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"Dis-a Ray-road NO GOOD!!"
Author: D. B. Arthur
Date: 01-25-2024 - 10:17
While we're on the subject of how screwed up the L.A.-San Diego line is, I was reminded of this funny story.
I heard this story about twelve years ago when we were sitting around reminiscing about how things have changed so much on the LA - San Diego line over the last twenty-five years or so. A lot of people may not realize it, but that line was in pretty sad shape before the Government agencies bought it and started making some necessary improvements and investments in infrastructure. ATSF must have known for awhile that it would be a good candidate for being sold off to parties that wanted to exploit its high-density medium-distance passenger and commuter train potential. Consequently, in the final years of their ownership, they pretty much deferred maintenance on the line. From Fullerton Jct. south, the line was mostly jointed rail that dated back to the World War II era. I was amazed that the freight-only line from Cadiz, CA to Matthie, AZ could boast welded rail, yet this heavily-used line didn't have it. A lot of the sidings were in such bad shape that they had restricted speed limits slapped on them. Santa Fe even yanked out some of those sidings after Amtrak came on the scene. In old employee timetables you'll see places like "Poche," "Agra" and "Las Flores." The code lines were in bad shape and signal problems were common. The list goes on and on. The line has most definitely received some significant upgrades and improvements in the years since it's been under Government ownership.
So my friend told me this funny story that took place back in the seventies or eighties. Among other reasons, this helps to explain why the Port of San Diego is not a big player in the international trade game when compared to, say, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
There was a Japanese container shipping company that was exploring the idea of using the Port of San Diego, partly to avoid the congestion of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. They sent one of their executives over here to inspect the infrastructure, with the L.A.-to-San Diego rail line being part of that inspection. This man could speak VERY LIMITED English and had an interpreter along with him.
It was decided to give this Japanese shipping executive and his interpreter, accompanied by a railroad official, a cab ride on a SAN DIEGAN from San Diego to Los Angeles. The railroad official was A. C. "Ace" Henderson, Road Foreman of Engines. The engineer of the train was Steve Guinn. Steve is now retired and Ace has passed on.
Now remember, this Japanese shipping executive came from the land of 150 MPH bullet trains and a country that has probably some of the world's finest and most-modern railroad track infrastructure.
So you can only guess what happened. It was one of those "trips from H e l l." They had to take siding for a couple of bad meets. The code line was down and they had to flag several blocks. Broken crossing gates at several locations and they had to flag through those grade crossings. Yadda Yadda Yadda.
Toward the end of the trip, RFE Henderson asked, through the interpreter, the Japanese business executive what he thought of the Surf Line. The interpreter posed the question in Japanese and the answer came back in Japanese. The interpreter then had a panicked look on his face as it was now his responsibility to pass along the "bad news," in English, to the American railroad official. After an awkward delayed moment, the Japanese business executive decided to simply by-pass his interpreter and convey the message directly in his own limited English. He said,
"Dis-a Ray-road NO GOOD!!"
Among other reasons, this is why you don't see double-stack container trains running through San Clemente.
I told this story to another friend, Andrew Fox. He used to have a high management position at Espee. His response? "It's a good thing they didn't give him an inspection tour of the San Diego & Arizona Eastern!"
Amen to that!
Can you imagine one of those monster double stack trains, complete with distributed power units, that you see on BNSF's Transcon, trying to tip-toe over Goat Canyon trestle in Carriso Gorge?
I heard this story about twelve years ago when we were sitting around reminiscing about how things have changed so much on the LA - San Diego line over the last twenty-five years or so. A lot of people may not realize it, but that line was in pretty sad shape before the Government agencies bought it and started making some necessary improvements and investments in infrastructure. ATSF must have known for awhile that it would be a good candidate for being sold off to parties that wanted to exploit its high-density medium-distance passenger and commuter train potential. Consequently, in the final years of their ownership, they pretty much deferred maintenance on the line. From Fullerton Jct. south, the line was mostly jointed rail that dated back to the World War II era. I was amazed that the freight-only line from Cadiz, CA to Matthie, AZ could boast welded rail, yet this heavily-used line didn't have it. A lot of the sidings were in such bad shape that they had restricted speed limits slapped on them. Santa Fe even yanked out some of those sidings after Amtrak came on the scene. In old employee timetables you'll see places like "Poche," "Agra" and "Las Flores." The code lines were in bad shape and signal problems were common. The list goes on and on. The line has most definitely received some significant upgrades and improvements in the years since it's been under Government ownership.
So my friend told me this funny story that took place back in the seventies or eighties. Among other reasons, this helps to explain why the Port of San Diego is not a big player in the international trade game when compared to, say, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
There was a Japanese container shipping company that was exploring the idea of using the Port of San Diego, partly to avoid the congestion of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. They sent one of their executives over here to inspect the infrastructure, with the L.A.-to-San Diego rail line being part of that inspection. This man could speak VERY LIMITED English and had an interpreter along with him.
It was decided to give this Japanese shipping executive and his interpreter, accompanied by a railroad official, a cab ride on a SAN DIEGAN from San Diego to Los Angeles. The railroad official was A. C. "Ace" Henderson, Road Foreman of Engines. The engineer of the train was Steve Guinn. Steve is now retired and Ace has passed on.
Now remember, this Japanese shipping executive came from the land of 150 MPH bullet trains and a country that has probably some of the world's finest and most-modern railroad track infrastructure.
So you can only guess what happened. It was one of those "trips from H e l l." They had to take siding for a couple of bad meets. The code line was down and they had to flag several blocks. Broken crossing gates at several locations and they had to flag through those grade crossings. Yadda Yadda Yadda.
Toward the end of the trip, RFE Henderson asked, through the interpreter, the Japanese business executive what he thought of the Surf Line. The interpreter posed the question in Japanese and the answer came back in Japanese. The interpreter then had a panicked look on his face as it was now his responsibility to pass along the "bad news," in English, to the American railroad official. After an awkward delayed moment, the Japanese business executive decided to simply by-pass his interpreter and convey the message directly in his own limited English. He said,
"Dis-a Ray-road NO GOOD!!"
Among other reasons, this is why you don't see double-stack container trains running through San Clemente.
I told this story to another friend, Andrew Fox. He used to have a high management position at Espee. His response? "It's a good thing they didn't give him an inspection tour of the San Diego & Arizona Eastern!"
Amen to that!
Can you imagine one of those monster double stack trains, complete with distributed power units, that you see on BNSF's Transcon, trying to tip-toe over Goat Canyon trestle in Carriso Gorge?
