Five diesel locomotives cross under the caboose of its own train after they traveled around the Tehachapi Loop at Walong, California, October 20, 1974. The Southern Pacific built the line eastward from Caliente up into the mountains on a 2.52 per cent ruling grade in 1875 and 1876. The 27 mile line through Tehachapi Pass, constructed under engineer William Hood, included a horseshoe curve at Caliente's Neck and a 3795-foot loop crossing over itself to gain 78 feet in elevation. This loop at Walong siding, the Tehachapi Loop, became world famous and is the outstanding feature of the hill. In 1899, the Sante Fe acquired rights to use the line resulting in a parade of trains moving up and down the hill since the start of the 20th century. Motive power was always big and in the second generation diesel era, the typical big power in General Motors EMD model SD45-2 locomotives such as the 5705 leading the train pictured.
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