Carrizo Gorge Railway
| Carrizo Gorge Railway | |
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| Reporting mark | CZRY |
| Locale | Imperial Valley-San Diego, California |
| Dates of operation | 2004–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | El Cajon, California |
| Website | carrizogorgerailway.com |
The Carrizo Gorge Railway (reporting mark CZRY) is a freight operator on the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway from Tijuana, Mexico to Plaster City, California (Desert Line), San Diego, California to La Mesa, California (Orange Line) and San Diego, California to Santee, California (Green Line). The other freight operator on the SD&AE, the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad, did not want to invest the $5.5 million necessary to repair the collapsed tunnels and bridges in the Carrizo Gorge.
The owners of CZRY, however, believed that the investment would be worthwhile and negotiated trackage rights on the line. The agreement required a fee of 6.9% of the gross revenues from any freight on the SD&AE's Desert Line to Plaster City and $200 per car on any car that would have been brought by the SD&IV to the Coast Line.
Sand hauling is the primary business for the CZRY. The sand is used in making ready-mixed concrete for the construction markets in San Diego County. There is also minor traffic of other goods between the U.S. and Mexico. Rail car storage is another revenue source.
[edit] Motive power
- Two EMD F7As
- One EMD F7B
- Two EMD GP9s
- One EMD GP40M-2
- One Alco S-4 switcher locomotive, ex-RELCO, nee SP.
Usually, you can see a Union Pacific engine pulling a freight. This is because CZRY closely switches with the main Union Pacific line at Plaster City and El Centro.
Additional information regarding the Carrizo Gorge Railway locomotive roster can be found at TrainWeb.org
[edit] See also
- San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway
- San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad
- San Diego Trolley
- San Diego & Arizona Railway
- United States Gypsum operates a narrow-gauge railroad at Plaster City, California.
- List of Mexican railroads
[edit] External links
- Carrizo Gorge Railway official website
- Carrizo Gorge Railway Police Dept. official website
- "Binational Implications of Recent Developments on the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway", a position statement issued by the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce
- "Long-blocked rails on track for reopening", an article in the December 7, 2003 issue of the San Diego Union Tribune
- Pacific Southwest Railway Museum official website
- Mexlist, list of currently operating Mexican railways
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