For more about the Carrizo george line’s current operations this site has some interesting stuff:
http://www.carrizogorgerailway.com/CZRY%20General_files/frame.htm
Oops, it didn’t work. You will just have to check it out.
Checked out Yeaah! Its open and running again!
Chad, any news on wheather or not the museum line down there is running trians to the trestle? I would love to do that trip.
I kinda hope freight service doesnt become so successfull that the museum trains are excluded.
vsmith,
I rode the tourist line this past May. Paid to ride in the GP9 in fact (quite the thrill as it’s my favorite diesel). The train backed down to the other side of the tunnel, then ran forwards back to Campo.
Michael
As far as I know the excursion trains do not go that far yet. And I don’t think there are regular freight operations using the george yet, I think only test trains have gone through. But I could be wrong. If I hear anything I will post it.
Great find Chad! Yeah the last I heard, there are still no museum operations beyond Miller Creek, which in railroad miles is no where near the gorge. The museum wants to go into the gorge, but still aren’t allowed to (according to an engineer and brakeman I spoke with during a cab ride). They haven’t even been close in years, with the farthest the museum has been being Jacumba. With increased port traffic in Ensenada though, I think Vic may be right and that the line may become so busy that it will prevent some museum operations, if they were to extend rail service there that is. I have a feeling though that if it does, most of it might just go right on up through San Diego and into L.A. anyway
Matt et al.,
I should have clarified: on the day of my cab ride (early May, '05), there were some track maintenance issues in the Miller Crossing direction, so we went the other direction (south or maybe west.) Backed downhill in dynamics, then forwards back uphill to Campo.
Michael
I don’t see the Ensenada port traffic going throught the george. I saw something related to the port project that showed a new line being constructed further south and connecting to the UP out by Yuma. But it would be cool to see some serious traffic take to the george in the future. At least NOW it is possible that we will see traffic on that line in the future.
Is this what you were attempting to put on here?
Hey Michael, thats ok, no need to clarify, I thought thats what you were talking about. I think I went a week or two before you and they were having the same issues, slow order right before miller creek because the gauge was spreading and they had replaced some older ties (and by old I was told ORIGINAL), nothing a couple of gauge bars couln’t have fixed, but looks like it got worse. That must have been a neat ride though, I have yet to go down that way, but I’m hoping to take a Tecate trip in the near future.
Chad, yeah thats probably what would happen, I seem to remember hearing a while back that BNSF and MTDB wanted no part in container traffic through the city, but I thought that their attitudes might have changed. In any event, i agree with you, it would be awesome to see traffic increased through the gorge, and hopefully museum excursions too!
As far as museum operations, look at slide number twelve on the slide show linked above. The engines in the pictures on the left both appear to be the museum’s locomotives, the geep and old military engine.
Yeah those are museum engines, but the top-left picture is of the Mexican portion of the line. Those pics are from a few years back, so the railway could have borrowed them for revenue service, which is possible because I used to see that old Army MRS-1 in the downtown yard frequently. But still no excursion trains, which is what we are all waiting for, well, at least I am. Oh, and just in case anyone was interested, the museum just added an engine to its collection, you can read about it here:
Yea, Why did it work for you and not me? I don’t see any differance.
Matt, Thanks for the link. It would be cool to see that Alco running, it’s been a while science I’ve had an Alco encounter.
I right clicked on the photograph and selected “Show Image”, then I linked to the image directly instead of the page the image was on in the slide show.