Traversing the Impossible Railroad to the Goat Canyon Trestle
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Hidden in a remote corner of San Diego County, California sits the largest wooden trestle in the world, built nearly a hundred years ago.
Written and Produced by: Bethany Guerrero
Cinematography and Visual Effects by: C. Drew Unser
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• 16 miles Goat Canyon T...
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To all who joined the Premiere, YT cut off the chat, but thanks so much for joining us! I guess we get about 5 minutes to chat after before they shut it down. Comments hence forth and we'll do our best to read them all at some point.
the best part you didnt do or show ..... the platform walkway one level down. ooooo that would have been awsome
Did you know that the route from San Diego had to enter the country of Mexico for a while?
Thank you for telling me the name of this place. Another video just said it was close to the U.S. Mexico border and never even said what State.
I walked that track from Jacumba to Tunnel 16 and back twice in 1998 when we were working on the track between Campo and Jacumba. When we got permission from SANDAG to complete the repairs on Tunnel 8, we moved equipment down there and cleared the old construction road to take construction equipment around the mountain to open the last caved in section in the tunnel. We were told that the work would require up to 7 million dollars, but we completed Tunnel 8 and Tunnel 16 for only a quarter of a million. The owners of the construction company incorporated the Carrizo Gorge Railroad to transport sand from the desert west of Ocotillo and sand operations lasted until 2005 or 2006. The owners of the railroad company now, still have locomotives and maintenance equipment in Jacumba and unless you go up to the depot and see them getting a work train ready, you will not know if they are going to be running down into the Gorge to inspect or work on the track. I did bridge inspections on the Goat Canyon Trestle, checking all of the bolts and anchor rods once a year while I was the track foreman. I have no problem with heights, but I was 45-46 at the time and got a little tired, climbing back to the track level after rappelling down to the bottom, covering 2 trestle bents each time and swinging between them. It was really fun and I looked forward to it, but it was a long day and I was the only one willing to go over the side on the rope. All of the passenger cars, the Chicago Metra cars at Dubbers and the Montreal cars at the Tunnel 7 spur, were supposed to be used on a commuter service between Tijuana and Tecate in Mexico, sometime between 2006 and 2008, but it didn't work out. So they were parked where they are, to be vandalized by unthinking barbarians.
AT about 4:30, you are in the cab car where the engineer sits. In Chicago (similar to Metrolink in Los Angeles) they run trains backwards to save time and money turning trains. With the locomotive pushing - it's called push/pull operation.
Yes, I used to ride the Chicago Metra long ago. When the loco was a pusher, there was a person in that cab on the front car.
Yes, same with MBTA in Boston. That’s a control car.
Dr Doolittle had a similar animal 😂😅
The cars were from Chicago Metra and were used briefly on a failed commuter service between Tijuana and Tecate in Mexico.
This has to be your best ever episode, the filming, the editing and the dedication to make it to The Goat Canyon Trestle it must have been very tiring in the heat but equally rewarding. I would very much like to see more of these longer videos that feels like a mini-documentary. Awesome work Bethany and Drew
This was a interesting adventure. It's definitely not a adventure that I would take myself. Thank you for bringing us along with you.
Another fantastic video from you both.
🙋🏼♂️ Great Video …..In 1979 I worked for a contractor ( Basich Construction) 3 of us ,owner , superintendent and me ,laborer rode 1 Honda 100cc motorcycle and a 90cc atc three wheeler (2 riders ) to bid on job to repair of large landslide by the big trestle . We did not get the job but they estimated that it would take 1 locomotive and 3 flat cars to haul tractors , scrapers and equipment to the site buy the trestle . I was 19 and we would take turns riding double most of the way in the center of tracks over the RR ties ! bump bump bump bump ,it was a long day . I learned a lot that day ! The scenery was unbelievable and the job to build the original RR track looked impossible.
Now retired construction worker , still riding dirt bikes and riding Trains …….GREAT FUN 🤠
That's awesome - thank you for sharing!
Drew and Bethany I have ridden these same cars when I was younger. Tha CalTrain used the same cars. The room that Drew was in is where the engineer would control the train when the train had to make its return trip. They started making trains so they wouldn't have to move the engine to the front every time they switch directions. You use to be able to switch the direction of the seats so passengers that get sick riding backwards could face forward. If anyone has questions about the train cars I'll be more then happy to try to answer them. The cars that were burned may have been Pullman cars from the first half of the last century.
Caltrain uses gallery cars to this day. They were assembled in Japan.
@garymartin9777 Sorry, I have no idea what CalTrain uses today due to the fact I no longer live on the peninsula and stopped traveling there when my grandmother died in 89. My uncal does sit on the CalTrain council. I can easily get any info about the train from him.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I did the same trip back in 1984, Of course there were no gates on anything and we were able to ride without stopping all the way to water tower at Dos Cabezas, and back! We would even ride out and camp along the rails looking for new rock climbing routes in the gorge. Before the gates went up, this was a popular way for folks to enter from south of the border, and we would often pass by groups of travelers heading north.
I actually just did this by myself in December 2023, and I had an electric bike that stopped working 1 mile in! I took the bike the whole way with me and on the way back, I decided to see if it would work again and it did. I was so happy, I could've cried! It was an experience I will never forget. I love how you explain things on the way, I just am not that articulate! Loved this video, thanks for posting. That 1/2 mile tunnel is something else. If you do not have the proper lighting, as I did not, you better hope you step in the right place. I say walk the track because there are large boulders on the sides of the tracks that you can't see. This whole trip is worth it once you actually get to the goat trestle!
It wasn't for the steam, but for the oil or coal fire smoke. And Coors light wasn't even made until 1978. It may have been a Coors Banquet (original Coors) car.
The trestle was awesome!!! Thank you so much for showing this to those of us that would never be able to see otherwise. ...Claude
It's absolutely incredible. Thank you for all the effort in sharing this majestic piece of history.
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I actually talked to the son of the owner of that chevron station a while back and he told me his dad is an avid collector of oddities, and when that helo came up for auction, he bought it. Apparently it was one of the original props from the Walking Dead series. dude bought it, stripped out the engines and everything that was taking up weight and had it placed on top of the gas pump awning as a display. Pretty neat!
That's so cool! Thanks for sharing. 😊
This was amazing. The journey there was great, and the Goat Canyon Trestle so huge, and such an amazing feat of engineering and craftsmanship. I have a terrible fear of heights too, so really appreciate Bethany's bad ass crossing of that monster, and so nice of Drew to get what a challenge that is. You guys rock. This was fantastic...I love trains, tunnels, and history...this was perfect. You guys rock!
This is definitely my favorite episode ever, so far! The part where the largest wooden trussel was revealed gave me the chills! Great job guys!
The Metra cars were brought in with the three Montreal passenger cars for a proposed commuter train service between Tijuana and Tecate which didn’t materialize, so they were left abandoned here and further up in Carrizo Gorge.
There are 21 tunnels total between San Diego and El Centro, 17 of which are located in Carrizo Gorge. Tunnel 4 is located west of Campo, and crosses the US/Mexico border.
The tracks are owned by San Diego MTS, and are technically listed as out of service, not abandoned. Freight trains run between Tecate and San Diego and between Plaster City and El Centro.
The last successful operator of trains through Carrizo Gorge was Carrizo Gorge Railway which ran freight through here into the early 2000s. Since then SDMTS has brought in two other operators who were unsuccessful keeping the tracks open. The latest was Baja Rail, who operates freight rail services between Tecate and Tijuana, who had a goal of reopening the entire line to Plaster City but about a year or more ago backed out.
SDMTS still has a hope of reopening the tracks for trains someday, but the costs of reopening and keeping the tracks open are very high.
Excellent episode & adventure. I have watched a number of videos about the Goat Canyon trestle & the San Diego & Arizona Railroad. You brought your special talent for making the story approachable. I had no plans to hike it & you have documented the experience for me. This is why I'm a HUGE OO fan. Keep up the good work.
You are really brave to be able to travel so far in the desert, plus walk through those dark caves and cross those decreped trestles!
It wasn't Coors Light. It was regular Coors with the pull tabs. Back in the late 70s that car was full and the doors were open. We hiked down to it from our Rail Car that we had built. Motorized 4 seat home made car that got 100 mpg and went up to 35mph. We could take it all the way up to past the Goat Canyon Tresttle. One of the last uphill tunnels beyond there was caved in so you would have to turn around and go back down. Fun trips at night with a full moon. We also rode other tracks the lead into the Eagle Mountain Iron Mines. Photos of us riding the car in my community page. Just scroll a bit and you will see them. I had many more at one time but a house fire took most of them. Glad to still have these.
Great Video - I've seen pic's of Goat Canyon Trestle But Your Video is so much better - thanks.My Dad was CHP and first stationed in El Centro 1951 to 1957. I remember seeing the leave the desert heading into the Mountains. Also back then from El Centro and the desert floor up to Jacumba and on to San Diego old Hwy 8 was a 2 lane blacktop road divided by a single broken "White Line". I remember many trips on that to San Diego. Going up "Devil's Canyon" there were stops on the roadside with 55 gallon drums filled with water for overheating cars. Again thanks for a great video.
Nice! That's a beautiful bridge. I didn't realize the journey to get there was that far. Thanks for showing it. You guys do a great job.👍👍!
Holy Cow 🐮 y'all! What an adventure! Hope you enjoyed a nice few days afterwards! Thank y'all so much!😊
We appreciate you watching the episode! Yes, it took a few days of recovery and we were so grateful to get the footage we needed to share with everyone.
@@OddityOdysseys I plan every Sunday around y'all! Thank you!
moo
You should propose this trail as a Rail to Bike trail. In Idaho, there is a rail to bike trail that goes over trestles and through tunnels. All downhill with a shuttle back to to the top.
It's crazy the history behind such an impressive piece of engineering! Hard to imagine all the blood, sweat and tears it takes to accomplish such a huge feat only to have it sit abandoned and forgotten until ppl such as yourselves take the time to bring such glory to light for all of us to enjoy 😉 ✨️ thanks again for the great explore
When we went there back in the 1990s, we came from the other direction. One tunnel was gated so we had to go over the mountain which was very slippery and unstable. The tunnel you saw after the trestle as caved in when we were there but has since been cleaned up and reopened. We were not scared of the trestle and quickly walked across to the other tunnel looking for the other end of the landslide shifted tunnel. The lower level was fun to check out but fairly dangerous to traverse. That is where all the fire control pipes were accessed in case of a fire. There is a video of a train going 8 miles to the trestle, picking up workers and a piece of heavy machinery then going across the trestle! The entire trip is videotaped from the cab, very interesting! Google it on youtube.
No doubt one of your best adventures.
The SD&AE was always a money pit. Not enough freight was moved along the line to make it economically viable, and it was expensive to maintain: rock falls were constant. Passenger service didn't cover costs, either.
Once old Hwy 80 was completed
(an interesting tale on its own) there was no need for the train line at all. There have been some attempts to reopen the line as a tourist destination, but nobody has had the capital to do the job.
For anyone interested, there are plenty of CZcams videos covering a more in-depth history of the line.
4:17 that room is a cab car. Normally the cab car is the last car in the train. Once you arrive at the end of the line, the motorman would relocate from the locomotive to the cab car. He would then remotely control the locomotive and there was no need to turn the train around. Operate the train in reverse. Voila!
Breathtaking! You are so courageous to have attempted this lengthy hike and precarious bridges! It was a true adventure for all of us!!!
That was a truly remarkable adventure!! Bravo to you both for attempting and succeeding in this strenuous trip!
Thank you, RIchard! 😊
We did that hike back in the early 1990s....we came in from the north end. Great hike !!!
Wow. I could not walk over that trestle. Made me dizzy watching you guys. Lol. Enjoyed this. Glad you are safe😅❤
Watched again. So moving. You two are the best!
That took alot of nerve. Seriously. Congratulations to you both! 🎉
Hey guys, GOAT greatest of all Time. I hiked, biked etc this trip many times but decades ago. first was when the tracks were patrolled. had to go down along Carizzo.....rugged, slow, just made it to the coors car as the winter days are only a few hours of light. Also attacked from the Dos Cabezos. I believe a rode the bike the whole plus carrying it. many times from de Anza. Jerry SChad helped me. those 2 grafittied lines of cars were not there ....this is back in the 80s. great documentary, guys, thanks and kudos. DG SD CA
This is just jaw dropping adventure! Very brave and cool for you both to bring this to us! It was VERY interesting. Thank you!😊
Oh my gosh, that is such a cool video, you guys, I am really amazed at how good the condition was of those railroad cars. You really went all out to create this video. That bridge is amazing, so nice of you to share it. What a feat of engineering
❤🙏
Just watched this one again. It's so amazing.
I recently watched a video by another CZcamsr who went to the first set of train cars. I wondered what the trestle looked like. Now I know.
Awesome stuff! Thank you!
It's a good thing there isn't a lot of over-grown vegetation there, a lightning strike wildfire would destroy that easily. I watched another couple take that hike and they noticed a bad smell that turned out to be human remains which they reported to police. Good advice not to take that hike lightly and unprepared. Thanks for that awesome adventure.
Really? Human remains? Do you remember how long the body had been there in the sun and as hot as that area gets. Might not have been too long before it starts to go bad . Now that's just stinking creepy. Have a great day everyone.
@@davidurban6813 I wish they would have done a follow up, I imagine it was a lone hiker that fell in this treacherous rock area they had trouble passing over.
What was the name of the channel?
@@bruceaisher "Sunkissed Mary" is the channel name. Goat Canyon trestle via Mortero Palms California is the name of the video. Many people have taken that hike, this is a good video to see just how dangerous it is.
Thank you for bringing us along guys!! I have friends liviin San Diego i will definitely suggest this to them! And I can’t believe this beauty is right here in CALIFORNIA!!!!!
Wow impressive!! You guys deserve awards for this video.
An absolutely fascinating adventure with an absolutely amazing destination. Many thanks, Drew and Bethany for taking your viewers, followers, subscribers on this strenuous and dangerous journey. 👍👍 When it comes to being fearful of heights, I'm with you, Bethany, and have never succeeded in climbing an open stairway to a forest fire lookout tower, although I've attempted a few.
I can't wait to see this!!
Holy cow....I'd drive all the way from Auburn, NY just to see that. BRAVO!
Seeing history like that, COOL! And well done!
You should check out the Hiawatha Trail on the Idaho / Montana border. There are seven tunnels, the longest is 8000 ft. and nine trestles, the longest is 1300 ft. The trail is about 15 miles long and since it is railroad grade it is an easy round trip starting at either end.
I rode the Chicago and Northwestern commuter trains from 1970 to 1976. Those are the identical cars my dad and I rode on. The cars had controls at the engine of course and at the end car to control the train going out to the end stop and back to the station. We usually sat up stairs and sleep most of the way. They still run cars like this today out here in Crapifornia going dome Gilroy to San Francisco.
aaa this is wonderful! you guys, i just watch a video you uploaded 7 years ago and got so happy once i saw that you're still making videos! this just made me so happy.
i hope you guys are doing well and want to thank you for sharing all this, it's wonderful to see people that like what they do and being able to tell easily. good luck with whatever projects/stuff you have going on right now!
I've been hearing of this place for a long time... certainly is smart to have experience in hiking, a first aid kit and lots of water and snacks... and cameras! Very Cool to see what you guys share in my own back yard of San Diego... would have loved to come along on this one and captured some fun photos and video too.
Amazing!! Thank you for sharing 🙏
Wow, major props to the both of you for taking this on! This has to be in the running for the most adventurous episode ever! I've always wanted to visit the trestle but never made it all the way (got up to one of the tunnels and a construction site once from the Mortero Canyon side) The question remains...what are you going to do to top this? 🙂
If you haven't visited already, next time you're in Anza Borrego, Ghost Mountain is a pretty interesting spot. Happy trails!
Our next episode is pretty mellow in comparison, but still a lot of fun! We definitely have a LOT more in store, so stay tuned, our friend. ❤
7:40 this map montage was excellent
Loved it!! This is my favorite bit of San Diego Rail history.
WOW... THANKS!!!
Absolutely beautiful bridge!!! Great video thank you
What a fantastic adventure!
Really cool explore. That tressle looked insane!
Wow, what a place👍👍
Really cool how you included history of the line as you hiked it. Awesome video!
Enjoyed watching this episode! Many thanks for your hard work!
Excellent!
Wow!!! This was a Whole new level of CZcams from you guys.
Please keep doing this abandoned places. It's amazing
Spectacular!!
I mountain biked this. Going through the tunnels was awesome!
Just watch this and want to tell you that it was a fine fine production. I truly enjoyed it. Thank you for taking time effort, and all that went into doing this.
That whole area is amazing for hiking, biking, camping. Love the giant boulders. There are a few places that you can find water too . Its so peaceful down at the bottom of that canyon. Lots of memories over the past 50 years.Camping with my family all over the desert.
Drew and Bethany this was amazing. Your best video and the structure and engineering to build that trestle is incredible
What a great video! The music makes it so interesting! Thanks for doing a great job! I loved watching every minute of your trip!
Great video - thanks!
Nice reminiscing about the past and to remember those that built it. But don't repeat it !!!
gorgeous video, thanks you guys
Fantastic video! Thanks for sharing your journey. You guys are great story tellers, researchers, videographers and editors. Love the music you add for more drama. Please be safe in all your adventures.
The use of bikes was a refreshing, interesting approach.
I’m glad to echo so many others in saying that this was really well done and a truly epic adventure. I always enjoy your work, but this one is so far at the top of the list. Thank you!
Thank you for another great video that huge wooden Trussel was amazing. That line should be preserved for history.
Wow! That is impressive! So glad you made the journey so we can see it. Just did the Iron Goat trail up here in the cascades so it’s fitting to be watching your adventure in Goat Canyon. So much rail history up this way with the Milwaukee road (old John Wayne trail now the Palouse to cascades) with the 2.3 mile Snoqualmie tunnel (and several shorter ones along the route) and the old Great Northern rail (Now the Iron Goat trail) that sadly boasts the deadliest avalanche in US history. Also the Route of the Hiawatha in Montana with several tunnels (longest is 1.6 mikes) and several trestle but boy, that trestle is impressive! Would love to see more California rail history and would love to take the journey out there to those tunnels and that trestle. You guys are awesome!
Researching this bridge a few years ago is how i found you the first time. Great to see you cover it
Stoked for this
The Tressel bridge is incredible definitely worth the trip, thanks for taking those of who just can't make that kind of journey.
This was epic! Thank you!
That was amazing! Thank you for taking us on your adventure! Great job! Your so brave!😅🎉
WOW 😮 thank you for sharing
so awesome... thanks for taking the adventure, the risk, the time to edit... loved it!!!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing your adventure! That was really cool!
OMG....incredible hike across places I would never have had the stones to go over....thanks for bringing something to me that I would never ever have had the ability to see or even know about....great job!
As always, an interesting adventure , thanks for taking us with you. Would like to see it myself, but not sure if I will ever be able to.
You guys! What a great job you did on this episode! Super enjoyable! Editing, music, commentary.... you did the hike so I didn't have to! I truly appreciate that you brought me along. Thank you!
Glad to have you along anytime!
Amazing video! This was worth the weight. I enjoy hiking but this seems way passed what I could do in a day to reach this so watching this video was the next best thing. You can tell the time and effort put into making this your most amazing video yet!
Wow it takes some dedication to reach that tressel !! Thanks for taking us along for the adventure !
Wow that is cool!
i have seen several videos about this trestle.. this by far is the most interesting. thank you for the top down maps and animations.
Absolutely amazing, blown away, never knew this existed. Kudos for this adventure.
Thank You for the adventure.
Bethany and Drew, incredible video!! It was like watching a Discovery show only better. That trestle was amazing. It really makes you think about the workers and what it took to build with 100 year old technology. Just getting the Timbers to the location and cutting them to fit. That’s not even talking about digging the tunnels. The grim part is there had to be numerous deaths due to construction accidents and issues related to the harsh environment. Sorry I missed the premiere this morning. All I could think about at the end was the 10 mile plus hike back you had to take. Thank you very much for this.
We must have crossed paths. I was out here in March and April with Jeven Dovey testing out the (unreleased at that time) Mavic 3 Pro. Good stuff guys, very professional and polished. See you on the trails!
Amazing!
Wow guys, this is one of your best adventures, how amazing, thanks for doing all the hard work so we could go as well, love your channel.
great vid keep em coming
That was pretty cool. I guess you are needing to stray further from LA to find things now?
As a longtime cyclist, I hope I can make a suggestion for the next time you need to use the bikes. At about 5:22 when Bethany gets on the bike, she has the seat adjusted so that she can put her feet on the ground. When she starts pedaling, she is not getting full leg extension. If you raise the seat you can get greater mechanical efficiency, making it easier and faster. To get on, simply straddle the top tube and raise yourself to the seat after you push off. Step off and straddle the top tube when coming to a stop. If adjusted properly, you will NOT be able to touch the ground from the pedaling position. It becomes natural after a while. I also noticed all of Drew's camera gear was mounted quite high on that rack. I have some trunkbags and panniers (saddlebags), which could hold that load lower and more stable. You have steered me to a few interesting photo ops over the last few years and I would be happy to repay you by donating one of my extra sets, which still work just fine, for your channel.
This most definitely is in on my bucket list