San Diego Railroads
Books
Rails Of The Silver Gate:
The San Diego Speckels Empire
Richard V. Dodge
San Diego's South Bay Interurban
Ralph Forty
The San Diego Trolley
Gena Holle
San Diego and Arizona: The Impossible Railroad
Robert M. Hanft
The Railroad Stations Of San Diego County:
Then and Now
James N. Price
(This book can also be found printed in its entirety within another book called:
The Journal of San Diego History
Spring 1988)
Videos
San Diego's Trolleys
Valhalla Videos
The Impossible Railroad
Documentary available from KPBS The Impossible Railroad In the middle of the 19th century, when railroads defined cities, San Diego was just another dusty little town at the end of the desert. No one but John D. Spreckels would succeed in waking sleepy San Diego to the roar of trains and commerce. But what began as a simple rail link east grew into an ordeal that challenged the city’s dignity, a region’s destiny and one man’s determination to succeed where all others had failed. The Impossible Railroad chronicles the 13-year struggle of the San Diego & Arizona Railroad construction. Using archival footage and interviews with local historians and train enthusiasts, this one-hour documentary evokes the heart-breaking passion that went into linking San Diego to the rest of the nation. Could San Diego’s railroad have come too late to attract big business? Or did the obstacles that plagued its construction help to preserve the character and quality of life in our city? Filmed on location along the actual San Diego & Arizona Railroad line, The Impossible Railroad captures San Diego’s spectacular backcountry and gives new life to Spreckels’ dream by connecting San Diegans with a critical period in the city’s development. TRT: 60 min. Price: $$27.95 (First Class shipping included)
Trestle
Documentary episode of California's Gold with Huell Howser. The San Diego & Arizona Railway has been called "the impossible railroad". They broke ground in 1907 and completed the line in 1919. Between San Diego and Arizona is some of the most treacherous countryside in the US With a bevy of workman and a lot of dynamite they managed to snake their way to Arizona. The railroad had many tunnels collapse over the years, especially in the Carrizo Gorge. The railroad decided to build the Goat Canyon Trestle in 1932 after a series of tunnel closures. The Goat canyon Trestle is one of the most impressive feats of engineering in the world. Huell, Luis and a handful of ex-railroad employees hop on a 1932 Model A railbus and work their way to the now unused trestle. The Goat Canyon Trestle is the highest existing curved wooden trestle in the US Huell takes a close look at this marvel from the top to the bottom. Men who worked on the line reminisce about the trestle and the wonder of its size and beauty. This tour is not for those with a fear of heights.
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