Tehachapi

Per Alton Pryor’s book Historic California: Its Colorful Names and How It Got Them, the word Tehachapi is “the Indian name for a creek … recorded in 1853.” After the railroad was built across the mountains in 1876, “Southern Pacific Railroad transferred the name from the old wagon route to the railroad pass.” Several train tunnel openings are visible from State Route 58; but I had been wanting to check out the famous Tehachapi Loop for quite awhile. I finally got my chance when we stopped overnight in the city of Tehachapi last June. We set out eagerly the next morning — but fate was not on our side, as the road had been temporarily closed due to a brush fire in the area. I keep hoping that one of these days I’ll get a better chance to explore the Tehachapi area and come up with some better images to share! In the meantime, my trusty book of California Historical Landmarks (1996 version) lists the Tehachapi Loop as Historical marker No. 508:

From this spot may be seen a portion of the world-reknowned Loop completed in 1876 under the direction of William Hood, Southern Pacific Railroad engineer. In gaining elevation around the central hill of the Loop, a 4,000-foot train will cross 77 feet above its rear cars in the tunnel below — On Old State Highway… 6.5 mi W of Tehachapi