Weather reports were stating that southern California’s San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains we to expect snow down to the 2,000-foot level. So, as often happens when there is snow that low, railfans ventured into Cajon Pass, where the summit of the BNSF Railway is at an elevation of 3,775-feet, and the former Southern Pacific line, now part of Union Pacific’s empire, is located at 3,849-feet. Heading up there early in the morning with great expectations, we were met with … well … a light dusting in the higher elevations (3,300-feet and higher). Sigh. It’s not the first time we’ve been skunked this way, so we’ve learned to make do with appears to be a heavy frost. The first train we encountered at Summit was BNSF’s Z-SBDWSP8-23, an intermodal train that originated in nearby San Bernardino, as the base of Cajon Pass, and is headed to Willow Springs, near Chicago. BNSF ES44C4 6917 leads the train, and a few hours later another train would pass through behind it led by BNSF Es44AC 6017. (Yeah, it’s just a coincidence. But somewhat interesting to some of us.). The second locomotive is ES44AC 6111, one of ten wearing logos from BNSF’s predecessor roads to celebrate the Railway’s 25th Anniversary, and the first of three Anniversary engines to head east from San Bernardino on this day (including the aforementioned 6017). For me, personally, BNSF 6111 this morning represented the ninth of the ten engines that I have photographed. (My wife was so excited by this news! Full Disclaimer: No, she wasn’t.) The other engines in this consist included three Dash 9-44CWs: 4335, 4620 and 4039. (Cajon Pass, California – February 23, 2022)
