BajaNomad

We don' need no steenking railroads

Oso - 9-23-2006 at 12:00 PM

http://sun.yumasun.com/artman/publish/articles/story_26769.p...

Oso - 9-23-2006 at 02:48 PM

From what I understand, Union Pacific has not as yet laid out a route, but the farmers who have been approached by right-of-way agents have surmised one.

That wasn't my personal sentiment, just seemed like a good title for the article. I also long for civilized passenger rail service (which generally doesn't apply to Amtrak). I'm old enough to remember club cars, dining cars with linen tablecloths, Pullman berths and Wagons-Lits compartments.

This would be strictly freight. If it goes through the city there are traffic hassles and expensive overpasses etc. The farmers are afraid they would have more problems moving equipment from field to field if the tracks divide them, as well as dust and possible hitchhiking pests; insects & noxious weeds etc.

David K - 9-23-2006 at 03:17 PM

The railroad is being proposed to carry cargo from a planned new port at Punta Colonet in Mexico into the United States. (from that article)

The route would be about the same as the British had surveyed when they were building the railroad north from their San Quintin flour mil, over 100 years ago:

North to near San Vicente, east to Valle de la Trinidad and San Matias Pass to the desert, then north to or near Yuma?

This book is excellent with all sorts of details...

[Edited on 9-23-2006 by David K]

books 043.jpg - 40kB

Oso - 9-23-2006 at 06:07 PM

Interestingly enough, there already is a rail line through Yuma and Yuma County which mostly parralels I-8 east of the Gilas. If the connection with the proposed line from Colonet were to hook up west of Algodones there would be no basis for complaint from yuma farmers. The other possibility would be a connection somewhere in the Wellton- Dateland area, but this would need the feds/DOD ok to go through the Goldwater bombing range.

This should get interesting as it progresses...

Oso - 9-23-2006 at 06:19 PM

This may be one of the last great trips on this continent:

http://www.tourvacationstogo.com/american_orient_express_tou...

n/a - 9-23-2006 at 06:21 PM

This is from a surf site!
26 Jun 2006 ,

I go to Punta San Jose often. Spoke with Victor (owns about 3,000 acres in the PSJ area. He's going to sell to ? to provide the developer ownership to pave a 4-lane road from Punta China (new LNG facility that will wipe out the place) south to the Punta Colonent to provide energy etc to the mega port (larger than Ensenada and LA ports) This will happen in probably 3 to 5 years according to Victor.