36 photos included after text.

Moving on to Blue Cut, we will pass a couple of great places for photos.  First you need to get onto the Cleghorn Cutoff.  Get back onto interstate 15 and go north up the grade to exit #124 for Kenwood Ave which is the lower entrance for the Cleghorn Cutoff.  This two lane road is about a 5 mile long remnant of the old Historic Route 66, and runs between interstate 15 and the tracks.  It will reconnect with the interstate at exit #129.  That exit is called Cleghorn Road and along the way will provide access to the areas of Blue Cut, the Stone Arch Bridge, and Cajon Station.

KEENBROOK ROAD

Exactly 1.9 miles from the exit #124 for Kenwood Ave, is a dirt road called Keenbrook Road that will travel past a couple of homes on its way to the tracks 1/4 mile away.  You could get some photos around here, but there are some wires and other obstructions to deal with.  I haven't spent to much time here.  There are better other choices.

STONE ARCH BRIDGE

Continue another 1.5 miles up the Cleghorn cutoff from Keenbrook Road, and you will see a long stone wall next to the road.  On the other side of that wall are the BNSF tracks as they cross a rather impressive stone arch bridge over a creek.  This is a great place for late afternoon photos of downhill trains, and early morning photos of uphill trains.

Another 1.1 miles up Cleghorn Road from here, is the turnoff for Swarthout Canyon Road that will take you to Blue Cut and later, the road for the "Keenbrook area".  Turn onto Swarthout Canyon Road and travel another .4 miles to the grade crossing for the three mains of the BNSF.  From here you can either go along a dirt road that runs alongside the tracks, stay here and photograph from the open area cross the road next to the curve, or continue up the road to the other grade crossing for the Union Pacific track and the dirt road to the "Keenbrook Area".

The grade crossing for the BNSF offers a couple of great photos of uphill trains struggling up the grade, or downhill trains as they round that curve around the rocky ledge.  The uphill train photos are best in the early morning in winter or the mid morning in winter.  Photos of downhill trains are more of the "power" shot variety, and they are good in the mid afternoon in summer or winter.

BLUE CUT

Driving down that dirt road you can see next to the tracks, will take you to what I call "Blue Cut Hill".  Blue Cut Hill is only .2 miles down that dirt road from Swarthout Canyon Road, and is the place many photographers before you have taken those great photos you have seen in many books or magazines.  Park next to the first hill you see, and climb about 10 feet up to the top.  Photos of downhill trains are great in the mid to late afternoon in summer or winter.  Uphill trains are taken best in the early morning in winter, or the mid morning in summer.

Photos of Union Pacific trains on the Palmdale Cutoff are also possible from the Blue Cut Hill.  Downhill trains as they round the curve above the BNSF tracks to your right, are great. Even though a photo from Blue Cut Hill of a train on the Palmdale Cutoff is more of an upwards angle, it is still quite dramatic.  Straight ahead, and above the ranch is a place for some more photos of individual equipment, but that is about all.  There are just to many obstructions like bushes and trees, to make for real great photos from there.  Good roster or close-up photos though.   

Another great place near here, is on a path that travels around "Blue Cut Hill" for maybe .1 mile to an end.  More great photos are possible here of uphill or downhill trains at the same sun times as "Blue Cut Hill".  This area is next to the signal tower that is over the tracks, and right in the middle of a shallow "S" curve.  Use the tower to your advantage in photos of uphill trains.

Another great place to get photos of the Blue Cut area is actually from interstate 15.  Travel downhill from the Cleghorn Road exit #129 for 1.8 miles to a large open area on the right side of the road.  Park as far away from the freeway as you can, and get your photos before the CHP sees you.  Stand close to the edge of the cliff, and you will see a fantastic view of the Blue Cut Area from overhead.

"KEENBROOK AREA"

The next area around Blue Cut is the "Keenbrook Area".  Get back onto Swarthout Canyon Road and from the BNSF grade crossing, go another 1/2 mile to the Union Pacific grade crossing.  Just past the crossing is a dirt road that goes to the left, back down the hill.  Follow this road for .2 miles and you will be at the first good location for downhill U.P. trains on the Palmdale Cutoff.  Climb up the nearby hillside when you know a downhill train is coming.  Best in the late afternoon in summer.

Travel another 1/2 mile along this dirt service road to a large open area, and you are at the "Keenbrook Area".  Understand that at several times, while you are driving on this service road, you will be driving on loose ballast and quite close to the track.  Be very careful on this road.  You do not want to get stuck.  If you have a small car or low profile vehicle it would be a better idea to walk to the "Keenbrook Area".

This area is off of the Union Pacific track, but is actually a photo location for the BNSF tracks below you.  These photos are best in the late afternoon in summer, but be there before the shadows of the mountains covers the tracks.  Move yourself to the left or right to get the best sun angle.  Photos along here are great of uphill or downhill trains on the BNSF tracks.

CAJON STATION

Cajon Station is the lower area in the pass where the two mainlines for the old ATSF seperate. The original main 2 (south track), continued along the steeper route up the pass.  Main (#1) constructed in 1913, turned away from the original main #2, and took the longer, but less steep route and was nicknamed the north track.  The two tracks joined together again at the "Knoll" located just below Summit.  With the addition of the third main in Cajon Pass in 2008, the BNSF had the new main follow basically the north track route with the less grade.  Original main 1 stayed main 1, original main 2 (south track), became main 3, and the newly constructed main became main 2.

With the addition of the new third main, the old nicknames of "north" or "south" track have been somewhat dropped.  Although main 3 has retained its nickname, and is still refered to as the "south" track, it is more commonly refered to over the radio, as the more official sounding,  main 3.  As a railfanner, it is our choice.  There is no penalty for using improper verbal labeling.  You could even call it the "in-emminate-peril-and-psycosocial-identity-crisis-because-the-other-two-tracks-have-less-grade-and-therefore-the-BNSF-loves-them-better", track.  Ha ha, just kidding.

CLEGHORN CUTOFF 

There are several specific places to get different photos along the Cleghorn Cutoff between exit #129 and Swarthout Canyon Road.  They are first, when the Cleghorn Cutoff turns next to the tracks (.1 miles), the road with the gate (.3 miles), the road on the other side of the cutoff (.4 miles), the bridge (.7 miles), and finally the jog in the tracks (1.1 miles), from exit #129.

Explore these, and any other places on the Cleghorn Cutoff without the threat of persecution because you are on public property.  Just be very aware and careful of the cars that at times drive very fast on the two-lane road.