The Tehachapi Loop put Tehachapi on the map when it was completed in 1876, ending the lack of rail access across the Tehachapi Mountains. It is shown circa 1952 with a trompe l'oeil effect that depicts damage from the historic 1952 earthquake, making the wall appear to crack open from the force of the quake. The scene presents the Loop in late summer colors rather than the usual greens seen only briefly in spring.