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Extra 8480 has just passed through my home town, Rosamond, CA on May 21, 1973 with the Portland Sunset East (freight train symbol PSSE). In the background you can see the Big C Bargain Barn and Rocket Gasoline. In the distance is Soledad Mountain and behind it are the Tehachapi Mountains.
For a short time after the completion of the Palmdale Colton Cutoff, Rosamond served as a base for westbound helpers. Trains operating through Soledad Canyon had been restricted in length because of the short sidings that were mostly 4,500 feet long. All of the sidings on the cutoff were about 9,000 feet. The three major sidings between Palmdale and Mojave were 8,350 feet. The SP began running longer trains. Westbound trains would get a helper from Garnet to Beaumont to get over Beaumont Pass, another from Colton to Hiland to get over Cajon Pass, and finally pick up a helper at Rosamond to get to Summit just east of Tehachapi.
The crews and engines for the Rosamond helper came out of Bakersfield. Often the power would help an eastbound train to Summit Switch then run lite engine down to Rosamond. Occasionally, the power would run lite all the way from
Bakersfield. Since the power came from Bakersfield, I would occasionally see Valley power. I remember an A-B-A set of F7s, Alco 628s or 630s, and other odd combinations. I don't think we ever got any of the hydraulics. I wish I had my camera
in 1968.
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