REPORT Page 21-4
SAN DIEGO & ARIZONA EASTERN (Report correspondent) Locomotive 5119 was placed back in service November 15. It had been out of service since April and underwent a complete overhaul at the Sacramento Shops.....The wettest November in the history of San Diego brought problems. On November 23, the main line was washed out or over in several places just east of Tijuana. Numbers 451 and 452 were cancelled for that date. Line was reopened the following day. Falling rock in Carriso Gorge is also a result of the rains. Also on the 23rd the Coronado line was out of service due to a minor washout but was open again the following day. The El Cajon line was closed east of La Mesa due to a couple of wash outs in the Grossmont area. Service was restored to El Cajon on November 26.....A fill on the El Cajon line, near Euclid Avenue, was reinforced with four carloads of riprap. It was showing signs of a future wash out.
PACIFIC ELECTRIC (Report correspondent)
The Pacific Electric came to an official end on August 13, 1965. It was merged into the parent Southern Pacific Company, as a part of the Los Angeles Division. At the time of merger the P.E. was operating approximately 315 miles of track for freight only. Organized on September 1, 1911, the P.E. was once the west's largest inter-urban. It operated in the counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange and Riverside. Its passenger service ended in 1953 when these services were sold to the Metropolitan Coach Lines.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC (Report correspondent)
Recently the SP's application to discontinue the 91 year old "Del Monte" was denied by the ICC. The train which operates from San Francisco to Monterey on the Monterey Peninsula, once served the SP's famed Del Monte Hotel.
SONORA-BAJA CALIFORNIA
Three PSRMA members. Jack Stodelle, Dwight Couch and yours truly, Eric Sanders, on November 19-21 enjoyed a round trip on the Ferrocarril Sonora-Baja California. Even though we had no advance reservations we were able to obtain lower berths both ways. Round trip fare including the Pullman was about $18. That's for 630 miles and lower berth each way. Train was tight on space northbound November 20; lots of space southbound on the 19th. Car was without air conditioning or heat but all was well. Southbound we rode the locomotive Mexicali to Coahuila. Locomotive almost hit a cotton truck and did run over a kitten, (It was dark when we left.)....Your editor was reprimanded for taking flash pictures on the station at Puerto Penasco....Power has come to Baja and Sonora. We noted new lighting at Caborca, Puerto Penasco and Benjamin Hill. A power plant just went into operation at Puerto Penasco.....Had some interesting conversation on the news butcher's car.. Just ask us! Puerto Penasco at night is still worth a walk at stationside.....Southbound consist included two Pullmans, two first class cars, a news butcher's car, two baggage and about six second class cars. Most were Sonora-Baja California cars. A baggage car was dropped at Benjamin Hill and the diner added. Northbound consist included about 15 cars - almost all of them were Pacific Railroad cars. Our Pullman was SBC's "Rio Colorado." Both directions the train was powered by one locomotive unit, cab type.....There are two steamers on SBC property. SBC 1344 (ex NdeM 1344, 2-8-0, GR-32, Alco-Cooke, 1906, 55-21x26, 193,600 or 218,037) is at the Mexicali engine house. SBC 2702 (ex NdeM 1137, 2-8-0, GR-20, Alco, 1921, 55-21x28-166,000) is at Benjamin Hill. Both were allegedly loaned to the SBC for use in the filming of the movie, "Viento Nigro" ("Black Wind") on the SBC at Lopez Collada. The report is that both locomotives have now been given to SBC for permanent exhibit at the respective terminals. Neither are in operating condition.....In Benjamin Hill we rode the afternoon yard locomotive. Observed many cars in poor condition in the Benjamin Hill yard. A few may be scrapped including two or three German-built cars. Apparently freight cars are being phased out. Well equipped shops can handle almost any job. Work was going on on locomotives and passenger cars but no freight cars were in the shops. There is a new passenger station under construction at Benjamin Hill. SBC or FdelP or both?
And that, folks, is 30 for this editor
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