SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Don Toles, avid Southern California railfan and caretaker of Hill 582 on Cajon Pass, died Jan. 17, 2026, in San Bernardino, Calif. He was 97.
Toles was well known in the local train-watching community thanks to his constant tending of the Hill 582 site, getting rid of leaves, cleaning out garbage, and ensuring it was a clean area for fans to enjoy an outstanding view of trains going up and down Cajon.
There will be no formal funeral service. Tentative plans call for a informal gathering commemorating his efforts this summer at the Hill.
Hill 582 is located in the San Bernardino National Forest on United States Forest Service land, thus making it accessible to the public. Two of BNSF’s main tracks pass through a cut at the north end of Hill 582, and the steeper main track 3 passes by the south end of the Hill. The Union Pacific’s “Palmdale Cutoff” main line runs parallel to BNSF, as well.
More information on Hill 582 — including tributes to Toles — is available on this Swiss-based website and this Facebook page.
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