The San Diego and Arizona Railway Company had been incorporated secretly in June 1907, by John D. Spreckels, his brother Adolph B., they being the sons of Claus, the Sugar King of San Francisco; John D., Jr.; William Clayton and Harry L. Titus.
  Ground breaking ceremonies were held on September 7, 1907, near the foot of 28th Street in San Diego. The first preliminary grading contract was let.
  The first grading was started in January 1908 and work continued on the surveys. Two All-American routes via Dulzura and one through Lower California (now generally known as Baja California), Mexico, were pronounced practical. Detailed estimates showed the costs of the All-American route to be the higher. John D. went to Mexico City and obtained the concessions required from the Mexican Government.
  Rails were laid to the Mexican border in February 1910. The road's first passengers were carried into Mexico on a big excursion to Tijuana Hot Springs (Agua Caliente) on July 29. There a commemorative tablet was presented to John D. by a representative of the Chamber of Commerce. The bridge across the Tijuana River was completed by the end of the year.
  The Spreckels interests had purchased the San Diego, Cuyamaca & Eastern Railway with its line from San Diego through La Mesa, El Cajon and Lakeside to Foster in 1909. The company was reorganized as the San Diego & Cuyamaca Railway. In March 1912, that road and the San Diego Southern Railway were consolidated into the San Diego & Southeastern Railway. The San Diego Southern Railway had been formed in 1908, merging the Coronado Railroad with the National City & Otay Railway, which latter John D. had previously purchased.
  By the end of 1913, the rail front was about eight miles west of Tecate at an elevation approximately 1,500 feet. On the Eastern Division, Coyote Wells, elevation 272 feet and 26 miles west of El Centro, was reached in April 1914. Regular trains were running from El Centro to Dixieland, 19 miles. Passenger service to Tecate, 52.3 miles from San Diego, elevation 1,685 feet, was begun in September 1914.
  It had been the hope that the San Diego & Arizona would be completed in time for the opening of the Panama California Exposition in Balboa Park on January 1, 1915, but there was a long way to go on that date.
  The rails reached Campo, 65.3 miles from San Diego, elevation 2,585 feet, and, on October 2, 1916, a combina

tion rail and auto service was inaugurated. It was by train to Campo, transferring there to "roomy 12 passenger chair car autos" of the White Star Motor Company to El Centro. Trains were also operated from San Diego to Tia Juana to serve the patrons of the horse races held in Tijuana at the old track near the border.
  1917 brought the United States into World War One. The Government seized and took over the operation of all the major railroads, under the Railroad Administration. All railroad construction was stopped. John D. overcame this calamity by making a trip to Washington and convincing the authorities of the necessity for the completion of the San Diego & Arizona Railway as a defense measure, on account of the military installations in the San Diego area. He was granted an exemption, the only one issued. But labor shortages and the high costs of materials still hindered progress.
  Then the final contract, covering the last twenty miles, was signed with the Utah Construction Company. This included the almost impossible stretch through Carriso Gorge. Work was started from both ends of the canyon. There were 17 tunnels to bore in the 11 miles in the Gorge proper, ranging from about 200 feet to 2,600 feet in lengths. The bench had to be carved out of the steep slopes of the canyon, sometimes as high as 900 feet above the bottom of the ravine. Wooden trestles were decided upon on account of the extreme heat during summer months. There were 14 side hill trestles, where the inside rail is on solid earth and the outer one is supported on the trestle. How this most difficult construction could be accomplished taxes one's imagination. Expensive by-pass roadways had to be constructed around the tunnel locations. Water for construction camps was a serious problem, as always in desert locations. 20 degree curves were required at several points. From the 2,835 feet elevation at Jacumba, the descending grade with a maximum of 2.2% brought the rail level to 2,006 feet at Carriso Gorge Station. The cost of the Gorge section exceeded the wildest estimates, resulting in an expenditure of over $4,000,000 and running the entire cost of the road up to $18,000,000.
  On Saturday, November 15th, the "Gold Spike Limited" made its run from San Diego to Carriso Gorge Station, carrying all the top brass and big shots of the Southwest Corner, Including Baja California. A more fitting spot for the crowning event could not have been selected.

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