Carizo Gorge abandoned train cars

Bowmore · **Joined:** Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:12 pm **Posts:** 195

While flying CAP missions in Eastern San Diego County, I followed an abandoned train line and discovered some abandoned rail cars.
At some later time, I found a website of a group taking their mountain bikes along the railroad. It has many detailed pictures of the cars.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=23733168

John Risley · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 10:34 pm **Posts:** 966

Why would anybody consider these cars abandoned? They are on private property on live rail. Maybe stored? But abandoned I don't think so. I suppose if people break into my machine shed there will be a link to abandoned farm equipment and machine tools. A new world order I guess? Regards, John.

Jim Baker · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2018 7:45 pm

Look on Facebook for FANS OF THE SAN DIEGO & ARIZONA (EASTERN) RAILROAD. Scroll through that, and you'll see quite a bit about the "abandoned" railroad. Also current stuff about the Pacific Southwest RR Museum (PSRM).

To quickly summarize the situation, The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) bought the line from SP in 1979 to use the in-town part of the line for their new light rail system. Over the years, MTS has leased the line to various operators, none of whom made a success of it. The present lease holder is Baja California Railroad, (BJRR)who presently operates the section between Tijuana and Tecate. The present holdup in restoration of the line appears to be negotiations with Homeland Security in regard to where and how trains coming into the US will be inspected. BJRR and the local sheriff do periodic inspections of the line, and can and do cite trespassers.

The "abandoned" cars were being stored at various places on the line when the line became embargoed. With no way to move the cars out, they became subject to extreme vandalism. The Gorge area is from about MP 95 to 110, on the eastern side of the mountains. PSRM operates from MP 60 (US/Mexican border) to 66, on the wast side of the mountains.

NS 3322 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 12, 2018 8:59 pm

I believe a certain railfan on YouTube spray painted his channel name onto the side of one of the old Metra cars. I understand that the cars have been heavily vandalized for years, but further encouragement to vandalize is inappropriate. Especially for younger viewers.

This is the same guy that drove in front of an oncoming tourist train in Florida earlier this year.