Western Railroad Discussion > Carriso Gorge Sighting

Driving back to Arizona from Anaheim on Sunday 04/03/05 I happened across this unit on the Carriso Gorge Railway where the line crosses under I-8 somewhere between Jacumba and El Centro. There was also a UP geep parked in the same area along with a string of tank cars.

Personally, I'd been waiting 18 years to see active railroading on the Carriso Gorge line and was quite pleased at what I saw that day. Hopefully the Trains Unlimited "Carriso Gorge" trip will take place later this year.

JMW
http://www.arizona-rails.com

Check out the Arizona-Rails.com "Vintage Rail Advertisement" section for new additions to the following pages - Alco, Miscellaneous (Brill), Baldwin, and EMD.

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UP #2034 rests near-by.

JMW

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You were at "Coyote Wells". There have been lots of things parked there, several engines are usually there. They spot the sand train's cars there, and they're still digging sand out of the desert. If you looked off to the right just as you passed under the railroad bridge (you're on the east side of InkoPah gorge here, just starting up the major grade, heading west on I8 just past Ocotillo) you would have noticed that they're clearing sand **BIG TIME** from the west side of the tracks and have moved in some major boulders on the other side of the cut they've created. I'm assuming this is to prevent damage if the kind of rain comes that washed out the town of Ocotillo some years back. That left rails hanging in the air, the freeway was washed out, etc. Kit documented all of that nicely. I heard someone comment about the "clearing" of sand here, he said "They need a mining permit!" regarding how much has been removed in that area... Funny!

Anyone know if that portion of the line will ever be ressurected?

Yes. They've been running through since early this year.