Western Railroad Discussion > CZRY SAND OPERATION & TRAFFIC COMPLAINTS

CZRY's operations continue to cause controversy in San Diego County back country.
Today's Union Tribune had a story about increased accidents on Buckman Springs Rd. Some attribute the increase in accidents to trucks hauling sand from CZRY's transloading facility at Campo , CA. The story can be viewed at the Union Tribune web site <signonsandiego.com>

I can't find anything about it.

I read the paper twice and can't find it . Can't find in on the web. Can you provide a better link.

Rick

Hi!

> I read the paper twice and can't find it . Can't
> find in on the web. Can you provide a better
> link.


http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051027/news_1m27buckman.html


TB

It appears that hauling the sand into San Diego is the solution to the problem. That should gain the railroad additional revenue and remove the trucks off that road. The article says that is what CZRY is trying to do.

Hi!

> It appears that hauling the sand into San Diego is
> the solution to the problem.

Why would anyone go through the trouble of hauling sand from the desert to Campo, then transload it into trucks? It's an hour from the desert to Campo, then another hour by truck to San Diego. A full truck trip from the desert to downtown San Diego is only 1.5 hours. It doesn't make any sense!

TB

it does if the sand is on your right of way and there is no highway access.

Nudge

But where would they unload the sand trains? Probably the Coronado Belt line?

Hopefully they can work out a way to run the sand trains into the San Diego area and transload to trucks there. That would solve the Buckman Springs Rd. issue, and would also solve the problems at Campo where the CGRY has screwed up most of the museum parking lot with the sand facility. Hopefully it would also mean more revenue for CGRY. Everyone wins.

Problem people don't realize is that the museum doesn't own the rr or the parking lot or the depot, it is all property of MTDB and the museum is merely utilizing it and the depot for the excursion ops. We must remember if the freight rr business picks up they merely need to give 30 days notice for the museum to vacate the depot. I hate to think of all the work they have put into the depot restoration for which they don't even own! I'm hoping the relations between the two groups will improve but I'm not holding my breath.

Hi!

> excursion ops. We must remember if the freight rr
> business picks up they merely need to give 30 days
> notice for the museum to vacate the depot.


Not likely, the MTDB likes the museum a lot more than the CRZY.

TB

Actually I am happy to report that the relationship between CZRy and PSRM is doing quite well, probably the best it has been since the new PSRM board has made a clear separation between the museum and the railroad.

I would also like to point out, that you are incorrect about the 30 day notice to vacate.

The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum has a land lease for the Campo Depot and surrounding parking lot which expires in 2029. There is no 30 day notice clause. The Museum has been using the depot since 1987. The work we are doing on the depot is preserving a 1915 structure - exactly the type of work historical railroad museum's do.

We have developed a working relationship between ourselves and CZRy which is working to everyone's advantage. I don't foresee any changes in that.

We are aware of the Campo community's concerns regarding the sand transloading ongoing at Campo. We stand ready to assist either the CZRy or the community in any way possible in resolving the ongoing issue. We hope that a solution is found for the benefit of all involved.

Jim Lundquist, President, PSRM

Wasn't the sand originally coming up from Mexico? What happened to that arrangement?

Rick

The Mexican government decided to put a stop to the sand exports. They decided the damage to their eco-systems wasn't worth the money some people were making from it. Much of the sand mining in Mexico (I have no idea if this included the sand mining that went to Campo) was done illegally.

I wonder how long they will be able to mine sand at the current location adjacent to I-8 where people can see it. Maybe it is private property. Must be expensive to haul it over the mountain.

Rick