San Diego Electric Railway Associationtrains railroads railfans rail travel trolleySan Diego Electric Railway Association
San Diego Electric Railway Association
Camp Pendleton Railroad
Section of 1880 rail made by Krupp. Retrieved from Margarita River
canyon near ranch house.
On display at Reed's Hobby Shop, La Mesa CA.
The Camp Pendleton Railroad was formed from the old Fallbrook
branch of the Sante Fe Railroad. Constructed in 1881, it was operated
at first as part of the original transcontinental main line of the Sante
Fe from San Diego to Chicago. The line was constructed by the California
southern Railroad, a Sante Fe owned subsidiary, from San Diego north to
Fallbrook junction just north of Oceanside. This part of the line
still exists under the ownership of the San Diego Northern. From
Fallbrook junction the line turned inland and followed the Margarita River
all the way to Temecula where it turned north and eventually was built
into Riverside and up Cajon pass to connect with the Atlantic and Pacific
Railroad at Barstow.
View of overgrown tracks
The choice of the surveyers to follow the Margarita River
has proven over the years to be a very poor decision. Flooding in 1891
destroyed much of the line in the canyon and resulted in abandonment of
track between Fallbrook station and Temecula. In 1916, the famous
Hatfield flood caused tremendous damage again. This time the Sante Fe rebuilt
part of the line directly into Fallbrook itself by climbing out of the
river valley near Lake O'neal. In 1941 the Marine Corps took over
Rancho Margarita and turned it into Camp Pendleton. Extensive rail marshalling
facilities were built to serve the base. Special trains brought troops
in and out of the base and the Sante Fe was kept busy bringing in and taking
out equipment and materials. The Korean war resulted in more warehouse
construction and the railroad branch settled into a routine of the daily
freight that did not change until 1979 when another flood destroyed three
miles of track near Ysabella station. Repairs took several years to accomplish
and were paid for by the Marines. The Sante Fe had its fill of floods and
wanted to abandon the line. In a complicated transaction, the tracks and
right of way through Camp Pendleton and the Naval Weapons Station were
quit claimed in exchange for a seventeen acre easement near Fallbrook junction
and a cash payment. This put the Marines into the railroad business. Two
locomotives were acquired and service began again in 1988 after a nine
year absence. Go to this site
for some photos up on the Camp Pendleton Railroad.
Marine Corps operation of the railroad continued until
January 1993 when a disastrous flood again caused severe damage to the
tracks. At this time the Marine Corps decided to discontinue operation
of the railroad and move loading and unloading services to a yard on high
ground near the main gate. The Sante Fe easement was vacated and
the existing yard has been returned to the Marine Corps for railroad use.
The railroad through the base has been largely dismantled with the exception
of a three mile section extending from the old ranch house to the east
border of the Marine base.
