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mexican subsidy granted: ensenada-yuma
Author: steve harrison
Date: 02-25-2007 - 16:33
From the "San Francisco Examiner": "The Mexican government...has just granted a franchise and subsidy...for building a railroad from Ensenada to Ft. Yuma, a distance of 175 miles...". They also had a concession for branches from Ensenada north to San Diego, and from Ensenada south to San Quentin.
This was from 1887 and was referring to the Peninsular Railroad of Baja California which actually did build and, after a fashion, operated 27km (about 19 miles) from San Quentin 1892 to about 1904. One alternate plan that was discussed, and a concession granted in 1890, was continuing to a connection at Ciudad Juarez (south of El Paso, TX). Sounds like the same rational of the Union Pacific Railroad owners today, avoid all those nasty rules and regs (and wages) in the good 'ol USA. Same plan, just 119 years ago. FYI: Ft. Yuma was on the west bank of the Colorado River.
In 1894, then mayor of San Diego, and future convicted fraud felon, Billy Carlsen gained a Mexican concession for a route from Tijuana to near Yuma, with a branch from Tijuana to Ensenada. This scheme built a handful of miles from Palm City to Otay Mesa in the San Diego area, and actually operated for exactly one day.
The Southern Pacific owned Inter-California Railroad had a concession for an extension to the Ensenada area in 1904, to be built in three years. The same route suggested above, just 103 years before. This concession forbid competing railroads within 35km (about 25 miles). The Southern Pacific let this concession lapse, so that the San Diego & Arizona Railway (Carrizo gorge route), then secretly backed by Southern Pacific owners money, could be built instead.
In 1908 the Speckels family owned San Diego Southern Railway as incorporated to build an electric railroad from San Diego to Ensenada. The Spreckels also were owners of record of the SD&A. This would never be built, but the SDS company shell was later used to consolidate some of the family owned suburban railroads in the San Diego area.
All information from the excellent "Baja California Railways" by John A. Kirchner, Golden West Books, San Marino, Ca, 1988. Out of print but check abebooks.com, etc.
Thanks folks,
Steve
This was from 1887 and was referring to the Peninsular Railroad of Baja California which actually did build and, after a fashion, operated 27km (about 19 miles) from San Quentin 1892 to about 1904. One alternate plan that was discussed, and a concession granted in 1890, was continuing to a connection at Ciudad Juarez (south of El Paso, TX). Sounds like the same rational of the Union Pacific Railroad owners today, avoid all those nasty rules and regs (and wages) in the good 'ol USA. Same plan, just 119 years ago. FYI: Ft. Yuma was on the west bank of the Colorado River.
In 1894, then mayor of San Diego, and future convicted fraud felon, Billy Carlsen gained a Mexican concession for a route from Tijuana to near Yuma, with a branch from Tijuana to Ensenada. This scheme built a handful of miles from Palm City to Otay Mesa in the San Diego area, and actually operated for exactly one day.
The Southern Pacific owned Inter-California Railroad had a concession for an extension to the Ensenada area in 1904, to be built in three years. The same route suggested above, just 103 years before. This concession forbid competing railroads within 35km (about 25 miles). The Southern Pacific let this concession lapse, so that the San Diego & Arizona Railway (Carrizo gorge route), then secretly backed by Southern Pacific owners money, could be built instead.
In 1908 the Speckels family owned San Diego Southern Railway as incorporated to build an electric railroad from San Diego to Ensenada. The Spreckels also were owners of record of the SD&A. This would never be built, but the SDS company shell was later used to consolidate some of the family owned suburban railroads in the San Diego area.
All information from the excellent "Baja California Railways" by John A. Kirchner, Golden West Books, San Marino, Ca, 1988. Out of print but check abebooks.com, etc.
Thanks folks,
Steve
