Abandoned Railroad Tour | Goat Canyon Trestle
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- Many miles into the unforgiving Southern California desert lies an abandoned railway consisting of dozens of tunnels and wooden bridges. The grand prize is the Goat Canyon Trestle - the longest all wood trestle in the world - miles from the nearest traces of modern civilization.
Join Maggie and I as we trek across the blazing tundra in search of the ultimate train nerd's paradise.
That green glass was an electric insulator they used to use on the phone poles when they did away with those on the poles they became somewhat valuable.
Yup, that's what it is.
They were called telegraph poles, but they were referred to as phone poles as you mentioned.
Ya those insulators have lost some value since ebay people found all ones hidden in their basements and put them in circulation. I know I found a couple at a garage sale years ago and sold them for a heck of a lot more than the 25 cents I paid for them. LOL
@@-watermelonking also referred to as "code line poles" as they were repurposed after the telegraph went away, in order to open and close relays that operated track signal lights. Yes, all that old electromechanical technology went away with the 1990's due to electrical wire theft and terrorism. Nowadays, data is sent through the rails to control the signals.
They started out clear then the sunlight tinted them green or blue or violet. Dad told me so.
The wheel on the car actuates hand brakes. The car also has air brakes which use a heavy rubber line near the coupler. The silver pole with the cabinets, that are missing their doors, is a signal mast. At one time this line had lower quadrant semaphore signals which the Southern Pacific used throughout their system. The wooden rails that leave the steel rails at 90 degrees are called motor car set outs. These are the small gasoline powered cars the section crews used to travel the line to perform maintenance. The crews would place their motor cars on the set outs to get out of the way of passing trains. This line is an engineering wonder that is slowly decaying into the desert it traverses. It is very unfortunate this line has not been economically viable enough to justify maintenance and rehabilitation. As you point out, now that the maintenance is not ongoing, it is becoming more and more obvious just how much maintenance was done to keep this line operational. That this line was even built is amazing. The engineering employed to build this line also quite amazing. With some of the trestles and bridges now being unable to support the wight of rail traffic, I doubt the line will be pulled up as the cost of using trucks to salvage the track is not likely cost effective. So the desert will gradually reclaim this magnificent railroad. Such a shame...
You certainly have a keen knowledge of railroads, good Sir! Thanks for adding context to many of my questions. Appreciate your input!
@@Kolob_Canyons_Ranch I gave some info on those cars. Also what was the temperature at the time you made this?
@@MIKECNW I don't recall, but must have been in the mid 70s or so. Felt cool in the beginning heating up mid to late afternoon but not unbearable. The hiking umbrellas and tons of water made it slightly less than miserable. Lol
Wasn't 100 degrees or you have abandoned the walk for 3 am temps 😂😂It can get to 90 even more in summer in flag since climate change started hitting hard 25 years ago! Used to be a cool 80 in summer!
In January or February, 1984, I had the opportunity to make this trip with a group of about a dozen people. At the time, the railroad had ceased operating during the prior year due to sabotage: We saw two burned trestle bridges and a fire damaged tunnel, all within the first couple of miles of the hike. The abandoned passenger cars were not present, but there were a box car and a caboose along side the track (with their trucks removed). The turnout was unlocked and functional, and it could be operated by hand. At regular intervals, there were mechanical devices that lubricated wheel flanges while trains rolled over them, and they were operational. None of the tunnels were gated. Curiously, we often found new boxes of live bullets left along the roadbed.
We got to the entrance of the new tunnel 15 when a couple of guys patrolling the track in a Hi-Rail pickup truck stopped and ticketed everyone in the group. Then they gave us all a ride back to the burned out trestle bridges. Oh, we got so close to the Goat Canyon Trestle, but not close enough to see it!
At the time, the right of way was in pristine condition, except for the fire damage. The guys in the truck said that the railroad was making money up until the time of the fires.
The following year began a restoration of the line, and both freight and passenger excursion service eventually resumed. This continued intermittently until 2011 when the line could no longer be operated safely. As recently as 2018, the Pacific Imperial Railroad had a plan to restore the line, but it was in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and was seeking funds to complete the plan.
@@paulsander5433 Fascinating- Thanks for sharing.
That was a cab car, a passenger car usually found on commuter passenger train consists with an extra set of locomotive controls that allow an engineer to remotely operate the locomotive on the head end. This is intended to save time preparing the train for a return run as commuter trains are typically going back and forth along a certain line, what is sometimes referred to as "push-pull service." This configuration allows the train to be ready for another run without having to switch the locomotive around to the tail end. It also allows the engineer to have full visibility of the line now that the rear of the train is the front.
That green glass is not an old light, it's an insulator for electrical wires. I'm 70, when I was a kid, older kids used to shoot insulators with 22 rifles. You'd find pieces of broken insulators all over. I never did because I felt it was wrong.
The two rail side structures; the concrete cylinder was for conductors to receive train orders from dispatch via telegraph & later telephone; the metal structure was a electric track signal. Lastly, siding tracks were for trains to pass another train headed in the opposite direction. Nice job with the video production! All the best!
Wow! What an amazingly, well narrated, and edited video/adventure. You're an awesome guy, and I'm so thankful for your efforts making this. Doubtful I'll ever get down that way to do the hike. People like you are pretty rare, in my opinion, to take the time. Kudo's to you and Maggie for making this video!
Thank you for not blasting the music out loud, you had just got the right level.
16:50 The metal plates with triangular points are cattle guards. Originally all the points would have been vertical to deter livestock from passing a certain point on the tracks.
Thanks for your input! We were really curious about that.
Planning to hike to the Goat Canyon trestle and got a lot of opinions about how to do it. I've watched your video twice now and have to say this is the most researched and honest account of this hike. Really appreciate all the info you included.
The little round concrete box was a "call box" where the train crew could contact the dispatcher, back in the days before radio. There was also a semaphore signal at each end of the trestle. If a washout would have occured, that signal (the metal box with the mast and ladder) once had a flag that would move up or down to display "clear" or "stop" before crossing that trestle.
I dig the men who build Briggs-powered track runners. They ride those rails @ 30mph.
Well done. They used water spray on tressel so the sparks from train wheels did not ignite a tressel fire..every time thetrain crossed.
Amazing! 🙌🏼
That green glass is part of an insulator for telegraph lines
I am 80 got rid of my 800 cc motorcycle and got 1000 cc Artic cat 4x4 maybe at 90 I will go to Goat Canyon but for now it's Canadian swamps !-Great video !
I have watched many videos about the Goat Canyon Trestle and I must complement you, this was the most educational one I have viewed. Job well done
Thank you, Gene
This video was extremely interesting and educational ... thank you both so much for the time and effort you put into making this video, I certainly wouldn't have been able to keep up with you and I certainly would have never seen this if it hadn't been for your exploration. You are very observant and explained everything very well.
The metal spiky plates u thought were for traction ate to keep ppl from riding atvs or any rubber tire vehicle on the tracks. Spike strips
As a child I once went on a ride on an old steam train and the toilet on that train was simply a hole opened all the way to the tracks.
Just found your channel with the video. I lived in Campo for a few years. My father was a Border Patrol agent there. Have been through parts of that area. Used to ride my motorcycle there. Never fell down any hills. Brings back good memories.
What you thought were side timbers for dumping rock waste over the cliff, were actually handcar setouts. If someone was coming down the tracks on a handcar or motor speeder (a powered two man cart) and they encountered an approaching train, they could lift the cart off the track and turn it 90 degrees and roll it off to the side to allow the train to clear.
The little concrete cylindrical structure with the peaked roof was a lineside telephone booth that connected to Dispatch or the nearest station, in the days before radio.
Great video!!!
The cylindrical building housed a phone, this phone was used by crews to call dispatch to make reports of their locations and any information they have regarding the status of the rail line.
Thanks for clarifying!
@@Kolob_Canyons_Ranch you’re most welcome. Thank you for taking this hike and documenting so much.
I believe that broken green piece of glass you found may very likely have been an insulator they used back in the day on telephone/telegraph poles for the wire guides. I've saved lots of them I've found over the years, but the coolest ones are the green ones, I think.
it was actually harder to make glass clear in those days, the green ones were cheaper to produce and glass was used for lower voltage lines hence telegraph. Porcelain was used for higher voltages on power lines.
Those controls on the upper deck of that car is a control cab. These cars are still used today for commuter trains. When the train hits the end of the line, they can't turn it around. So they run the train backwards so the engine is now "shoving" the train. So they remotely control the engine from that cab. Using these cars on that track makes total sense. Was a good choice.
Really, really interesting. Thank you. And thanks for all of the safety warnings and admonishments. People could get seriously injured, and as you said, there's no immediate help out there.
The pole on top of the metal boxes was a semaphore signal. The wheel on the hopper car is the handbrake.
I know that technically it’s vandalism, but that spray can graffiti is some absolutely fantastic artwork. 200 years from now, that kind of stuff will be the $million$ worth of Picasso’s or Munch’s in abstract.
Enjoyed your railroad tour, great commentary, thanks for showing.
Just found and subscribed to your channel. Great job! I too am a history buff and love to learn about how things were made in the past. Too bad that people have to vandalize historic relics, even though some of those murals were pretty impressive.
at 16:21 those are what they call Insulators well the top of one. they used them on the telephone electric poles, near the railway in the olden days. i have a couple of them a clear one and a green one.
That was a GREAT video!!!! I really want to thank you for over dubbing it so we didnt have to listen to the sound of your feet crunching as you walked!!! Again awsome job!!
Those tracks and bridges will still hold a modern train no issue! Believe that!
They would have to make sure they haven't rotted/rusted away too much that the weight of a train wouldn't make the bridgecollapse before any train crosses them.
That sucks for that motorcycle guy but cool discovery
Hello, great video. I figured that I would answer a couple of things you questioned. So far I have only made it to 21:32 into the video. At that point where you thought it was for dumping dirt, that is incorrect. This as well as other similar ones are where they would either store or have as a pull off for small rail cars, like the hand cars, for doing maintanence on the tracks. So when a train was scheduled to be coming by, they would pull the rail car off the track to store it there as the train went by, then put it back on and continue their work. The glass peice you came across was a broken insulator that holds the electrical wires on the poles. The controls you saw in the tourist cars earlier are cab controls, well satelite remote controls for operating the train from that end with the locomotive on the other end. So whe the train reached the end of the line, there would not be a place to switch the engine to the new front to return, so they have the remote set of controls in that control car that the operator would use to control the engine remotely to return back on the line. I may answer more later as I proceed.
That green piece of glass you found, I really hope you kept it! It is a chunk of an insulator, from the top of those telegraph poles. The cables were tied around them to prevent them hitting the wooden poles and shorting out.
The tunnel beams look like Redwood!
Great video, brought tears of happiness memories of my dad and grandpa hiking there over 35 years ago. The tunnels had no gates back then . Now retired living in Ocotillo 😊 have you done a video of shell canyon?
The metal poles at goat canyon that you didn’t know what they were for are semaphore boxes. A set of wires ran through tunnel 15 connected to a semaphore at each end. If one of the wires was broken, a stop semaphore would warn you that something was wrong in the tunnel and you’d have to get out and inspect.
Well that is certainly fascinating. I had to go research it and started me down a rabbit hole 😂 thanks for contributing to the collective UA-cam railroad knowledge.
That was a cool video, and lots of local history. I enjoyed the music in the background. Good to be a nerd!
Those rail cars at the beginning of the film are from when they used to do passenger rail service in the 1990s through the canyon for tourists. They stopped doing that in 2008 though and those cars have been there since.
Thanks for the added insight, Tim!
The only tourist train they run on this line was or is at the Pacific Southwest Railway museum at Campo and it did not run in the area they hiked.
Those passenger cars are from Chicago Metra line. And that is a "poop chute" 🤣
Thank you for showing me this, I stubbled across this out of the blue.
Absolutley loved it, really great history and views of the amzing landscapes. 10/10
That metal pole close to the tracks with the open metal box at the bottom look like the signaling device to tell trains going One direction if there's another train coming together directions so they can get onto a siding.
The broken piece of glass that you showed us look like an insulator from one of the telephone poles carrying wires along the tracks. Those wires would operate the train signals and other devices along the tracks.
That little concrete room may have had an emergency telephone.
California's Gold did an episode on this.
They were using old railroad inspection buggies.
The hand wheel you were turning @45:07 is a manual brake for the wheels on that open hopper car.
If you think that was an engineering railroad feat, research the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a branch line literally built across the ocean. It was destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.
What a fascinating trek and every word of your narration was appreciated by this dork from down under.
Spectacular structure that wooden trestle viaduct. Being used to concrete and brick lined arch tunnels with ornate brickwork on the portals in the case of the brick tunnels, the wooden lined tunnels are something new to me. The work is something to behold once you're in them. I also like how well preserved the track is once you're inside them.
I do wish you held some of your shots of the tracks longer to take it in. Overall a very satisfying tour. I love abandoned railway lines, particularly branch lines.
I used to live in San Diego and sometimes my parents would take me and my little brother to the railroad museum up in Campo . And let me tell you that all the rolling stock and locomotives are beautiful but they have a gem in their collection she has a interesting past and I'll give some hints to anyone who hasn't yet or has been there. She is the biggest one out of the fleet. She was born in 1930s. Her working life was to haul the before things that her iron road sits atop of. This is for people who have not been to the museum
is called PACIFIC SOUTHWEST RAILWAY MUSEUM if you need help with the hints
good luck answering the hints
Such an awesome video! I was thinking of doing this exact hike myself. Now that you've documented it so well, not sure that I will.
Yes , back in the day the sewage went straight out onto the tracks . As a kid I rode on trains and when flushing the toilet with a foot pedal the drain hole below opened and I could see the railroad ties & tracks rushing buy below . I know ... so disgusting right ?
WOW.
This video was really exciting and interesting. Thank you for the time and effort you put into making this video.
It was the trip I would have liked to make. We are from Denmark and my wife and I went in 2014 to The Impossible Railway and past the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum. Unfortunately it was closed. We only got to walk a little; but your video has given me a bit of the experience I never made.
Thanks.
Poul-Erik from Denmark.
There is a video on here of a train pulling a flat car with heavy equipment on it. In 2012. From the starting in plaster city. Picking up the equipment at the goat canyon trestle, and continuing all the way out to the west.
They narrowly escaped with their lives 😉 I suppose 10 years has taken a heavy toll on this old railway. I don’t think that advisable today.
Steam locomotive require water to run the pistons that drive the wheels. So the track often followed the rivers so the rail crew could refill the boiler when not near a water tower. Most steam locomotive would have at least one bucket to draw water from the rivers.
42 minutes in, the metal box with the pole and latter is a signal post.
That blue glass in an insulator from the poles
This tour was so much fun. I have never seen that configuration of carriage with the narrow seats upstairs. That was really really awesome and thank you.
The narrow seats up stairs were so the passengers sitting up there could just hand their ticket to the conductor without the conductor having to go upstairs to collect tickets
...i remember in 1959 looking at the tracks go by through the toilet bowl...
Definitely from Chicago. Used to ride them. Actually here Metra still runs 1 or 2 really old cars for some reason
Are you talking about the Pullman gallery cars? Because I know Metra uses those still to this day
The nudist resort you mentioned is deanza springs resort. No such thing as nudist colonies. I had just watched a video earlier where 2 guys had a small light gas cart coming from the other direction. They ran out of rails and had to turn back. Your hike put their video into perspective. Many people from the resort hike that trail 👣 as well. I was surprised you didn't run into any of them.
No I never worked for the railroad. But I have been on several different trains in the country. Even in Canada. Not just Amtrak. There are a lot of them. Even narrow gauge runs that you can ride. I am also into model trains. I am glad I was able to answer some of your questions. Steven Sipes
as a train enthusiast these cars are actually from the Chicago Northwestern RR and was used in Chicago for commuter service in the 50s-90s and metra must have sold these cars to the carrizo gorge area
Interesting. Thanks!
Oh, I thought they looked like RTA painted cars, however I know Metra is the offspring of RTA
Looks like an insulator for the powerlines
About that coach with the control cab: it’s connected to the controls of an actual locomotive so you can quickly take the train in the other direction without needing to switch the locomotive to the other end of the train.
What a wonderful video. I’m really glad you decided not to bring your dog out there.
I can remember the New Haven railroad back in the sixties they did have toilets where they dumped the crap right out the bottom of the train onto the tracks.
That’s what I’ve heard. Seems the train would begin to smell over time and track repair and maintenance crews would be dealing with it all.
@@Kolob_Canyons_Ranch Nah, dries up quickly in the sun and heat. Turns into dust and joins the ground. A dog with a good nose would find it.
Gross 🤮
Fortunately I got to walk that before all the vandals got a hold of it. Have photos of all the cars before the tagging.
Great video here. Amazing what they built here so long ago. Incredible.
Awesome recomending it no doggie walk thank you 🎉
great video. I have been there once years ago hiking from the other direction. Have lived in San Diego since 1983, I have never heard of any border bandits killing anyone out there. Illegal immigrants do use it as a path north , but interaction with gringos is something they wish to avoid. Good hearted people actually place water jugs out there, because so many have died of thirst. I would not be afraid to go out there again.
Lol that green peace of glass is for the telegraph
Great video,,, I have hiked, camped and explored that entire route over the years. It baffles me that something that has had so much effort put into it being abandoned. When I was on the USG plant expansion back in 1997 as a crane operator, I lived at Jackson’s Hideaway in Ocotillo during the week and on weekends I’d ride my XR650 up that line exploring.
That is a glass insulator you are holding around 16:00 minute mark
Pretty cool video,,Thanks for sharing.
That was a really good video 👌 thanks for sharing.
Kool adventure thank you
They've talked about reopening this line for years. Let's hope they finally do so!!
One can only hope. Will take untold millions to restore. I don’t see the ROI there, but who knows.
Watched the full video. Awesome content !
The metal tower w ladder was for signals to approaching trains. So 2 opposite running trains would not collide.
The reason why the car has controls is because of the cab car it's common for commuter trains go back in the opposite direction the engineer just gets out one side and gets into the controls in the cab car and controls the entire train from there it's easier to control from the backend and then it is to Look Backwards while going in reverse
That's impressive! Those passenger cars you went to at the beginning were owned by the Regional Transportation Authority in Chicago and we're built in the 80's I belive. That one with the controls in it is called a Cab Car, Cab Cars could independently control the locomotive from the back of the train without turning it around. Also from what I could find the Chorizo Gorge Railway owns those tracks and the last train through there was a mere few years ago. There's some pictures of it on google.
*edit---- Corrizo Gorge Railway not Chorizo Gorge Railway
Those cars, mostly built by Pullman were built in the late 50's-early 60's for the C&NW since at that time the commuter service in Chicago were privately owned.
chorizo with my eggs, please 🤠
I live in Chicago and I’m like how in the hell did they get the Metra cars out here…
@@rcr-zt4ofyes, I rode those daily for a decade
Line owned by Baja California Railroad and San Diego's transit authority MTS.
The green glass is a broken power line Insulator, used for decades for early power lines because power companies use bare wire.
I love train and cars😊
Thank you for the name! Helped me find this place on the map
Awesome 👍👍 Video
If you look at a Video from 11 years ago they have a Train that goes through.
You can go with them
WOW the Terrain much more intact
Crazy
Keep on Treking 👍👍
The green glass I think was an insulator for the wire. Awesome video thanks for sharing !
Good to know. Thanks!
Yeah, on Amtrak’s California Zephyr in sections through the desert in Utah and other areas, there’s the old telegraph poles with the wires on them, and on some the crossbeams have rotted and worn away completely, and the glass insulators are suspended in the air by themselves. If you like railroads and historic routes, I strongly recommend the Amtrak California Zephyr to Chicago from Emeryville in a roommette. Fantastic trip.
@@MrNurserob Thank you for the tip! Learned a new word, too. "roomette"
Great video!
That's pretty amazing and thank you for taking us along for the tour !
that is some detailed tour. thanks for putting it together and sharing.
Now that I have see your film of the GOAT CANYON TRESTLE , it is now clear that it would cost hundreds of millions just to repaire part of it. Hopefully a documentary movie could be made before it disappears.
This was really cool. As a railfan I appreciate stuff like this. Thankyou
My ex-father-in-law worked that line for SP and AZP back in the 60's and 70's. Dangerous gig to say the least.
Regarding the toilets/plumbing. Yes, they used to just open a valve and dump the waste on the tracks as they were going along. With all the environmental regulations (thankfully) that is no done anymore.
😮great video ❤
Great video of an interesting bit of history. Thank you for bringing us along.
If you west on I-8 to 94 exit go west you will find the "Pacific Southwest Railway Museum" who use to run railway turwes to one of the washed out tummels and maybe the owners of the rail cars and tracks you have found.
The second set of cars are Canadian co.muted cars, built originally in the 50's, last rebuilt in the 80's....the Chicago cars date to the 50's, last rebuilt in probably the later 80's....thus the lexan windows...
I am kind of a train buff and I used to ride what was at the time called the Cape Codder from New York to Woods Hole Ma. as a kid to go to Martha's Vineyard. The train would run right to the Ferry dock and based on that I would say those cars the older ones you guessed the late 50s and 60s are about right.
Thanks for that input. So it is agreed! They are definitely from somewhere in that era.
It’s the shining sea bike trail now, when I was a boy in the early 70s the lime ended at the station in Falmouth and there were 2 or 3 old NH passenger cars still there. The rails to WH had already been pulled up but there were still remnants of rail activity along the route - ties, spikes, a few foundations - but hard to find much evidence today south of Falmouth
Thanks for posting this video. This is the first time I got to see the trestle underneath. It is amazing how well they built these railroads. I know there is a video showing the last attempt of getting this track up and running again. I think it was on YT but not sure. I can't remember for the life of me what this RR was originally called. There is even a book on it. There are videos of people running their gas-powered rail carts on this track not too long ago. So it seems the deterioration is accelerating. Ugh!!!
This is so cool the whole area reminds me of a good old western movie I love it bro watching from Ireland 🇮🇪
Great Job. You done this well. You speak well. Enjoyed this. Thanku
Those cars are from the Chicago Metra regional train system.. They run the trains out locomotive front. instead of turning the locomotive around, they run backwards into Chicago. The engineer controls the train from the car.
Very interesting thanks for taking me along
In June 2016, Baja California Railroad secured a 99-year lease with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS) to rehabilitate and operate an additional 112.75 kilometres (70.06 mi) of track in the United States between Campo, California and Plaster City, California. The line, with 57 bridges and 17 tunnels, will be rehabilitated in three phases: Phase 1, Campo to Jacumba Hot Springs, California; phase 2, Dos Cabezas (near Ocotillo Wells, California) to Plaster City; and phase 3, from Jacumba to Dos Cabezas. The railroad paid SDMTS $1 million per year to retain its lease; Baja California Railroad stopped paying SDMTS beginning in 2020, breaking its lease.
Oh no, really? Someone is regretting that initial decision. I wonder what happened? Why go through the trouble only to throw in the towel after4 years? Kind of sad.
Yep , yer right !
...totally Nerding Out =P
You guys are awesome;
Excellent content & very entertaining 😁😊✌👊
No way?!?! We were out there on the same trail at the same time. We saw the dirt bike laying on the side of the mountain and the guy walking back to the trail head. Then we saw him trying to get it back up the mountain a little later on our way back. We were on mountain bikes😂. We just found your video when looking for more Goat Canyon videos because we just hiked it again today and were looking for more history about the train.
We were under the main trestle when you rode over, I think. I keep waiting for the motorcycle guy to find this vid!
Ha! Yes, my husband rode on there. I am way too chicken. The crazy thing is that on our ride back, one of his brake cables randomly stuck in his tire and he flew over his handle bars and off of his bike. If that would have happened on the bridge, he would have gone over the side for sure. Yes! I will watch for the motorcycle guy’s comment haha. It is only a matter of time.
@@stephaniesiraco2955 oh dear, definitely don’t ride on it again. It’s not maintained and the timbers are rotting. Eventually someone will have an accident on there and it may mead to restricted access or even demolition. Any-who, thanks for the comments!