two salty SD40s are sooty as hell and thats the SP way!

[Joshjeff1611]

That is why in my frelance "SP buys UP" HO scale railroad Im gonna go away from speed lettering and back to SP block lettering, easier to maintain and cheeper to paint, ha ha.

[espeeboy]

Huh? This makes absolutely no sense, SP Speed Lettering and older SP Roman Block lettering were basically the same thing costing just about the same thing to apply on a locomotive but one with larger white hood decals and a reflective sill stripe. Soot on gray is soot on gray in each paint scheme case...

[espeeboy]

The 2 helpers in the vid are of course rebuild Morrison Knudsen SD40M-2's. Notice they are sister units - SP8579 & SP8580 (hard to read under that SP tunnel grime!). Both are unique in being part of 11 units out of the 133 SD40M-2 order built on ex-CNW SD45 frames but featuring the rear radiator section of ex-GP40's. Minus the SD45 flare, these unique "MK kitbashes" resemble a shorter framed SD45-2. Even with the smaller 16 cylinder prime mover, those 2 still sound good pumpin up the hill.

[DouglasP201]

I like the chugging noises on the GE's :) 5*****'s

[marodude752002]

Love this video

[JoaoT805]

beautiful EMD sound at the end.

[silicon212]

Nothing like the sound of 645s (or 567s or 710s for that matter) plugging away in Run 8.

[JoaoT805]

right on.

[busrailfan]

WOW! That's quite the plume of smoke as the lead end of the train exits the tunnel! Nice video and look forward to seeing more.

[RyanSamuelBarry]

Athearn makes an HO Scale of the SP AC4400 Road number 355 :)

[RRYankfan]

oh ok thanks

do you have any more shots of southern pacific trains climbing grades and through tunnels

i like to turn the volume up alot when nobody is home especially because of that bass speaker that i have it rumbles the hole house

[RRYankfan]

could you upload more please

fave+5star+subscribed

[tvnshack]

These are all my video tapes already. That's it. No more. But what I can is to re-edit them to release a Hi Quality clip.

[brandynkjackson]

man i noticed tha up and southern pacific always strained there engines with pulling long and heavy loads with only 2 engines i never unnderstood that man

[thad73va]

damn, I wonder what the ampmeter was reading?

[trainboy94]

It must have been great to see nonstop gray and red bloody noses and red and silver warbonnets, now it's all armor yellow and orange.

[BaronvonBavert]

great video and job, thanks

[andross51]

Back when SP and ATSF ruled the rails in tehachapi. Awesome video tvnshack!

[tvnshack]

Thanks. But I realize I could have put together a better vid from the original footage, and format it so that it should now be played in YouTube newer High Quality format. I'll go back soon to the video editing table and post a "redux" version.

[likestallwomen]

I agree, SP at it's best, loved it when SP ran a monster drag over the loop, and when Santa Fe grew their trains in the mid 80s, it made the loop that much more spectacular!

[BNSFUPrailfan]

Very nice there. It's nice to see some of the fallen flag railroads through the Tehachapi's.

[trevorandy]

that last sd40 is smoking a lot.

[zartok35]

The first locomotive is an AC44, it's in the 300 series. I like that Uke on the flatcar!

[tvnshack]

You're right! I don't understand how I I got into such mistake. I'll update my description to mention an AC4400CW (#356). The second unit is a C44-9W indeed (#8130). Thanks.

[xeltinyx]

Nice Video, got to love those SP Trains...

Sure do miss them. Where I live they used to roll by all the time, then UP took over.

[gibbons3458]

great video. you got some great shots. check out some of my vids. i lived in the area for about 7 years and took alot of video which I am slowly adding to youtube.

[tvnshack]

Sure will do! Thanks for dropping by.

[roundhouser]

MArvellous. Thats the SP the way I remembered it. Great video

[tvnshack]

If only I had shot more films while I was living not too far. Now I'm 8000 miles away! Thanks for the comment ;-)

[toorivers]

I wanna go, I wanna go!!!!

[tvnshack]

There used to be a webcam in a location close to the loop. With some luck it can still be online. It's a nice place to go. Each time I've been there, there were friendly train watchers to chat with.