“A Short Strip of Railroad Called the California Southern Which Begins Nowhere and Ends Nowhere.”
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October 2017 “a short strip of railroad called the California Southern which begins nowhere and ends nowhere.” Locomotive #3, Manchester #895 Arrived September 2 1881 on board sailing vessel ‘Wright’ She was the second locomotive to be delivered to the National City Pier It is difficult, for you, today to understand how vital it was in the middle of the 19th Century to ambitious communities to have railroad facilities. Residents of the village of Old San Diego began efforts in the 1850 ‘s, later in including those of New San Diego and National City, to obtain rail transportation and repeated attempts were made over The Fallbrook Line a period of nearly 30 years, each ending in failure and frustration. contuniues on page 4 Page 2 SDERA Trolley Lines President’s Report We have had an interesting summer at the depot. San Diego Electric Railway Association First off I would like to Thank Richard Finch for ALL his efforts DBA San Diego Electric Railway Co. Inc on the Movie Night at the Depot series, not only finding the films that 922 West 23rd Street National City, CA 91950 were screened and prepping them to project them on screen but also (619) 474-4400 his time and effort in setting up and screening the films at the depot. This series of programs were an attempt to publicize SDERA and In the October 2017 Issue: our museum at the depot, we weren’t too successful in this regard President’s Report page 2 with small groups of people attending each movie, but we now know Fallbrook Line page 4 where we have to strengthen our efforts for marketing SDERA and Happenings At the Depot page 6 where we need help in these areas! 2018 Calender preview page 10 Richard has also been hard at work on upgrading our displays at the Letters to the editor page 11 depot, starting in the freight room of the depot. He has begun rearranging the area around the scale platform just inside Upcoming Events Back Page the main entrance. He has brought in some new “props” to stage SDERA operates the historic around the scale and has researched the scale itself (see the July issue National City Depot museum of Trolley Lines) and is trying to acquire parts for the scale head to which is located at make it complete. He is working on materials and photographs about 922 West 23rd Street, National City, the California Southern Railway, for which the National City Depot CA 91950 and is open Saturday and Sunday was built. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jeff Trimble has recently taken on the task of curator of the small Or visit us on the web at: objects collection. He has been working with Richard and Chris www.sdera.org Higgins to set up the database and start cataloging some of the many San Diego Electric Railway artifacts that are in storage at the current time. Association, Inc We recently were given some lengths of rail from a construction project on Kettner Blvd. Between Vine and Laurel Streets. This track v Mike Reading - President was originally the steam powered line the San Diego, Pacific Beach v Tom Carnes - Vice President and La Jolla Railway, later taken over by the San Diego Electric Railway v Randy Butler - Treasurer v Company and upgraded with heavier rail. The rail sections we were Jim Anderson - Director v Mitch Beauchamp - Director given is this heavier, girder rail and built as slab track, laid on a v Richard Finch - Director concrete slab with no wood ties! v Mike Reneau - Director Sunday, September 17th, we hosted the National City Rotary Club’s v Jason Ballard - Director Waffle and Pancake breakfast. This is a fundraising event with pro- v Chris Higgins - Web Master v ceeds going to various programs around National City. They have Sam Judd - Legal Counsel v Richard Finch - Editor asked to make this an annual event at the Depot! v Jeff Trimble -Curator of Collections During the breakfast, I was approached by Karen Azhocar v Jody Surowiec - Editorial Staff McManus, the chairperson of the revived Maytime Band Review v Tom Sapien - Librarian about us hosting their VIP breakfast the morning of October 7, 2017. v Jim Anderson - Curator of Special This event will take place before the parade, scheduled to go down Collections Gift Shop Manager/ Facilities Director Tidelands Avenue to Pepper Park on the National City waterfront. v John De Lalla - Special Events/ They will be staging the VIP cars to be used in the parade from the depot! Docent Coordinator Continued on page 11 October 2017 Page 3 A Salute To Our URGENT REQUEST Volunteers! FOR VOLUNTEER They are as follows: DOCENTS AND Jim Anderson CASHIERS Jason Ballard Please consider sharing your Robert Baxter interest in railroads and Mitch Beauchamp San Diego’s historic streetcars Chuck Bencik with our visitors. Randy Butler Our dedicated group of Robert Butler docents needs your help to Tom Carnes ensure that the Depot is Missy Cheeseman properly staffed. John DeLalla Docents guide our visitors Richard Finch through the depot and the grounds. George Geyer Training and support are Conrad Gomez provided by our docent Chris Higgins coordinator and other Hubert Jansen experienced docents. Reference Gary Johnson material is on hand, including Scotty Lewis talking points for the tour, and Tim Lewis general procedures for operating Patrick McColgan the depot. Shifts are for 3 hours: Sean McColgan 10 AM to 1:00 PM, and Steve Mitton 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Jim Price Please contact John DeLalla Mike Quigg at: [email protected] Mike Reading or 760-330-3949v Mike Reneau for additional information and to Attention Members: Please look carefully at the mailing label. If your membership has expired, Tom Sapien join our group of docents. or will expire soon, and you wish to renew Dave Slater your membership, or become a new member, we offer the following levels: Bill Steinmetz Life,(for a single member) $400; Family, $35(please include names); Jody Surowiec Regular(or Individual) $25; Jeff Trimble Senior age 60 and up, $15; Junior for ages 17 and below, $15. Matt Zacharzuk Checks can be made out to, SDERA and Sheila David mailed to SDERA, 922 West 23rd Street, National City, CA 91950 WE COULDN’T Come visit, OPERATE WITHOUT and enjoy all the improvements YOU! in your Museum! Page 4 SDERA Trolley Lines The Fallbrook Line After the initial shock had subsided, negotiations by Kimball were renewed and By Richard V. Dodge another contract was executed. As printed in DISPATCHER, April 10, 1958 Issue 17 In 1880, the California Southern Rail Road SOME SALIENT FEATURES OF THE was formed to build from National City north CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN RAILROAD AND and eastward to San Bernardino, then on to ITS SUCCESSORS FOR THE BENEFIT OF a connection with the Atlantic & Pacific in RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SAN California. No one knew where that point would DIEGO IMMIGRANTS AT FALLBROOK be. Do not let anyone or the Santa Fe literature STATION - AUGUST 11, 1957. convince you that the line was built down from In 1879 the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail San Bernardino. road was set to build west and, due to the With National City as the initial terminus, indefatigable energy of Frank Kimball of National all equipment and materials had to be brought City, a deal was carried to a conclusion with the into San Diego Bay by ships. Ties came down backers of the Santa Fe, investment bankers and the coast. Rails and fastenings were shipped capitalists of Boston, in sailing vessels Massachusetts. For a around Cape Horn large consideration, from Belgium and known as a subsidy, Germany, The these railroad builders locomotives and agreed to construct a some of the rolling railway from San Diego stock came from to Yuma, Territory of eastern states Arizona, and the Santa either around the Fe would be extended Horn or overland to south-westerly from San Francisco and Albuquerque to connect transferred to a boat with it. there. Before grading began, By January 1881, the contract was abruptly surveyors, locating canceled. In the meantime the Santa Fe had and staking the line, had advanced up the coast formed a partnership with the St Louis & San to what is now Fallbrook Junction, then headed Francisco Railway, more commonly known as in a generally north-easterly direction up the Frisco. The latter had acquired the concessions Santa Margarita River, reaching Hayden’s in with land grants covering the building of a line, April of that year. The name was soon changed to be known as the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, on to Fallbrook for the depot but the Post Office the 35th parallel of latitude. Now, together, they there was known as Howe. Fallbrook Post would build from Albuquerque to the Colorado Office was on the mesa two miles south, where River and enter California. the present town of that name is located. October 2017 Page 5 The road was pushed north to Big Laguna Temecula Canyon presented formidable (Elsinore), up San Jacinto (Railroad) Canyon difficulties, both to railroad construction and to Pinacate (moved and name changed to Perris operation. There were seven miles in the upper when the branch to San Jacinto was constructed). canyon through rock with almost perpendicular Rail laying continued over the mesa to a point 16 cliffs. A grade of ever 140 feet per mile was miles south of East Riverside (Highgrove) where required for three miles, the summit being at 970 they ran out of steel. Train service was begun in feet elevation.