The north end of Tunnel #16 is blocked by a rock fall. I had to hike around the mountain on the old construction road:
The view from the railroad construction road, looking to the north:
As I came around the end of the mountain, I got a great view of the famous Goat Canyon Trestle. This trestle was built after a massive landslide destroyed the original tunnel. I've added some red lines along the top of the mountain that show how far the slide came down:
The ends of the trestle are blocked off with a chain and metal stakes:
A short tunnel was created when the big trestle was built:
Here are a couple aerial views of the trestle:
The other side of the trestle:
Here is the end of the caved-in tunnel. At the time of the landslide, it was undergoing repairs including reinforcing the portal with concrete. The landslide crushed the tunnel interior and moved the portal at least twenty feet downhill:
That's it for now. Enjoy!
.
On February 7-8th I made another trip to Carrizo Gorge, and managed to hike all the way to the “big trestle”…
There is an old water tower next to the tracks at Dos Cabezas siding, that was used to supply the steam locomotives in the days before diesels. I stopped there and got some pics of the tower silhouetted against the stars:
In the morning I got some scenic shots at sunrise:
Then I parked as close to the tracks as possible, and started hiking:
Here's Tunnel #19:
Cactus and rocks along the track:
After passing through Tunnel #19, I entered the Gorge itself. Here the track clings to the side of the mountains, supported by a series of trestles where the slope was too steep to carve out a ledge. The huge Goat Canyon Trestle is visible in the distance:
The catwalk on one trestle was smashed in by fallen boulders:
The steep mountainsides are covered with ocotillos, cholla and barrel cactus, and other desert plants:
Straight sections of track are rare, as the line snakes around the mountainside:
A pair of boxcars that derailed and went over the side back in the early '70s:
Tunnel #18:
More rocks and cacti:
Tunnel #17, with the remains of a construction road above it:
Thanks Ray, I knew it would happen, but early this morning, there I was, face in the screen, taking a Google Maps/Satellite walk on the grade.
Excellent trip! Talk about having to take the long way around to get to the Salton Sea, wow!
Those tunnels have to be a haven for snakes, getting out of the sun! NO WAY.
As Indy Jones says, "why does it have to be snakes, I hate snakes".
After my "trip" this morning, I'm going to have to take a closer look at your layout. I have always admired your modeling skills.
Mike.
My You Tube
Wow...what a fabulous experience that must have been! I enjoy camping and 12 in.-to-the-foot railroading, too. Terrific photos of the night sky [guess tripod + manual settings on a digital (?) camera?]. Somebody else mentioned snakes...yeah, when I've been in country like that I (actually my wife first) encountered a rattler....love that rattler...otherwise we might not have seen him!
Gary
Some great-looking shots there, Ray! Thanks for sharing them.
Wayne
Ray,Excellent photos and I must say you're far braver then I because that area looks to be prime Rattlesnake country.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
SPECTACULAR!
Looking forward to the video, Ray!
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Wednesday night I went out to the desert east of San Diego, camped out over night near the tracks of the former San Diego & Arizona Railroad. Got a few night photos:
I got up right around sunrise and hiked along the tracks, which pass through an incredible canyon known as Carrizo Gorge. I was hoping to make it to the famous Goat Canyon Trestle (roughly 700 feet long and 200 feet high), however I didn't get that far. In fact, I didn't even get into the actual gorge -- the tracks first pass along the edge of a much smaller (yet still very large) canyon that is just a tributary of the gorge. As you can see, this whole area was the inspiration for my In-ko-pah Railroad.
Here I am standing in a culvert made from large blocks of local granite:
Here's Tunnel #21, the last tunnel on the line but the first one you'll come to when entering the gorge from the north:
The tracks still have the original rails from when the line was first built. This rail is dated 1913:
I flew my drone a few times and got some interesting shots:
Some aerial views of Tunnel #20:
Looking south from above Tunnel #20:
Looking east from above Tunnel #20. This area contains traces of the old railroad construction camp:
On the ground, looking south towards Tunnel #20:
The other end of the tunnel:
This was as far as I got. Unfortunately I crashed my drone pretty badly when I tried to fly it through the tunnel. When it lost the GPS signal, it started to drift. I tried to back it out but it drifted into the side of the tunnel. Good thing I paid for the first year insurance on it.
I still have to edit the video, so I'll post that later.