Cajon Pass Rails
Railroad Photography
and History in the Cajon Pass

Photos | Facts | History | Locations | What's New

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Railroading and the Cajon Pass have been synonymous since Fred T. Perris, Chief Engineer of the California Southern Railroad (CSRR), surveyed the first route through the pass in 1883. The first line, between San Bernardino and Barstow, was completed on November 9, 1885. It has fascinated railfans ever since.

By 1902, the track was owned by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company (ATSF) and the Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) obtained trackage rights in 1905. The Southern Pacific Railroad Company (SP) built its own track, known as the Palmdale-Colton Cutoff, through the pass in 1966-1967.

The 1885 track had a ruling grade of 3%. By 1913, a second track, with a ruling grade of 2.2%, had been constructed North of the first track from San Bernardino to Summit. The first track was then named the South Track and the new one, the North Track. These designations lasted until after the ATSF/BN merger, when they were renamed Main No. 1 (old North) and Main No. 2 (old South) in keeping with standard railroad nomenclature.

The Santa Fe and the Burlington Northern merged in 1995 to form the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and the Southern Pacfic merged with Union Pacfic in 1996, leaving the Union Pacific.

I became interested in Cajon Pass in 1981 when I was invited to accompany my friend, and noted railroad photographer, Robert L. Kern, on a shooting session. I've been going back, when time permits, ever since.

This site is a work in progress. It contains some:

A Third Main Track on the Hill

In 2006, BNSF applied to the Army Corps of Engineers and the County of San Bernardino for permission to build a third main line from Summit (MP 55.7) to Keenbrook (MP 69.5). The Preliminary EIR was published in November of 2006 and the Final EIR was published in March of 2007. Both of these documents are available here.

These are fascinating documents with numerous maps and photographs. Section 3.5.1.1.2.1 has a discussion of Train Watching as a Land Use in the Cajon Pass. It specifies ten primary train watching sites within the project area.

Numerous letters in Appendix C of the Final EIR address the subject of train watching and the need for continued access to these locations. The Response to Comments Matrix in Appendix C9 addresses these issues and assures the respondants that the primary access routes will remain open during and after construction. These named routes are:

  • 3N48 (Parker Ranch Road): Primary access to the MP 58/58X area and Hill 582 [Note: as of 2008-03-08, the Parker Ranch Road ends at MP58X as the grade crossing there has been removed];
  • 3N21 (Baldy Mesa Road): Access to the Gish & Dell areas on the South and Alray on the North [Note: as of 2008-03-08, the Baldy Mesa Road is closed to the public at Hwy 138] [Note: As of 2008-07-13, the Baldy Mesa Road is once again open];
  • 3N45 (Old Hesperia Road): Access to the area around MP 57 where the tracks split; and
  • 3N53 and 2N89: Public Roads along the North side of the UP (old SP) track.

Construction Under Way

As of Labor Day (September 3, 2007), construction on the third main track is well under way. The prime contractor is Ames Construction Inc. From New Keenbrook to Summit, you are likely to encounter one or more of their red trucks with the Running A logo and any number of their highly competent construction personnel.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department has prepared a slide presentation on the construction.

Construction Nearly Done

As of 2008-07-13, the major grading and earth movement appears to be complete and Ames Construction, the prime contractor, is mostly gone. Traffic is flowing on the new track from Summit to Walker (MP 60.2X just West of Alray);

Steve Caine
Pasadena, California
October, 2004
Last Revised July 21, 2008

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