Prototypical trains and activities on the Tehachapi Loop

[TrainFreak]

I recently ordered 3DTrainStuff's Tehachapi Loop, and was thinking of designing some activities for it when I receive my route.
I want the activities to be as prototypical as possible, so I wonder:
1. What types of trains are most prototypical on the loop? (i.e. tank trains, grain, intermodal, coal, mixed etc.)
2. What types of locomotives and rollings stock are most prototypical?
3. Are there passenger traffic over the loop?
4. The line is shared between UP and BNSF, but to which degree? Is there 50/50 UP/BNSF or does UP stand for the majority of traffic?

[bnsf4794]

Hi TrainFreak,

For modern-day operations.....

1. Tehachapi Pass has your typical mixed-freight trains, and you see alot of intermodal. There's no more tank train on this line though. You can also see sugarbeet trains at certain times of the year. You'll see coal now and then also. Also lumber trains grace this line heading eastbound.

2. Again, it's just your normal everyday Class-1 railroad, so you see mostly new modern power, and a little of the older stuff. AC4400's, Dash-9's, SD70's for example. Most of what you see will be BNSF or UP, but other roads can and do show up in consists from time to time.

3. No passenger traffic today, but that's not to say it can't happen in an emergency. In the 1950's SP and ATSF had passenger trains on this line.

4. The line is just shared, there's no quota or anything like that. Some days you see more BNSF, other days you see more UP.

John Greenstone
3DTrainstuff Route Designer

[TrainFreak]

I was thinking of doing the following trains:

1 - 55 car Intermodal hauled by 2xSD90MACs (UP)

2 - 40-50 car Mixed Freight hauled by 2xSD70Ms (SP)

3 - various mixed Freight hauled by up to 3xSD60Ms (UP)

4 - local freight hauled by a GP60 (SP)

For BNSF stuff I'll stick to the default consists.

Does this seem prototypical enough?

[bnsf4794]

Yep that sounds about right.