ALL ABOARD! SOUTHWEST RAILWAY MUSEUM OPENS IN CAMPO

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By Miriam Raftery

July 17, 2014 (Campo) – After years of storage in temporary facilities, an extensive collection of memorabilia and research materials on San Diego’s own railroad history is now available to the public at the new Southwest Railway Library in Campo.

Last weekend, East County Magazine Radio show’s producers rode the rails and interviewed the museum’s archivist.  You can hear our story here:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

At a private VIP party, supporters celebrated a ribbon-cutting at the new museum, toasted its success with champagne, and then road a vintage railway train through East County’s beautiful backcountry.

The rail line through East County came to be known as the "Impossible Railway" due to the many travails that impeded its construction, from armed insurrection in Mexico to World War II, from torrential rains to the famed Hatfield flood-- and a fire in one of many tunnels blasted through the rugged Carrizo Gorge in McCain Valley.

San Diego sugar baron John Spreckels drove the golden spike into the railway's final rail in celebration of its completion.

For more information on the new railway library, which is open by appointment only, or the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum's historic train rides, exhibits, attractions and gift store, visit www.psrm.org.

 

 

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