Jack Delano is at the AT&SF Railway’s Cajon Pass located between the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California. It’s a beautiful day in March of 1943, and Mr. Delano was lucky to record two trains moving through the pass simultaneously.

And therein lies a bit of mystery. The image is labeled as AT&SF trains passing through the Cajon Pass. It further identifies the passenger train as the Chief (a first class Santa Fe train). However close inspection of the original photograph has what appears (to me) a Union Pacific locomotive at the head of that passenger train. Indeed, I can faintly make out the word “Pacific” on the Vanderbilt tender. As I recollect, the U.P. eventually gained trackage rights through Cajon Pass, so I would think it possible that this is a U.P. train.

At upper left we can faintly see a pair of steam locomotive pushers on the rear of what appears to be a train of refrigerated cars, likely an express train carrying produce. Black plumes of smoke mark their location. If one projects the line of the reefers toward the right, you can discern the continuation of the grade at the upper right. Apparently the head end of this train is behind the distant ridge seen just above the passenger train locomotive.

If you click on the image, you’ll get an enlarged view. I’ve provided a larger image than usual there to aid in seeing the details that are present.