When US Route 466 was created during October 1933 it was aligned through Tehachapi Pass at Cameron siding. The then new US Route would inherit the alignment of the Tehachapi Pass Highway which was constructed concurrent with the Southern Pacific Railroad 1876. US Route 466 at Tehachapi Pass would be realigned onto an expressway grade during 1957 which bypassed a bottleneck prone jog by Cameron Road. Modern Cameron Road from California State Route 58 at Exit 119 west to the crossing the railroad crossing at the former siding carries the original alignment US Route 466.
The original eastern terminus of Cameron Road was located at US Route 466 at Tehachapi Pass a short distance after crossing the Southern Pacific Railroad. This original eastern terminus is clearly displayed on the 1943 United States Geological Survey map.
Part 1-Part 4 of the US Route 466 Legacy Series can be found below:
Legacy of US Route 466 Part 1: California State Route 46
Legacy of US Route 466 Part 2: Tehachapi to Bakersfield
Legacy of US Route 466 Part 1: California State Route 46
Legacy of US Route 466 Part 2: Tehachapi to Bakersfield
Part 1; the history of US Route 466 at Cameron siding and Tehachapi Pass
Tehachapi Pass is located in the Tehachapi Mountains of Kern County. The pass is located along Cache Creek near Cameron siding at an elevation of 3,771 feet above sea level. The pass marks the transition zone where the Mojave Desert begins.
Tehachapi Pass was a well-known path of travel to Native Americans prior to European contact. The first Europeans to likely explore Tehachapi Pass were part of the Jedidiah Smith Expedition of Mexican Alta California during early 1827. The expedition followed the mountains west from Cajon Pass and entered San Joaquin Valley either via Tehachapi Pass or Tejon Pass (September 1950 California Highways & Public Works).
The 1827 expedition of Jedidiah Smith laid out the framework for most modern established roadways through the Transverse Ranges and Sierra Nevada to San Joaquin Valley. Tehachapi Pass would become one of many highway routes which became popular for emigrants traveling to California after the beginning of the California Gold Rush. Originally the Tehachapi Pass Road west of the Mojave Desert followed what is now known as Oak Creek Pass. Oak Creek Pass can be found along modern Tehachapi-Woodford Road and was closer to known sources of water (September 1950 California Highways & Public Works).
Tehachapi Pass can be seen as 1857 Britton & Rey's map of California with a spelling considerably different than in modern times. The originally Tehachapi Pass corridor was part of the Butterfield Overland Mail Route which operated from September 1858, through April 1861.
In the early 1870s the Southern Pacific Railroad would begin construction of their railroad line through the Tehachapi Mountains. The railroad line intended to cross over to the Mojave Desert via Cache Creek which had a far lower terminal elevation than the existing Tehachapi Pass Road. The planned Southern Pacific Railroad through the Tehachapi Mountains can be seen on the 1873 Bancroft's map of California as a black line.
The Southern Pacific Railroad line through the new Tehachapi Pass along Cache Creek was completed during July 1876. Tehachapi Pass was the last link in the Southern Pacific system completed between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Cameron siding was established along the then new railroad grade and frontage road. The frontage road following the Southern Pacific would become the then new established Tehachapi Pass Highway.
Cameron siding can be seen along the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Tehachapi Pass Highway on Tehachapi Pass on the 1898 Official map of Kern County.
The 1915 United States Geological Survey map displays the Tehachapi Pass Highway west of Mojave passing through Cameron siding at Tehachapi Pass. West of Cameron the highway continued westward through Eric, Monolith, Sullivan and Tehachapi.
1931 Legislative Chapter 82 authorized the extension of Legislative Route Number 58 from Barstow west to Bakersfield via Tehachapi Pass and existing County Highways. At Tehachapi Pass the then new State Highway corridor passed through Cameron siding.
Legislative Route Number 58 west of Barstow to Bakersfield can be seen for the first time on the 1932 Division of Highways Map.
During June 1933 the California Division of Highways petitioned the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) for an extension of US Route 64 west of Raton, New Mexico to Morro Bay, California. The extension of US Route 64 was not considered ideal by AASHO due to proposed routing including a lengthy multiplex of US Route 66 from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Barstow, California. An alternate proposed routing of US Route 64 in New Mexico did little to mitigate the lengthy multiplex of US Route 66 in Arizona. The proposal to extended US Route 64 was to be reviewed by the AASHO Executive Committee during their October 1933 meeting.
During their August 1933 meeting AASHO suggested US Route 466 to the California Division of Highways as an alternative to the lengthy extension of US Route 64. US Route 466 was initially proposed as originating in Barstow, California and terminating at Morro Bay via Tehachapi Pass. The Division of Highways via telegram to AASHO dated August 10, 1933, expressed that such a short US Route located entirely in-state would not provide the same utility as their US Route 64 extension proposal.
During the October 1933 AASHO meeting a compromise was reached which brought US Route 466 into existence. US Route 466 would begin at US Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona and travel northwest to the site of Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam) at the Nevada state line. Within Nevada the routing of US Route 466 entered Las Vegas where it then followed US Route 91 into California towards North Barstow. West of the Barstow area US Route 466 would retain the same Barstow-Morro Bay alignment which was desired by the California Division of Highways for their US Route 64 extension proposal. Tehachapi Pass Highway would become a component of US Route 466 as it was part of Legislative Route Number 58.
US Route 466 can be seen passing through Tehachapi Pass and Cameron on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Kern County.
The original eastern terminus of Cameron Road was located at US Route 466 at Tehachapi Pass a short distance after crossing the Southern Pacific Railroad. This original eastern terminus is clearly displayed on the 1943 United States Geological Survey map.
The September/October 1958 California Highways & Public Works announced the completion of a realignment project along US Route 466 at Cameron and Tehachapi Pass. The then new three-mile alignment was completed in late 1957 originated at the eastern outskirts of Tehachapi and extended easterly through Cameron to Cache Creek. The purpose of the new four-lane alignment was to mitigate congestion that occurred on the older two-lane segment approaching Cameron Road. The new alignment of US Route 466 was located to the north of Cameron siding. Cameron Road was extended from the Southern Pacific Railroad crossing to then new alignment of US Route 466.
During the 1964 State Highway Renumbering the Legislative Route Numbers were dropped from the State Highway System. What had been US Route 466 in North Barstow from Interstate 15 west to US Route 99 in Bakersfield was redesignated legislatively as part of California State Route 58. Despite being assigned as California State Route 58 the Division of Highways would not seek truncation of US Route 466 to Baker until well into 1964. AASHO approved the truncation of US Route 466 from Morro Bay to California State Route 127 in Baker during June 1964. US Route 466 at Tehachapi Pass was subsequently replaced with California State Route 58.
Part 2; a drive on the original alignment of US Route 466 at Cameron siding
This view faces westward along modern California State Route 58 near La Rose siding towards Tehachapi Pass.
Cameron Road passes through the former site of Cameron along the original alignment of US Route 466. The roadway branches from the original alignment of US Route 466 at the double set of tracks carrying the Union Pacific Railroad (former Southern Pacific).
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