Reena Deutsch 128 pages softcover
Surveyors called the San Diego and Arizona Railway (SD&A) "The
Impossible Railroad" because of its jagged, mountainous, and brutal
desert route. The financier and driving force behind building this
binational 148-mile rail connection to the east from San Diego,
California, was businessman John D. Spreckels. Because of his
perseverance, the jinxed 1907-1919 construction overcame a series of
disasters, including the Mexican Revolution, a prolonged lawsuit,
floods, World War I, labor shortages, a tunnel cave-in, and a lethal
pandemic. Once up and running, the line was intermittently in and out of
service and later sold and renamed the San Diego and Arizona Eastern
Railway. While "The Impossible Railroad" still faces constant challenges
and partial closures, freight and trolley service currently operate on
its right-of-way, and tourist excursions are offered at its Campo,
California, depot.