Heading from Stockton CA to Chicago IL, BNSF Guaranteed Service Intermodal train Q-STOCHI6-05L approaches the horseshoe curve at Caliente, in California's Tehachapi Mountains. Caliente, at an elevation of 1291-feet, is where the grade over the mountains really increases. The Southern Pacific reached this spot (originally called Allen’s Camp) on April 26th, 1875. For over a year, Caliente as the end of the line as an army of American and Chinese construction crews struggled to build a railroad over a pass that was considered impossible to cross by rail. The railroad has more curves than tangent (straight) track as it climbs to the summit at 4025-feet (including the famed Tehachapi Loop, in which the tracks curve for more the 360º to pass over itself). The first train crossed these mountains on May 26th, 1976. To begin this grade, the tracks make a 180º curve to gain elevation, and this line is visible in the background – and the Q-STOCHI6-05L (powered by BNSF Dash 9-44CW 4450, CREX ES44AC 1211 and BNSF SD70ACe 9075, with BNSF Dash 9-44CW 4524 and BNSF ES44DC 7478 on the rear) will be visible there in a few minutes.
