SAN DIEGO & ARIZONA RAILWAY COMPANY
SAN DIEGO & ARIZONA EASTERN (1933)
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Snapshot History: The San Diego & Arizona Railway was incorporated in June of 1906 to build a through connection from San Diego, California to Yuma, Arizona via Carriso Gorge. It was the brainchild of brothers John D. and Rudolph B. Spreckels, sons of the famed "Sugar King" Claus Spreckels. In joint partnership with the two brothers was railroad industrialist Edward H. Harriman. Begun in September of 1907, the final 146-mile line would not see completion to El Centro until November of 1919. The Inter-California Railway, built earlier, provided the through connection from El Centro to Yuma on the Colorado River. The "Impossible Railroad" as it was known required numerous tunnels, many large and small bridges, curves in places of 20 degrees, and a 2.2% grade whose summit topped out at over 2,800 feet. Over the years John D. Spreckels had become the Company's prime force representing the family interests. Harriman's interests fell to the Southern Pacific. In 1926 John D. died. The Spreckels family and the Southern Pacific continued to Jointly own the line until 1932 when the Southern Pacific bought them out. In February of 1933 the line was reorganized under the Southern Pacific new subsidiary the San Diego & Arizona Eastern. From then until the 1980's when it finally closed it remained the same.
SD&A 0-6-0 #2 Image, San Diego & Arizona 0-6-0 Loco No. 2 This view not for sale, only for reference San Diego & Arizona 0-6-0 switching locomotive No. 2 is captured acoss from the engine terminal. -------------------- SD&A 4-6-0 #10 Image, San Diego & Arizona 4-6-0 Loco #10, 1937 Order No. SDA10I San Diego, California, August 14, 1937: San Diego & Arizona 4-6-0 Locomotive #10 is captured at the engine terminal. Information on photograph back: Engine No. 10 (ex SP 227, ex SP 2115, ex SDA 21) Type - 4-6-0 class T-12 Cyl/Driv - 19 X 26 - 54" 85,000 lbs. on Drivers "I ran this engine on the Tuscon Div'n in 1891." Wilner E. Batler -------------------- SD&A 4-6-0 #11 Image, San Diego & Arizona 4-6-0 Loco #11 Order No. SDA11I A graceful earlier San Diego & Arizona ten-wheeler locomotive # 11 fills the lens. -------------------- SD&A 4-6-0 #25 Image, San Diego & Arizona 4-6-0 Loco #25 Order No. SDA25I San Diego & Arizona 4-6-0 locomotive #25 poses in front of crane. Ex Las Vegas & Tonapah Railroad No. 9 Builder - Baldwin, 32250, November, 1907. Drivers - 63" Cylinders - 21 X 26 178,400 lbs. -------------------- SD&A 4-6-0 #26 Image, San Diego & Arizona 4-6-0 Loco #26, 1936 Order No. SDA26I San Diego & Arizona 4-6-0 locomotive #26 poses in the Southern Pacific yards at Bakersfield, California, 1936. Ex Las Vegas & Tonapah Railroad No. 10 Builder - Baldwin, 32251, November, 1907. specifications - identical to No. 25 -------------------- SD&A 2-8-0 #105 Image, San Diego & Arizona 2-8-0 Loco #105 Order No. SDA105I San Diego & Arizona 2-8-0 locomotive #105 is seen with long haul vandy tender. Water was very important due to high desert temperatures in area of operation. Ex Southern Pacific engine No. 2843. Drivers - 57" Cylinders - 22 X 30 194,000 lbs. Acquired - December, 1917 -------------------- ************************************** Post 1933 Views - SD&AE Reorganization ************************************** SD&AE 4-6-0 #26 Photo, San Diego & Arizona Eastern 4-6-0 #26 Order No. SDAE26P Two of the local boys pose for Stoes camera in front of the San Diego & Arizona Eastern which has just arrived at Watsonville Junction on a local freight. During its short stay it would be used on a Santa Cruz Branch fan trip and be forever recorded as there by hundreds of fans. -------------------- SDAE 2-8-0 #103 Image, San Diego & Arizona E. 2-8-0 #103 Order No. SDAE103I Photographer: Harold Van Horn San Diego & Arizona Eastern 2-8-0 locomotive #103 poses in unknown yard. -------------------- ********************************************* Special Train, July 23, 1950, Santa Cruz Co. ********************************************* Note: A Railfan double-header special train was run using San Diego & Arizona Eastern engines #26 & #103 on the various Southern Pacific branches in Santa Cruz County, on July 23, 1950. SDAE 4-6-0 #26 Image, SD&AE 4-6-0 Loco #26 on Railfan Special, 1950 Order No. SDAE26AI Photographer: Judson Van Gorder San Diego & Arizona Eastern 4-6-0 locomotive #26 is waiting in the yard at Santa Cruz below Christofanini's Hill. -------------------- SDAE 2-8-0 #103 "View A" Photographer: Judson Van Gorder Image, SD&AE 2-8-0 Loco #103 Railfan Special, 1950 Order No. SDAE103AI San Diego & Arizona Eastern 2-8-0 locomotive #103 is seen making a move in the yard at Santa Cruz, California. -------------------- SDAE Double-header #26/#103 Photographer: George R. (Bob) Willey Image, SD&AE #26 & #103 on Railfan Special, 1950 Order No. SDAE26X2I, SDAE26XNI 11" X 71" The San Diego & Arizona Eastern special double-header train is seen crossing the Wilder Trestle on Southern Pacific's Davenport Branch. -------------------- SDAE Double-header #103/#26 Image, SD&AE #103 & #26 on Railfan Special, 1950 Order No. SDAE26Y2I The special SD&AE train left Santa Cruz for the Olympia with 2-8-0 #103 on point and 4-6-0 #26 behind, both backing up the hill. At Olympia the two engines ran around the train, coupled up with #26 now on the point and returned to Santa Cruz. Shown here, the two engines have just burst out of the Mission Hill Tunnel with train and are about to head down Chestnut Street to the Santa Cruz Yard. --------------------
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