The temperature in Banning, California, was approaching 100º as Union Pacific ES44AC 8227, with train ZCIG4-13 in tow, passed through, but higher temperatures (118º!) lay ahead as this train was heading for Indio and Yuma, in the "low" desert. (Low enough that this train will operate from Banning's 2349' elevation to 220' BELOW sea level as the old SP Sunset Route skirts the Salton Sea in another 80 miles.)
