cajon pass

Elevation 1,277 m (4,190 ft) Location San Bernardino County, California, United States Range San Bernardino Mountains/San Gabriel Mountains Coordinates 34°18.7'N 117°28.5'W? / ?34.3117°N 117.475°W? / 34.3117; -117.475Coordinates: 34°18.7'N 117°28.5'W? / ?34.3117°N 117.475°W? / 34.3117; -117.475 Traversed by I-15, Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway

At an elevation of 4,190 ft the Cajon Pass (pronounced /k?'ho?n/) is a moderate-elevation mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California in the United States. It was created by the movements of the San Andreas Fault. The pass provides an important economic link from the Los Angeles Basin to Victor Valley and the Mojave Desert, including Las Vegas. Mormon Rocks

In 1851, a band of Mormon settlers led by Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. Rich crossed Cajon Pass on their way from Salt Lake City to the Los Angeles basin. In commemoration of this crossing, a section of the pass where the railroad passes through (near Sullivan's Curve) is now known as Mormon Rocks. Contents [hide] 1 Aviation 2 Rail transport 3 Road transport 4 Utilities infrastructure 5 Natural hazards 6 References 7 External links //

Aviation

The Cajon Pass area is known for high wind, turbulence and fog.[1] The weather over the pass can vary, from foggy days with poor visibility to clear afternoons where aircraft are bounced by gusting Santa Ana winds that top 70-80 mph. [2] In the 2006 Mercy Air 2 accident, an air ambulance helicopter collided with mountainous terrain near the pass in foggy weather.

Rail transport An eastbound Union Pacific Railroad train working upgrade on Cajon Pass.

The California Southern Railroad, a subsidiary of the Santa Fe Railway, was the first railroad to use the Cajon Pass as a route through the mountains. The rail line through the pass was built in the early 1880s as part of a connection between the present day cities of Barstow and San Diego.[3][4] Today, the Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway (the successor to the Santa Fe) use this pass to access Los Angeles. Due to the high volume of trains, noteworthy scenery and easy access, it is a popular location for railfanning, and numerous photographs of trains on Cajon Pass appear in books and magazines about trains. The current Amtrak Chicago-Los Angeles Southwest Chief passenger train travels through the pass.

The Union Pacific Railroad owns one track through the pass, the previous Southern Pacific Railroad Palmdale cutoff. The BNSF Railway has two tracks and began to operate a third track in the summer of 2008.[5] The railroads can share tracks through the pass as needed, the Union Pacific had trackage rights on the Santa Fe portion negotiated under the original Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. The first BNSF line was constructed in 1890 and closely follows I-15. The second track, built in 1913, makes a two mile (3 km) longer loop to around the hills at a lower