The San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Company is a short-line American railroad (AAR reporting mark SDAE) originally founded in 1906 as the San Diego & Arizona Railway Company (SD&A) by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels. Dubbed The Impossible Railroad by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved, the line was established in part to provide San Diego with a direct rail link to the east by connecting with the Southern Pacific Railroad lines in El Centro, California. The SD&A's 146.4-mile route originates in San Diego, California and terminates in the Imperial County town of Calexico. The following are reporting marks assigned by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) to rail carriers operating in North America and the companies (railroads and rail equipment owners/operators) to which they were assigned. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... Rail gauge is the distance between two rails of a railroad. ... A foot (plural: feet) is a non-SI unit of distance or length, measuring around a third of a metre. ... Mid-19th century tool for converting between different standards of the inch An inch is an Imperial unit of length. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... City nickname:Americas Finest City County San Diego County, California Mayor Dick Murphy City Attorney Michael Aguirre City Council District One Scott Peters District Two Michael Zucchet District Three Toni Atkins District Four Tony Young District Five Brian Maienschein District Six Donna Frye Distirct Seven Jim Madaffer District Eight... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Categories: Organization stubs | Rail transport | Industry trade groups ... The following are reporting marks assigned by the Association of American Railroads (AAR) to rail carriers operating in North America and the companies (railroads and rail equipment owners/operators) to which they were assigned. ... 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark SP) was an American railroad. ... El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... Imperial County is a county located in the far southeast of California, on the border with Arizona and Mexico, in the Imperial Valley. ... Calexico For the city, see Calexico, California. ...

The SD&AE utilizes approximately 108 miles of the original SD&A system, broken into four (4) unique segments as follows: 1) The Main Line, which runs from downtown San Diego south to the San Ysidro / International Border at Tijuana (15.5 miles in length). This line extends through Mexico 44 miles and connects with the Desert Line. The portion passing through Mexico, originally constructed as part of the Main Line, is now owned by the Mexico national railway Ferrocarril Sonora Baja California Line; 2) The Coronado Branch runs from National City south to Otay Mesa (7.2 miles total length); 3) The Desert Line extends north and east from the International Border junction (referred to as "Division") to Plaster City, where it joins the Union Pacific (UP) line from El Centro (69.9 miles total length); and 4) The La Mesa Branch which travels through downtown San Diego east to the City of El Cajon (16.1 miles total length). San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ... San Ysidro is a community within the city of San Diego, California. ... CECUT, Tijuanas cultural center Avenida Revolución has many open bars, pharamacies, and curio shops, that attract many tourists. ... National City is the name of several places in the United States of America: National City, California National City, Illinois National City, Michigan National City Corporation. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... El Centro is the county seat of Imperial County, California, United States. ... San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ... El Cajon (pronounced el ka-HONE) is a city located in San Diego County, California. ...

The company took over the SD&A's operations in February 1933 after financial troubles led John Spreckels' descendants to sell off their interests in the railroad to the Southern Pacific. Throughout the years natural disasters and acts of vandalism have rendered sections of the line unserviceable, and portions of the line have been sold off to various interests. In 1979 the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) purchased the SD&AE, along with the bulk of its existing trackage, for the purpose of establishing the San Diego Trolley, an interurban light rail passenger line. The MTDB's popular "red cars" carry over 25 million riders annually and are considered an unqualified success. At the time of this writing plans for a major expansion of the lines are in the works. As of May 2004, freight operations are conducted by the independent Carrizo Gorge Railway, Inc. (CZRY) and San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad (SD&IV). February is the second month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark SP) was an American railroad. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ... San Diego, California has a light rail system, which until 2004 was known as the San Diego Trolley, because of the trolley-style German-built vehicles from Siemens-Duwag. ... This article is about light rail systems in general. ... This article is about the month of May. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The San Diego Trolley at downtown's America Plaza.

The San Diego Model Railroad Museum maintains representations of the SD&AE 's operations in both HO scale (1:87) and N scale (1:160). The San Diego Trolley at America Plaza. ... The San Diego Trolley at America Plaza. ... HO scale (H0 scale in continental Europe) is the most popular scale of model railway in most of the world outside the United Kingdom, where the slightly larger in scale OO gauge is most common. ... N scale (or N gauge) is a popular model railway standard, allowing hobbyists to build layouts that take up less space than HO scale, or pack longer runs containing more detail into a similar amount of space. ...

Timeline

• October 24, 1932: Financial problems force Spreckels' heirs to transfer their share of San Diego & Arizona (SD&A) ownership to the Southern Pacific Transportation Company for $2.8 million.
• February 1, 1933: The San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Company (SD&AE) is incorporated and assumes all operations of the SD&A.
• 1934: Operation of the three gasoline-electric units is discontinued.
• January 11, 1951: The SD&AE ends passenger service due to years of continued declining patronage.
• May 20, 1970: The Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) relinquishes its interest in 44-mile (72 km) Tijuana and Tecate Railway Company to Mexico's national railway, Ferrocarril Sonora Baja California, S.A. de C.V.
• September 10, 1976: Hurricane Kathleen destroys major sections of track and bridges on the Desert Line.
• 1978: The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) denies SP’s request to abandon the railway.
• August 20, 1979: San Diego's Metropolitan Transit Development Board (MTDB) purchases the SD&AE Railway Company in restored condition for $18.1 million (the SP retains ownership to the Plaster City to El Centro segment). The ICC approves operation of freight service by Kyle Railways under contract to MTDB. The MTDB reorganizes the SD&AE as a Nevada nonprofit corporation.
• January 1980: Washouts caused by desert storms displace parts of the SD&AE Desert Line and Ferrocarril Sonora Baja California Line.
• January 1983: With the Mexico damage repaired, Kyle Railways begins rail shipments between San Diego and Plaster City.
• June 18, 1983: Fire destroys two (2) bridges on the Desert Line.
• March 18, 1984: The MTDB signs agreement with the Texas firm RailTex to provide freight service. The new service operates as the San Diego & Imperial Valley Railroad (SD&IV) with the AAR reporting mark SDIV.
• April 25, 1984: The ICC denies Kyle Railways’ request to abandon the railway.
• August 9, 1984: The ICC approves RailTex’s application to operate freight service.
• April 25, 1984: ICC denies Kyle’s request to abandon the Railroad.
• October 15, 1984: The SD&IV begins freight service south of San Diego during nighttime hours when the MTDB's trolley line is not in operation.
• December 1, 1985: The San Diego Railroad Museum begins 16-mile roundtrip "passenger excursion" trips between Campo and Miller Creek.
• August 1, 1986: The SD&IV enters into a multi-year agreement with the the Mexican government to set tariffs and provide freight service into Baja California.
• July 14, 1989: The SD&IV begins repairs on the Desert Line as a prelude to the start of freight service to Imperial County.
• January 4, 2000: RailTex is acquired by RailAmerica and the railroad's AAR reporting mark is changed to SDIY.
• 2002: The Mexican portion of the line is sub-contracted to the Carrizo Gorge Railway, Inc. (CZRY).
• May 15, 2004: With repairs to Tunnels 8 and 16 complete and destroyed bridges rebuilt including the Goat Canyon Trestle, the CZRY officially reopens freight service to Plaster City and the Union Pacific Railroad interchange. Major shipments of sand from the Imperial Valley are used to supply ready-mixed concrete to the San Diego construction markets.

The rebuilt "Goat Creek Trestle" on the CZRY.

October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Company is a short-line American railroad (AAR reporting mark SDAE) originally founded in 1906 as the San Diego & Arizona Railway Company (SD&A) by sugar heir, developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels. ... 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark SP) was an American railroad. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... The United States Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, signed into law by President Grover Cleveland, created the Interstate Commerce Commission. ... ICC may stand for: International Criminal Court International Chamber of Commerce Interstate Commerce Commission International Cricket Council Internet Chess Club International Color Consortium Inuit Circumpolar Conference Islamic Clerics Committee ICC Bank, Ireland The International Convention Centre, Birmingham, England Indianapolis Childrens Choir Inter-Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in Leap years). ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Campo can refer to: Campo, Colorado Campo, a freguesia in Portugal This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1986 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) is the largest railroad in the United States. ... Patterns in the sand Sand is an example of a class of materials called granular matter. ... The Imperial Valley and the Salton Sea, as seen from the Space shuttle. ... This article is about the construction material. ... San Diego County in the Southwest corner of California. ...

References

• Hanft, Robert M. (1984). San Diego & Arizona: The Impossible Railroad. Trans-Anglo Books, Glendale, CA. ISBN 0-87046-071-4.

See also

• Carrizo Gorge Railway
• San Diego and Arizona Railway
• San Diego Electric Railway
• San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad

The San Diego & Arizona Railway Company was a short-line American railroad (AAR reporting mark SDA) founded by sugar heir, developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels, and dubbed The Impossible Railroad by many engineers of its day due to the immense logistical challenges involved. ... The San Diego Electric Railway Company (SDERy) was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars and (in later years) buses. ...

External links

• Carrizo Gorge Railway official website (http://www.carrizogorgerailway.com/)
• Metropolitan Transit Development Board official website (http://www.sdcommute.com/)
• Pacific Southwest Railway Museum official website (http://www.sdrm.org/)
• RailAmerica official website (http://www.railamerica.com/)
• San Diego Model Railroad Museum official website (http://www.sdmrrc.org/SD_HOlay.htm)
• A current route map for the SD&AE (http://www.sdcommute.com/agencies/MTS/PDF/sdaefact_route.pdf)
• "Binational Implications of Recent Developments on the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway" (http://www.otaymesa.org/otay-act/Railway2.html), a position statement issued by the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce
• "Long-blocked rails on track for reopening" (http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profile/270215), an article in the December 7, 2003 issue of the San Diego Union Tribune