The Tehachapi Loop, our world renowned railroad landmark, draws thousands of visitors annually. The present viewing area is inadequate to accommodate the vast number of visitors that come every year. To address the situation, Friends of the Depot (FOTD) has embarked on a project to build a viewing platform that enlarges the existing viewing site.

In September 2020 the Friends of the Depot began a campaign to raise $100,000 to build the much-needed viewing platform. Potential donors were approached to fund the project and the response was overwhelming. Donations both large and small poured in, putting FOTD well over our goal in less than a year.

These donors deserve our sincere and heartfelt appreciation. We also wish to give equal recognition to our generous suppliers for their donations of construction materials and labor. We cannot list all of the donors, but we can recognize these major donors below.

• Monetary contributions:

$10,000 Donations: Friends of the Tehachapi Depot, Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council, 8Minute Solar, City of Tehachapi, BHE Renewables, Marlan Woodside and Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner.

• $6,000 Donations: Kenny Harrison (AMA Builders, Heat Source, P-Dubs) and Carole Lindsey.

• $5,000 Donations: BNSF Foundation and Waste Management.

• $1,000 Donations: Steve Shaw, Tim and Judy Trujillo, Marathon Petroleum (Mojave Division), Alta One Federal Credit Union, Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District, Tehachapi Live Train Cams and Michael Hemmer.

Nick Smirnoff (NPPA)

Committee members of the Tehachapi Loop Viewing Platform Project. (L-R front) Keith Sackewitz, Vice President FOTD; Laura Lynn Wyatt, Field Representative to County Supervisor Zack Scrivner; Marlan Woodside, FOTD Board. In the rear is Steve Smith, FOTD President; Eric Horn of South Street Digital; Lydia Chaney owner South Street Digital; Linda Gordon, FOTD Board; Pat Doody of The Loop newspaper. Not pictured, Tim Trujillo, FOTD Board and Nick Smirnoff, FOTD.

• In-kind Contributions: Lehigh West Cement Plant, Dal Bunn, Ramires Mobile Mix, Inc., John D. and Virginia J. Thompson, Kern County Public Works Department, Griffith Construction, Tehachapi Live Train Cams, Pat Doody from The Loop newspaper, South Street Digital, Audrey Post, Keith Sackewitz and Alex Kiosch.

• The Tehachapi Loop Overlook Committee: Tim Trujillo, Keith Sackewitz, Laura Lynne Wyatt, Lydia Chaney, Eric Horn, Marlan Woodside, Linda Gordon and Nick Smirnoff.

Our thanks to these contributors and the many others not named who made this needed project possible.