The answer
Author: Pdxrailtransit
Date: 05-27-2012 - 11:07
Sorry, I was getting very turned off by the verge into gun pornography.
Draw a line due east from each port, and it will more or less run thru wilderness. There is no productive hinterland to draw traffic from. These ports are also distant from established transportation corridors. Even though San Diego had the SD&AE, the established corridor for traffic out of Southern California were the mountain passes out the LA basin. The counter example might be Prince Rupert, but it has a direct connection to the CN mainline. Coos Bay and Eureka are ports for just one commodity, and that's lumber products. I used to live in Coos Bay. It is a very long drive from Eugene, and civilization, and the weather is horrible. Its a backwater, and despite years of schemes to bring industry there, they always seem to come to naught. Even the terminal to export wood chips to Japan fell through. One more thing to consider about San Diego is the US Navy, which I don't think has ever been too enthusiastic about more commercial port expansion.
Peedex