9 photos included after text.

San Bernardino is a city on the eastern side of Los Angeles, CA and is at the base of the western slope of Cajon Pass.  It is a large city with a population of around 200,000 and is more "industrial" than being a big tourist town. 

Major interstates are the north and south 215 traveling through its middle but to its eastern side, and interstate 10 going east and west along its southern border.  Interstate 215 has 5 exits worth mentioning, between the junction of I15 to the north, and the junction of I10 to the south.  There are 10 total, but only 5 relate to the train areas.

Although not part of Cajon Pass, I do want to mention that just south of interstate 10 is the Union Pacific Colton Yard.  This is a long east/west yard that is accessable from six exits, Sierra Ave to the west, through La Cadena Drive to the east.  This yard was formerly owned by the Southern Pacific and has many photographic possibilities that I will not cover right now.

In relation to Cajon Pass, San Bernardino's best train watching asset is the Depot for Amtrak and Metrolink, and the intermodal yard just south of 5th Street.

METROLINK

Metrolink is the name for the commuter trains that serve the Los Angeles area, and have two main routes, and the "91" weekday routes that serve the San Bernardino station.  They are the San Bernardino line to the west toward Union Station, the Inland Empire/Orange County line to the south toward Oceanside, CA, and the "91" routes that run only Monday through Friday.  You can get more information by calling 1-800-371-5465, or by accessing their website at www.metrolinktrains.com

AMTRAK

Amtrak's Southwest Chief arrives here eastbound as the #3 at 05:32 a.m, and the westbound #4 at 08:15 p.m.  At this time, The Southwest Chief is the only long distance train that serves this station.  For more information on Amtrak call 1-800-USA-RAILS (872-7245) or access their website at www.amtrak.com

INTERMODAL YARD

Across the tracks from the depot is an intermodal yard where the ATSF San Bernardino Engine Shops used to be.  The shops served steam and diesel units throughout Santa Fe's history.  After the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Santa Fe, the new BNSF chose to dismantle the engine shops, and rebuild the area to help serve the growing intermodal market.

SAN BERNARDINO DEPOT

Access to the Intermodal yard and the Depot is easy.  Southbound travelers leave interstate 215 at the 5th Street exit (actually 6th Street), and travel east 1 block to "H" Street.  Turn right and travel two blocks to Route 66 (5th Street).  Turn right, and travel over the interstate.

From "H" Street, continue about .7 miles and then at the light for Mt Vernon Ave, turn south.  Very soon the road will cross over the yard area on a rather nice, but old, concrete bridge that has sidewalks on both sides.  Immediately after the bridge, turn left onto 2nd Street, and then again turn left on 3rd Street.  Yes, there really is an intersection of 2nd and 3rd Streets!  Now you should see a parking lot for the Depot next to the Metrolink tracks to your left.

There is no parking on the bridge, but you can simply park in the parking lot for Metrolink and walk up some stairs that lead up to the eastern side of the bridge.  You will be on the correct side of the roadway, and photography is easy because there is no safety fencing.  Photos of Metrolink trains in the station area are great with the Depot in the background.  These photos are possible in the winter, but are best in the late afternoon hours of summer.

Photos of trains on the other side of the bridge are also great, but in the early morning hours, with summer again being better than winter.  Metrolink trains leaving the Depot, have to climb an incline for a bridge built to carry the Metrolink tracks over a complex junction with the BNSF tracks. 

Freight trains also look great as they pass the intermodal yard.  You can walk a little farther along the bridge to get really good action photos of the intermodal facility with the movable cranes loading or unloading the cars.

Although Metrolink runs their trains in a push/pull mode, they usually place the engines eastward.  So photos of engines are also possible in the mornings from the station platforms themselves.  Be careful though.  Metrolink uses the track closest to the main as a run-through track to a storage and service area just past the depot.  It travels through the platform area so pay attention.  A train could move through here at any time.

Always thinking about safe railroad practices, be very alert at this location when you are on the platforms.  The BNSF mainline tracks are the first three tracks next to you north of the depot.  DO NOT under any circumstances cross these tracks or any of the other yard tracks toward the intermodal yard!  PERIOD!!!  Also, always make sure that you are at least 15 feet from that first track.  Expect a train to roar by at any time.

The mainline BNSF tracks curve north just past the Depot and start their journey toward Cajon Pass.  The tracks will parallel interstate 215 for a couple of miles before turning northwest.  Photos along here are all but impossible because of the countless fences, large trees, and the interstate itself challenging your photography skills.  Just forget it here.

To start your journey to Cajon Pass from the Depot, go north on Mt Vernon Ave or get onto interstate 215 going north.  Both will arrive at Highland Ave where you can get onto Cajon Blvd if you want.  The quicker way, although without trains, is stay on 215 till the Devore exit.  The other way is to get on Cajon Blvd where the BNSF mainline will parallel the road for about 8 miles toward Devore.

CAJON BLVD

There are several photographic locations off of Cajon Blvd along the six mile distance between Highland Ave and Palm Ave.  Photos are better in the mid to late afternoon hours since the track is on the east side of Cajon Blvd.

In this area of Cajon Blvd many photographers can get "pacing" shots of the trains.  Of course, I do not recomend that unless you have a friend doing the driving while you are aiming the camera.  (I can't believe I have to put that in writing!)

From the 215, State Street was formerly a grade crossing, but now is a bridge over the tracks.  Morning photos from the bridge are not that good because of some wires that are right in the way of your photos. 

There is an old Cargill Grain Facility 1 mile north from the Palm Road grade crossing, and usually is the home of a switcher of some sort.  There have been several over the years including GP7, an SW 1, and an SW 1200.

Another .5 miles from the Grain Facility is where Cajon Blvd does an "S" curve to go under the tracks.  The short plate gider bridge carrying the tracks over Cajon Blvd has been imortalized in countless photos over the years which are best in the mid afternoon in summer or winter. 

Cajon Blvd continues north for another 1.5 miles to Devore.  Or, just south of the bridge, you will find a driveway for an auto parts company called G and G Auto Dismantlers.  Just before the road enters their gate, it will turn to the right and turn into a service road that will travel next to the tracks all the way to Devore. 

I do not recomend this road because the space that used to be between you and the tracks is no longer there since the addition of the third main, and there are a couple of guard dogs for the auto place that really look like they enjoy their job of guarding the nearby area.