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Union Pacific Railroad names Tehachapi as ‘Train Town USA'
TEHACHAPI, Calif. (KGET) — Move over Thomas, and hold onto your caboose cause it's official: Tehachapi is known as Train Town U.S.A.
Peggy YgBuhay with Union Pacific said, ''Union Pacific Railroad does grant Tehachapi, California the title of, 'Train Town USA.' You can clap.''
The Tehachapi Depot is celebrating 15 years since restoring the museum that was destroyed in a fire in July 2008 caused from bottle rockets.
Tehachapi Mayor, Joan Pogon-Cord, said, 'My husband, he was a deputy sheriff at that time, told me. It was like a knife to my heart.'
It took $2 million to restore the historic building two years later. The biggest draw in Train Town isn't the museum with one heck of a moving exhibit.
It's the engineering feat, known as the Tehachapi Loop.
V.P. Marlan Woodside with Friends of Tehachapi Depot said, 'The purpose of the loop is to raise the track from a bottom of 77 feet up to the top rail in a distance of 4,000 feet.'
Pride runs deep in Tehachapi, and part of that pride is because of the Tehachapi Loop, where up to 40 trains a day make the trek. It's an engineering marvel, and part of the reason why the depot is celebrating 15 years.
Founder of Friends of Tehachapi Depot, Doug Prickard said, 'In 2026, it'll be the 150th anniversary of when this track was originally built.'
People from all over the world marvel at man's defiance against gravity with this historic track.
People even get married at the Tehachapi Loop.
Ron & Becky Wilson are train tourists from Oregon. They marvel at the site of the Tehachapi Loop. 'All of a sudden we heard a whistle down the way, and another train came,' said Becky. 'So, made the loop, and then the other one started going and passed each other on the loop. It was really fun.'
Up to 10,000 guests a year sign the guest book at the Tehachapi Train Depot. Depot staff say at last report, the museum has seen up to 150,000 visitors.
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