The to depart for Calexico, we decided to way train, we found that it was already Mail Bag inspect the train. To our surprise, the crowded. Passengers were forced to sit last car on the train was a prison car. three abreast on the walkover seats and I looked it up in Southern Pacific Pas- many were forced to stand in the aisles. senger Cars Vol. 1 and see it was termed Because of the crowding, the conduc- more correctly a “Deportation car.” tor had difficulty passing through the These cars were 60 foot standard Har- cars to check and collect the tickets, riman coaches with openable windows which he did after each of the five secured by wire mesh and horizontal station stops and thirteen flag stops, steel bars. Randomly numbered SP calling out each time “boletos, boletos.” 2504, 2516, 2700, 2707 and 2713, these The passengers grumbled about having five cars were used by the U.S. Immi- to show their tickets so many times. gration and Naturalization Service A young boy picked up on this unrest mainly to return illegal aliens to south and added to it by going through the Imperial Valley of the border, but also, in rare instances, cars himself shouting “boletos” making were used to transport Chinese citizens everybody angry. In the summer of 1953, I and Alan “in board” immigrating to Mexico and At each of the regular station stops J. Parcells, a good friend and my last Cuba via Los Angeles. All were retired there were food and drink vendors college roommate at U.C. Berkeley, in 1958. shouting about their wares. Although decided that we should look into what Where and when this car was crowded, the trip went smoothly and was going on at the Inter-California added to the train that night, and how on time! However the upholstery on Railway in Baja California. So one the incarcerated aliens were handled at the seats was either missing or in poor midnight we boarded SP train No. 40, the international border were not avail- condition. The paint on the car ceilings the Imperial, at Alhambra for the rela- able to us. After an uneventful trip to hung down in long strips. I don’t recall tively short trip to Niland. Calexico on No. 348 we only had time that the overhead fans worked either. I SP train No. 348, the Calexico for a quick breakfast before walking was embarrassed that SP might have Branch local, was waiting for us when across the border into Mexicali to pur- had anything to do with the furnishing we detrained from No. 40 at Niland. chase our tickets to Algodones. of this equipment. As there was some time before it was When we boarded the I-C Rail- –Continued on page 47 Scott Inman supplied this interesting map dated May 29, 1909. Though deteriorated with age it shows the area between Pilot Knob, California, and Yuma with the line in black the original loca- tion of the Yuma Main. The “K” Line in red was a proposed reloca- tion of this line. The “A” Line in red was the location of the Inter- California line between the international border at Algodones and Araz Jct. more or less as it was eventually completed. What appears to be the east leg of a wye is inked in red in sectors 23 and 26. In faded yellow is a line from this point, which may have been Hanlon’s Jct., towards the border. An “X” Line is crudely drawn in black between the old mainline in sector 19 and the international crossing. Whether this line was built or not is open to speculation. S•P TRAINLINE SUMMER 2012 5 The Big Game Specials By John R. Signor or those that do not know, the muter line. Stanford Stadium, opened held November 21st. More than 73,000 Big Game is an American col- its gates on November 19, 1921, and people attended the game, about 25,000 lege football rivalry game played the first game was against California, making the trip between San Francisco Fby the California Golden Bears foot- who defeated Stanford 42 to 7. Since and the stadium by train. A total of 25 ball team of the University of Cali- that time, the Big Game has been held special trains were needed including fornia, Berkeley, and the Stanford there each year. Seating capacity was three from Oakland Pier, in addition Cardinal football team of Stanford originally 60,000, which was increased to the regular service on the peninsula. University. It is typically played in late in 1925 and again in 1927 to its maxi- The first special was ready at Third and November or early December. The first mum capacity of 85,500. Townsend Station at 8:00 a.m. the Big Game was held on March 19, 1892, Because of the enormous popu- morning of the game and from that in San Francisco. larity of the game, Southern Pacific time on the trains left the station as In 1906, citing concerns about the took advantage of the situation and soon as loaded. As the trains were violence in the game, both schools for many years ran special trains to unloaded at Stadium Station they were dropped football in favor of rugby, Stadium Station for the event. It is moved to Mayfield, turned on the wye which was played for the Big Games of unclear when this special service began, and backed out the Los Gatos Branch 1906 through 1914. The game was sus- but brief mention is made in the SP to await the return trip. After the game pended when World War I intervened Bulletin of the special service provided was over (Stanford defeated California and was resumed in 1919, but with a in conjunction with the first Big Game 41 to 6) the trains departed for San return to football. played at the new Stanford Stadium in Francisco or Oakland as soon as loaded. For many years, the Big Game 1921. Over 57,000 were in attendance Careful plans were made by the traffic has been played at Stanford University, that year. and operating departments for handling near Palo Alto on SP’s peninsula com- An article in the December 1926 SP the large crowds. More than 250 coaches Bulletin goes into greater detail regard- were assembled at San Francisco and Below: Big Game Specials ready for depar- ing how the Big Game specials were Oakland from all points on the Pacific ture at Third and Townsend Station, San operated. That year, the Big Game was Lines and some cars were rented from Francisco, on Saturday, November 21, 1926. –SP photo, John R. Signor collection 6 S•P TRAINLINE SUMMER 2012 Crowds detrain at Stanford Stadium Station near Palo Alto for the Big Game of 1929. Over 39,500 people took advantage of Southern Pacific’s service to attend the event. –From the December 1929 SP Bulletin other carriers. Many extra ticket booths service between the two cities. were placed inside and outside the sta- By November 23, 1929, The SP tion. The annual Big Game was also a Bulletin was reporting that the num- homecoming event for the alumni of bers had increased substantially for the the universities and hundreds of passen- Big Game. Over the 31-mile stretch of An ad for the 1928 football season. Not gers came in over Southern Pacific lines Coast Division between San Francisco only did SP cater to the Big Game, but from all parts of the state. For instance, and Stadium Station, 27 special train other events throughout its operating terri- nine extra trains made the round trip of 12 cars each were dispatched on the tory as well. –Courtesy Steve Peery between Los Angeles and San Fran- outbound movement and 23 required on cisco in addition to the regular train the return handling a combined move- S•P TRAINLINE SUMMER 2012 7 The shadows are growing long, as SP train No. 118 departs Palo Alto about 4:10 p.m., on Saturday, November 23, 1957. It is the day of the annual Big Game at Stanford Stadium and No. 118 is creeping down the center siding in order to maneuver through the fleet of Big Game Specials gathering to return the football fans to San Francisco and the East Bay. –C.G. Heimerdinger After No. 118 has passed, things began to happen. At least four Big Game specials are in view in this remarkable photo taken looking east from the east end of the center siding at Palo Alto. The game is just about over (California lost to Stanford, 12 to 14) and the trains are positioned to back down to Stadium Station to load. The train at the left is an Oakland Rooter’s Special with ALCo PAs sitting on a side track adjacent the westward main line. Double-headed Extra 4806 West on the westward main line has shoved back through the crossovers at the east end of the Palo Alto center siding fouling the eastward main line preparing to back down to load. In the distance appear the headlights of at least two other Big Game Specials. Once loaded, the train with the ALCo PAs will return to Oakland Pier via the east leg of the wye at Redwood Jct. and the Dumbarton Bridge. The other trains will return to San Francisco non-stop. –C.G. Heimerdinger 8 S•P TRAINLINE SUMMER 2012 ment of 39,500 passengers. Six special trains operated from Oakland Pier car- rying 4,860 passengers.