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You are in the CarrTracks website Picture Gallery. Santa Fe Railway Cajon Subdivision |
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Cajon Pass separates the San Gabriel Mountains from the San Bernardino Mountains. The first rail route through the pass was surveyed in 1883. With Santa Fe backing, the California Southern Railroad completed a line in 1885 from near San Diego through San Bernardino to Barstow (then called Waterman). The original mainline had six miles of three percent grade between Summit and Cajon Station. The rest of the line down to San Bernardino was 2.2 percent. The Union Pacific obtained trackage rights from Daggett to Riverside in 1905. In 1913 a second mainline was added west of the original line. In order to keep the grade at 2.2 percent the new line was two miles longer between Cajon Station and Summit. The new line became the track for eastbound trains and the original line was used by westbound trains. At Frost, just south of Victorville, the Santa Fe constructed a fly-over to return the railroad to right hand running from there to Barstow. The first paved highway over the pass was built in 1916. In 1967, the Southern Pacific constructed its own line through Cajon Pass connecting with its original line built around 1876 at Palmdale and Colton. In 1972, work began near Summit to straighten out the tight 10 degree curve west of Summit Station and lower the tracks. This work was completed in October 1972. CTC was also installed between Barstow and San Bernardino at that time. The most recent changes to the railroad was the addition of a third mainline between San Bernardino and Summit. All of my photographs are on disks 50, 51, and 52. I've also added pictures taken by Jack Delano in 1943. Barstow |
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