| Catching two trains in one photo isn't too unusual on California's Cajon Pass. But what was often confusing to those unfamiliar with the Pass is that one could see two trains, one heading uphill and the other downhill, yet they were both westbound. Such is the case here, on October 15th, 1979. In the foreground is a Union Pacific grain train heading west, downgrade, to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Meanwhile, on the adjacent Southern Pacific Palmdale Cutoff, is a train heading in the opposite direction - upgrade - yet it is also westbound. This is because on the SP anything heading toward San Francisco is westbound, and this train is heading, generally, in that direction. The SP train has a nice mix of typical 1970s power: SP SD45T-2s 9252 and 9176, SD45 9014, SD45T-2s 9195 and 9230 and pooled Union Pacific SD40-2 3389. |