and the 2-8-2's of the White Pass are outstanding examples of steam motive power. Other steam locomotives are available from time to time.
In other areas operating railway museums are being established and even being enlarged. San Diego does have fine examples of railroad equipment but even today an operating railway museum remains in the dream - or at least, early-planning -stage. Duncan believes that area railfans ought to give strong vigorous support to the few who faithfully and earnestly work to make a dream come true.
In this telephone conversation your editor and telephone correspondent Douglas Duncan also talked again about the desirability of purchasing one of the El Paso (ex-San Diego) streetcars. We wondered if San Diego's sister city of Yokahama has a streetcar it would like to export. (Strictly personal comments!)
A Quarterly News Roundup 3-14-64
Editor's note: In the latest issue of Dispatcher note was made of the fact that space is not regularly available for current news. RHSofSD's Newsletter offers complete and excellent coverage. This publication, however, is not available to non-members. It would appear that Report might perform a similar function for PSRMA members. In this issue in the following section please look for a news roundup. In this instance it is "kinda thrown together." Please excuse.
SANTA FE
The United States Post Office in January announced that it planned to transfer mail from train to truck on the San Diego-Los Angeles run. Santa Fe stated that it would suffer a severe loss in revenue if the mail was transferred. Trains in 1963 carried 530,000 passengers, averaging 1500 a day. Passenger revenue was $1,054,000 last year; mail revenue was $524,000. Santa Fe reported that in the event the mail was taken off there would of necessity have to be a drastic cut in the passenger service. Protests have been many and the Post Office is reviewing its course of action...... Santa Fe has included La Mesa, Lemon Grove and El Cajon in its metropolitan delivery zone.... 1000 covered hopper cars are now being delivered by Pullman-Standard. Cars are designed for fast loading of bulk movements, including potash,..... Another note about the mail crisis: Santa Fe's Vice President Robert Clark stated mail is transcontinental in scope. He said 70 Santa Fe mail cars were routed in December from Kansas City and other eastern points through to San Diego. 28 cars went eastward. (San Diego Union)..... Road crossing accidents continue. On the evening of March 3-2 a passenger train crashed into a cattle truck and trailer.... On the other hand Santa Fe is moving to eliminate many crossing hazards in the Los Angeles area through the installation of crossing gates.SAN DIEGO & ARIZONA EASTERN
5108 will be scrapped. There are again three units on the La Mesa branch some days; four on main line trains. Coronado trains run on Mondays and Wednesdays. A second Roustabout runs as needed - usually to the Salt Works and Palm City. (Charles Kent).....La Mesa Branch track was covered by a rock and mud slide in February. This occurred just below La Mesa's Industrial Center. A drain plugged up and the water went up and over..... Widening of Montgomery Freeway, National City to San Ysidro, may result in relocation of SD&AE tracks. Details were not spelled out, but the story probably refers to the area where the present U.S.101, the main line and the Coronado branch are close together..... SD&AE in early December spotted a Hooker of Tacoma chlorine car at El Cajon. It is still there - and its a colorful car which is worth a picture..... Did we cover these news items? Additional spurs were built late last year in El Cajon (where the chlorine car is), along Fletcher Parkway for a beer distributor, and another beer distributor's plant west of 54th Street. A spur constructed a few years ago west of Euclid is now out of service. Imperial has been widened in Encanto and the road is now close to SD&AE track...... The Chula Vista station building, moved some years ago to Boal, is now used by Season Produce Co..... wig wags at F and National in Chula Vista were still in place some weeks ago even though track was covered by black top.MORE SANTA FE NEWS
End of track in the southwestern most corner of Santa Fe's system is now beyond the far gate of the Western Lumber Company. Track leads from the end of the new National City team and yard track around the Safeway property and slightly west to Western Lumber. Extending out of the western side of Western Lumber
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