REPORT Page 20-5
San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway Company
In late July a diesel unit, Cotton Belt 943, a F-7 "A" unit, on train 451 caught fire at Dos Cabezas. The crew used all fire extinguishers available and managed to extinguish the blaze. The resulting motive power mix up saw an unusual consist for the SD&AE. Four units coming in were T&NO 631 (F-9), a Cotton Belt F-7, and two SD-9's 5442 and 5452...
On August 5 and again on August 9 number 4605, an SW-8, was used on the 6:30 a.m. yard job. Traffic on the El Cajon line was too heavy for the 4605 to handle and the 5115 was being held for repairs.
GE 70-tonner 5119 is now due back. It underwent a major overhaul at Sacramento.
Normal motive power assignments as of August 1 are as follows: 6:30 a.m. Yard, 5108; 8:30 a.m. Roustabout, 4605 (if going to El Cajon) or 5114 and 5101 in multiple; 8:40 a.m. No. 452, three units; 10 a.m. Short Turn (Extra Roustabout) 4605 (if going to El Cajon) or 5114 and 5101 in multiple; 1:30 p.m. Plaster City switcher, 1062; 2:30 p.m. Yard, 5108.
A few minor washouts on the desert in the week of August 6. No interruptions to traffic.
About 60 cars of alfalfa pellets came in the first two weeks of August.
Locomotives assigned to SD&AE in the San Diego area as of November 1, 1965: 5101, 5108, 5114, 5115 and 4605.
When and where do the trains go? The 6:30 a.m. Yard engine usually pulls the Santa Fe interchange and makes up the Roustabout and Short Turn. It also "doubles" No. 452's train into one or two tracks. No. 452's train is blocked the previous night by the 2:30 p.m. yard engine. After the "morning rush" of getting out the trains, the yard engine usually works its way to the main line, and as far as 24th Street on the Coronado Branch.
The 8:30 a.m. Roustabout usually serves the El Cajon line Monday through Thursday and again on Saturday. On Friday it goes to Tijuana and sometimes Agua Caliente. It usually does all local work daily on the main line beyond 12th Street and also serves the Salt Works and Rohr. Tuesday and Thursday are North Island days, with service also as far as Palm City on the main line.
On days when traffic is heavy enough on the El Cajon line a Short Turn is called usually for 10 a.m. This extra job sometimes goes to El Cajon but usually serves the South Bay.
The 2:30 p.m. Yard engine usually works Commercial Street as far as 32nd Street, pulls the empties and spots the loads in the downtown area and blocks 452. It also switches 451 on arrival and spots all incoming cars which go to the downtown area. This yard job also usually makes two deliveries to the Santa Fe interchange and pulls the interchange nightly.
May 5 aftermath. Many people have entered Carriso Gorge in quest for beer. 72,000 cans were spilled in the derailment, or in clearing the line. Many of these people have been arrested for trespassing. And the beer--well, it was all flat. Just think what people will risk their lives for. A lot of hard work, too!
As a point of interest! The tracks in the downtown area which are owned by the Santa Fe and switched by the SD&AE include the following: Island Avenue, First Avenue, K Street, Imperial Avenue, Seventh Avenue, and Eighth Avenue. Tracks in other streets belong to the SD&AE as follows: Fourth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, L Street, Commercial Street and Cleveland Avenue in National City.
Commercial Street between 13th Street and 25th Street is being retied and rail replaced to make way for a paving job in the near future. Along with this project the icing platform at 15th Street came to an end and the switch to the spur serving the San Diego City Schools was removed. This is the end of an era. With the demise of the SD&AE ice deck and the Santa Fe ice deck at the foot of First Avenue, San Diego is without icing facilities. Icing will be accomplished by trucks on team tracks hereafter.
It is rumored that the SD&AE's track will be realigned and straightened somewhat in the area of May 5's pile up.
New spur and warehouse under construction at 54th & Market Street (Encanto) serving Interstate Restaurant Supply.
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