Early morning light fills the Tehachapi Creek Canyon, as four C44-9Ws lead the Z-STOWSP out of Tunnel 7 high above the creek bottom below.

Three DPUs bring up the rear of a unit coal train as they descend through the curves high above Tehachapi Creek at Cliff.

The S-FTMOIG, a stack train bound for the Oakland International Gateway, is rolling down past the north switch at Cliff, about to enter Tunnel 5.

SD45-2 #5800 leads an eastbound manifest between Tunnel 7 and 8 just west of Rowen.

The ear-splitting sound of a 10,000-ton eastbound coal train passing through Cliff is enough to bring any photographer to his knees. This coal load, headed for Trona from its loadout in Utah, has ... (more)

A close-up of the rear of helper 2810 as it shoves a manifest up the steep grade between Cliff and tunnel 7.

An SD40-2/SD45 mid-train helper assists a long intermodal train in its climb up the stiff grade at Cliff.

Santa Fe 527 Working hard upgrade after bursting out of Tunnel 5 at Cliff in the Tehachapi Mtns

Having passed through tunnel #3, and by daylighted tunnel #4, BN 9287 leads this "southbound through Cliff.

Helpers on unit coil steel train

BNSF5337, FURX7932, BN6389, BNSF6938 pull out of Tunnel 5 between Bealville and Cliff with a southbound manifest. Note the cloud of thick exhaust smoke!

UP5748, UP5714, UP5717 head south over the main track at Cliff (between Bealville and Woodford), with southbound manifest from Roseville to West Colton. 09.33Hrs

With the Tehachapis in full bloom, a 10,000-ton coal train is assisted up the pass by two GP60s acting as swing helper.

BNSF4901, BNSF4752, BNSF4621, BNSF961 depart from Tunnel 5 and approach Cliff North Switch, southbound intermodal, 16.40Hrs