San Diego and Arizona Railway: The Impossible Railroad

Surveyors called the San Diego and Arizona Railway (SD&A) "The Impossible Railroad" because of its jagged, mountainous, and brutal desert route. The financier and driving force behind building this binational 148-mile rail connection to the east from San Diego, California, was businessman John D. Spreckels. Because of his perseverance, the jinxed 1907-1919 construction overcame a series of disasters, including the Mexican Revolution, a prolonged lawsuit, floods, World War I, labor shortages, a tunnel cave-in, and a lethal pandemic. Once up and running, the line was intermittently in and out of service and later sold and renamed the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway. While "The Impossible Railroad" still faces constant challenges and partial closures, freight and trolley service currently operate on its right-of-way, and tourist excursions are offered at its Campo, California, depot.

Author: Reena Deutsch
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Library Editions
Published: 01/10/2011
Pages: 130
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.91lbs
Size: 9.61h x 6.69w x 0.38d
ISBN13: 9781531653958
ISBN10: 1531653952
BISAC Categories:
- Transportation | Railroads | History
- History | United States | State & Local | West (AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT
- History | United States | State & Local | Southwest (AZ, NM, OK, TX)

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