Salton Sea to Eagle Mountain Line

Brandy posted:

If any of the forum members are into speeders/motor cars, do you know if this old line has the ability to make a run from the coast, to Eagle Mountain?

From the "coast" of what, the Salton Sea? The "Eagle Mountain" branch, was off the Southern Pacific Sunset Route main line. Also, for what it's worth, the movie "Tough Guys", with SP 4449, was filmed mostly on the Eagle Mountain Railroad.

Yes, the Salton Sea. I didn't know, until I read something posted about the 4449, that part of the movie was made there on that section of mining railroad.

I could make out a "Y" that they had off the main line at the Salton Sea, but it looks defunct, and the group wouldn't have to be concerned with that anyway.

The one fella who seems to be the leader of this bunch, said he was going to chase some leads down, but he didn't sound like he would get any useful info.

Like I said, I followed it from Salton Sea "Y", all the way to Eagle Mountain Mine, and it looks like 3-4 different places where rail has been removed/washed out/removed and stolen, or "D" all the above.

I just thought I ask the forum, as most all you guys have more going on, than just the Models........................ 

This was the Kaiser Eagle Mountain Railroad, not part of SP, though SP was its only connection.  It used Baldwin diesels from the late 1940's to the 1960's, when they were replaced by 6-axle GE's (U30C's?).  The steel mill at Fontana shut down around 1980 and there was no more need for the iron ore, so the railroad was also shut down.  IIRC, it re-opened for a while to transport export ore, but not for long.  So it has been sitting unused for years.  I wish I could be really specific, but can't remember where I got the idea that it was damaged by washouts.  It's really out there in the desert,  and I can imagine trying to run a motor car over the weedy, snake-infested right of way.

I got to wondering why the railroad has remained in place for so long ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Mountain_Railroad

The railroad has remained relatively untouched since the last ore train operated in 1986 ... Kaiser Ventures conducted maintenance work and routine repairs to the rail line in the mid-1990s.

1988 saw the proposal to turn one of the gigantic 1.5-mile-long (2.4 km) by half-mile-wide (800 m) mining pits into a massive, high-tech sanitary landfill ... Due to numerous lawsuits regarding the environmental effects of the landfill, the project was repeatedly delayed ...

In August and September 2003, the railroad suffered severe damage to approximately ten miles of track when two flash floods hit the railroad. In several locations, culverts were washed out leaving track suspended in the air. In other locations, silt up to 10 feet (3.0 m) deep covers the tracks. No significant structures were damaged as all bridges held up well to the flood waters. Kaiser Ventures estimates it will cost about $3.5 million to repair this damage. During the next two years, a contractor conducted work along the entire line to culverts and protective diversion dikes to prevent any further damage, but the damaged sections remain as Kaiser Ventures has decided to postpone repairs until a future date when funds are available.

In November 2009, Kaiser Ventures received a disappointing ruling from the Federal Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit on the only remaining lawsuit against the [landfill] project.

No photo.

Thanks for the info, and I opened up the Wikipedia site and read the history of this operation. Amazing to say the least. Just more of the American Enginuity that has been lost from America!

Does sound like there is no way of doing any motor riding on this old line...................... 

No photos, other than what is on the Wikipedia site (Eagle Mountain Railroad), then looking the railroad or whats left of it from Google Earth Pro.

You Tube has some footage of the railroad when it was in operations as well.

I can da*n well see why #90 called it  weedy and snake infested!.............. 

Brandy posted:

If any of the forum members are into speeders/motor cars, do you know if this old line has the ability to make a run from the coast, to Eagle Mountain? .... Thanks in Advance Brandy!

This video published March 2012 appears to be on the Eagle Mountain line. I think they could only run on a few miles of track, at best. Disregard the drinking dufus dork.

Go-karts on railroad tracks

We have found out, since I made the original post, that this line is non ride able, and now, has many wash out's............

Do you think that body piersing was done on purpose, or did he fall into a tackle box?

Thanks for video, and they aren't from the NARCOA Group, as that drinking  don't get it at all!

There is a time and place for everything!.......................................