Words of Wisdom from SharLeigh
CAJON PASS PROJECT
FINALLY COMPLETE
There are two mountain ranges (the San Gabriel and the San Bernardino) that are separated by the Cajon Pass on the outskirts of Southern California. The pass was traversed by Native Americans for centuries, then mountain men such as Jedediah Smith and Kit Carson. Several wagon trails including the Spanish Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail and the Mojave Trail converged on this pass, which was the only negotiable gateway between the High Desert and the Los Angeles Basin. Because of its great economic importance, the Santa Fe Railway built the first rail line over the pass in 1885. The original track, now named Main Track 3, has a 3.4% gradient and directly traverses the summit. As the area grew, so did the demand for trains. In 1913 Santa Fe Railway built Main Track 2, which has a lesser grade of 2.2%. You may be wondering, “Where is Main Track 1?” Well, that turned out to be a $90 million project that was completed in November of 2008 by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF). With the completion of this expansion, there are now two tracks with the lesser grade and three total main lines through the pass. During the four-year project, over 1,000,000 tons of earth was moved, 42,000 concrete railroad ties were placed and 30 miles of track were laid. BNSF also worked diligently to protect the area’s historical and cultural resources. The ability of railways to efficiently move more products will help to rebuild this nation’s economy. As more freight is transported by rail, more trucks will be required to haul the commodities from the railroad centers to the outlying areas. The Cajon Pass project was a win-win situation for all involved!