San Quintin railway

It was to bring flour, milled at San Quintín, from all the wheat they hoped to grow. You can see the attempted crossing of the bay at the Old Mill Restaurant. They installed about 18 miles of railroad track before the project collapsed. The flour was to be transported to Yuma. The train line was going to cross over via Valle de Trinidad.

It is all in this book:



The 1927 AAA map shows some of the railroad line out to the fields:



Photo 1:
San Quintin Railroad train engine and crew. Railroad photos from Baja California Railroads by John A. Kirchner, 1988.



Photo 2:

Railroad bridge on a causeway across San Quintin Bay, next to Old Mill, 1908.


Here's what I had written about it in the past:

San Quintin: Around 1885, an American and later English land company attempted large-scale wheat farming. Heavy rains in the 1880s gave a false hope for the project. A flour mill (location is now a restaurant and motel called Molino Viejo or Old Mill), a nearby pier, and 18 miles of railroad were all constructed before the lack of rain in the 1890s ended the project. In 1909, the rails were removed and sent to be used in Arizona for a mine. The train engine was lost, falling into the outer bay while being hoisted onto the ship. A Japanese diver was employed to attach lines but failed.



[Edited on 3-19-2021 by David K]

Quote: Originally posted by wilderone

Baja has some crazy history - big ideas - big dreams. Send flour to Yuma? Was there a need for flour in Yuma? What then? Why not just grow wheat around Yuma?

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Well, in rereading the chapter on the San Quintín Railroad, there was discussion of going to San Diego via the El Alamo gold mines. Maybe I need to show you guys some maps and more photos from the book? It is an intense book and if you have any love for Baja History and Railroads, it is a must-have!

Quote: Originally posted by David K

The train engine was lost, falling into the bay while being hoisted onto the ship.

Quote: Originally posted by John Harper

Quote: Originally posted by David K   The train engine was lost, falling into the bay while being hoisted onto the ship. Is the locomotive still on the bottom of the bay? John

The Peninsular Railway: San Quintín 1891-1909

[Edited on 7-29-2020 by David K]

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Photo 2: Railroad bridge on a causeway across San Quintin Bay, next to Old Mill, 1908.

Where the train engine was loaded onto the barge...

Here, a photo shows the barge in front of the Old Mill, used to ferry the railroad materials and train engine out to the deep-sea ship.

In the background is the bridge on the causeway across the bay.





[Edited on 3-19-2021 by David K]

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by David K   Photo 2: Railroad bridge on a causeway across San Quintin Bay, next to Old Mill, 1908. in this photo, it appears that the bridge is collapsing,... also looks like swift water flowing under the bridge. what is the story of this pic?

Correction!!!

The Peninsular Railroad 1891-1909

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc

read to day about a 20 mile old railway in San Quintin where was it running to and from? still visible?