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at opposite ends. Following oratory from railroad and Sylmar-all on the company's Saugus Line. Beyond
civic officials, SPRR President Charles Crocker gave Sylmar, the gradient sharpens to 1.6%; the 1.3-mile San
the order to "Fall to!" and the climactic tracklaying Fernando bore, hidden below crisscrossing freeway
race was on. Although the L.A. team was victorious in bridges, looms just ahead; the ascent to Soledad Can-
spiking down its last rail ahead of their northern breth- yon has begun. The climb tops out near No. 25's west
ren, a sense of mutual accomplishment made the Hood end, dropping upon the Saugus/Newhall area at 2.1 %.
team equally and rightfully triumphant. Crocker drove The Saugus turn graces its namesake town during the
the proverbial gold spike to officially complete the line. lunch hour, often holing up for over an hour to allow
"Last spike connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco the daytime westbound symbol run to proceed un-
by Rail" was inscribed on the spike, and that it was, delayed. Yard limits surround the switching leads of
because little more than stub-end trackage and obscure Saugus, but the roadbed west of there, although classi-
gradings existed in the Cajon on the day Soledad Pass fied as a low-density freight line, is strictly for through
became L.A.'s first rail link to the outside world. trains. Extras dispatched to the Saugus Line require a
clearance card listed ''Saugus Dispatcher" for the run
to Mojave, and one labeled "Valley Mountain Dis-
patcher" for passage to Bakersfield.
The brunt of Soledad's action takes place late at
Soledad Today
night, a whopping total of two or three westbounds at
best, with daylight hours bringing two additional trains.
S IX DAYS A WEEKAT9:00A.M., THE SAUGUS A westbound out of Los Angeles normally clears
Tunnel 25 before 11 :00 a.m. Proceeding at prescribed
Local is fired up to begin the day's routine. Stand-
ard power for the Local is a pair of four-axled units speeds (40 mph between No. 25 and Humphreys, 30
coupled back to back, ranging from GP-9s to SW-1500s. mph through Soledad Canyon to Harold), trains com-
Gemco, on the SP's Coast Line, is home base to the plete their journey from Saugus to Palmdale in roughly
Saugus Local; from there the cars are switched to sta- 90 minutes. Typically, there is also an afternoon east-
tions like Sun Valley, Pacoima, San Fernando, and bound train through Soledad.

One of the now-gone railfan pleasures was photographing Soledad Canyon from the half-open
"dutch door" of a vestibule aboard the San Joaquin Daylight, as on this sunny day in spring
1966. Heading the train were six F7 units. - JIM WALKER

PACIFIC NEWS • I I