Abandoned!!! The ABANDONED Trains of Jacumba, CA... AMAZING!!!

[@slowtony2]

As others have said, everything belongs to someone. This 100-year-old rail line was the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railroad. It was built by John Spreckles (brother of the San Francisco sugar baron) to provide a direct route from San Diego to the Union Pacific Railroad at Plaster City. It dips into Mexico at Tijuana, runs east to Tecate, and then reenters the United States at Campo. The line now belongs to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. I can remember when the line was operating, under a lease from SDMTS to Carrizo Gorge Railway. It carried rock from Mexico to the Imperial Valley. The resident engineer was a big boisterous guy who always seemed to be in a bright orange jumpsuit. The line never made much money. It stopped operating in 2008, "for track repairs". In 2012, two of the Corrizo Gorge Railway investors took over the SDMTS lease, under the name Pacific Imperial Railroad. They had plans for a tourist service from Campo to Plaster City, with stops at the 1919 Jacumba railroad depot and at the De Anza Springs Resort. (De Anza Springs, a naturist resort, is at the top of the bluff. That's where the dirt path from the old rail cars leads.) I think that Pacific Imperial Railroad might have acquired the old commuter passenger cars. The last time there was passenger service on the Desert Line was 1951, and the cars in the video were made after 1960. At any rate, the new company couldn't get the wooden trestle approved for passenger service, missed lease payments, and incurred lawsuits. In 2017 it filed for bankruptcy with $7 million in debts. The Mexican portion of the old railroad is now owned by a Baja California government entity. In 2012 the Mexican government granted Baja California Railroad a concession to operate the 44 mile section between Tijuana and Tecate, where it is now carrying freight. A group of businessmen who own factories (maquiladoras) in Tijuana are interested in funding restoration of the US Desert Line to carry their goods by rail to the US. They may have the funds to finally perform the track, trestle and tunnel repairs. However, a customs station will need to be created in Campos, which will require US agreement and cooperation. As of January 2020, I don't know the status of this proposal. The vandalism of our back country by urban youth is appalling. I do get it that the destructive young people are crushed by the economy and society, feel powerless, and often are. I don't buy the 'art' pablum. They do graffiti on public and private property as combination way of getting back at the society they hate and screaming LOOK AT ME! because they know this is the only way, short of murder, that they will ever be noticed. As much as we hate this destruction, we should also ask each other what we have done, as a society, to give these kids so little hope and so much despair.

[@TheAnunnaki-NYC]

This line was part of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway and was abandoned in the early 2000's cause of a tunnel and trestle collapse. From what I heard the Baja California RR was doing inspections of the line of possibly bringing it back to life again in early 2018.

[@tehpw7574]

there was another video about that train station in that "town", too (IDK if it was the same toons posting it or not). As for the tunnel collapse, if you follow the route via GM's, you can see debris on the northside of one of the tunnels. Surprised there isn't MORE because of the location and geology...

[@keithschrack]

There must be some truth to this. Google Maps shows the cars re-railed and moved fully onto the spur. The main line is clear.

[@unity3596]

I don't think they are rerailed but they have been moved due to the brakes

[@-watermelonking]

@@unity3596 They're all back on the track.

[@HunterR909]

Likely they are Pullman commuter coaches, Metra in Chicago and these could also be Southern Pacific commuter coaches too, given the local.

[@davinp]

The Chicago Metra train still uses sold old Pullman Gallery cars. Of course, they've bought new ones and so have other commuter rail systems in the US. The new gallery cars are made by nippon-sharryo. These old cars were in good condition until they were vandalized

[@theconceptualist8626]

These cars once belonged to Metra in Chicago. They still use these cars, called “Gallery” cars, to this day. Made by Pullman in the 1960s, they made them for Metra, Caltrain, and Virginia Railway Express primarily, and a lot of other commuter lines used them for a number of years and even Amtrak for a while. They’ve mostly fallen off with Metra the only line that still uses them as of December 2024. Caltrain used them up until a couple of months ago of me writing this. (Caltrain still does use them, but sparingly on a non-electrified portion of the route)

[@FeronRacc]

It appears the cars have been moved somewhat recently when looking at it from google earth, some of them have uncoupled from each other and the main line has been cleared. what also looks interesting is that at some point between 2015 and 2016 the brakes failed and it rolled back and derailed itself where it sat until sometime in 2018. (32°39'27.91"N, 161°11'22.36"W)

[@loco-dweeb5258]

The correct coordinates should be 32°39'27.91"N, 116°11'22.36"W. Your West coordinate puts them in the middle of the Pacific ocean. And yes it would seem they have been pushed up away from the main track as of 02/20/2020. Don't know if the main track is being used again but there are still some locos in sitting in Jacumba on the sidings. Hope they will use the track again!!

[@MetroCSN]

Former Chicago & Northwestern cars, second order. They became RTA/Metra cars when those agencies were formed in about the mid-1970s.

[@MarchHare59]

I used to commute on the Metra Northwest and West line back in the 80s. Those cars with the red reversible seats look very familiar. You could turn the back of the seat to face in whichever direction the train was going or you could arrange it to face another seat. I liked the single upper deck seats. I think the middle car of the train where you see a small side window at the end of the upper deck (The one with "RIOTS" painted on it) has a control cab that allowed the engineer to drive the train when the engine was at the rear since there was no way to turn the train around. Trains inbound had the engine at the back, and at the front going outbound. It's possible I commuted in those now derelict cars going into and out of Chicago. Small world.

[@fireutility21]

These types of cars are still used. They look like old RTA cars from Chicago in 1970-1990s

[@MrSteve6343]

Why does America have such vast amounts of waste? Blatant disregard for resources and land. I'm completely astounded that a fantastic country like this can be so wasteful. Really it is a shame to see so many places abandoned, in decline and forests growing around dumped cars. Towns empty or with a few solitary people living in them. Why not clean it all up? Recycle all the materials and spread out the overpopulated areas into homes with a bit of land around them even creating large areas to make national parks which encourage nature to take over for plants and animals but not growing over scrap yards. Just because there is so much land shouldn't make it an excuse to be so wasteful and not clean up after.

[@charlesrobbins2208]

They will abandon this stuff, never intending to do a thing with it, until they learn that someone else has started to dismantle the property... then, hoo boy, they press charges for theft. In this economy, the imperial county, once a thriving farm based economy, now sits as one of the poorest counties in the nation. Mainly due to the farmers selling their water rights. Now, if the train owners would understand that the trains would be removed, at no cost to them,and they could probably get a gov. payoff to let unemployed people earn a living cleaning up the messthat they, the railroad, have made, they should jump on the prospect of letting their "valuable property" be taken off of their hands... and with a handsome profit to boot. Why has there not been a clamor made about this potential souce of income for unemployed people in an economically depressed county? (Jacumba abuts Imperial Country with the train track, abandoned since 1979, due to a flood that took out most of the track in the mountains between Jacumba and Ocotillo, leaving many thousands of tons of high grade steel to rust away to nothingness, which could be "mined" to provide cash to needy individuals) Hell, maybe I will ask for a grant to do exactly what I have just presented as a plan to benefit all parties involved... Why not? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[@hehatemedavis1937]

Steven Nicholls you say that as if no other countries have abandoned areas they dont use, you must have never been to Germany, russia or south America

[@NotGamersHD]

Also, the trains are more of a museum now so :/

[@zaklex3165]

Actually the person that filmed this obviously doesn't know anything...those cars aren't abandoned, at least not like the rest of the people on here seem to think. They are owned by an entity and just happened to have been placed there for storage to be used at some future date. Not everything that is left out in the open in the U.S. is abandoned, especially railroad equipment, it's to large to put all of under storage so a lot of it is just left at different locations for future use bu whomever owns it.

[@MIKECNW]

Think we're the only ones?

[@mayolson2]

This was so nice! I live in the Desert not too far from San Diego. I had never heard of this town let alone the train. What a great adventure.

[@thomashulse241]

These cars belong to the Campo RR Museum (SD&ARR) . The plan was to use as excursion cars and a diner on site.Due to financial hardship they were sided on unused spur. The carizzo tressle and some tunnels are deemed unsafe for passanger trains . this putting the project in limbo.

[@JohnJohn-zn8ib]

Then the retards came and put graffiti on the carriages, that shows how dumb they are.

[@eds1994fatboy]

Wonderhussy was just here with her sister.She walked all the way to the Goat canyon tressle bridge.....Also on another channel.....two guys paraglide their rigs to here and fly over the train and the tressle.....this looks fun.....!!!

[@walterjaygould1357]

Look like they were SP or later CalTraiin gallery cars from the SP / CalTrain operations of the 70s.

[@Chicagoguy1984]

7700 Pullman series built in early 60's !!!

[@glendenig9962]

Old Metra/ RTA style commuter cars... used by many railroads in the 50s, 60s,&70s into the 80s & 90s. Rock Island, C&NW, SP, etc used them.

[@culcune]

West of there, there is a portion of the railroad that still runs in the mountains from a rail museum several miles continuing across the Mexican border into Tecate, Baja Norte, Mexico. It is called Pacific Southwest Railway Museum. I recall watching a video of how a group of cross-border investors were shoring up the rail line to run from Mexico to Plaster City. Not sure where this portion of the railroad fits in, but I do recall they had dozens of miles of the railroad going to Plaster City, seemingly from Tecate.

[@SamLovesTrains]

I love those RTAs commuter Bi-levels! I have one in Ho scale! To bad they sitting there rusting away and collecting graffiti. Metra is from Chicago btw.

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

If their from Chicago, how the hell did they end up where they are?

[@therookie9276]

They were sold to Pacific Imperial railroad and sent here. And 3 locos were sent somewhere near the border of CA and Las Vegas. And there is a line of 9 Y/O PIR Grain hoppers.

[@barrycarlisle4511]

I wouldn't worry about rust in the desert.

[@serwadeloyi4241]

how did you get there? I plan on doing this hike

[@johnnettleton2759]

Go to the De Anza Spring Resort, then follow the tracks north a ways.

[@tamarawalker8973]

Wow!! Never seen a upstairs train. So very cool. Kind of a creepy vibe going on too. Great video. Thanks so much for sharing with us.

[@Alecw51]

tamara walker I’ve seen upstairs on both Amtrak and Coaster (San Diego County commuter train). But never seen an open floor design like that.

[@coastlinecruiser2525]

Those designs of train cars are found on Metra, Caltrain, VRE, and Music City Star. Also every commuter train and Amtrak in America (except the trains in the NE corridor)

[@Dan-sq4xk]

They look like Nippon Sharyo Gallery Cars, still in use today by Caltrain in San Francisco! From the looks of it, I think there's a cab car / control car, the 3rd car down with the stripes on it.

[@daveaspen6775]

So sad, I worked on The London Underground here in the UK. We started THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY SYSTEM, and the rest of the world followed, WE ALSO INVENTED THE STEAM TRAIN!!!!!

[@zakdilmen4655]

Dave Aspen Newcastle invented the steam train

[@timwaywell]

@@zakdilmen4655 well yes ... and no,,, Stockton .. and Darlington are places in their own right and what about the mine trains???

[@jackvan2732]

the sound track near the end is very good where does it come from , it is not known . please tell what it is.

[@Dave-gy1hx]

I dont mind the art work, some of the artist have incredible work.....but why do people need to destroy

[@josephmaganja650]

The train trip Great getaway motel, restaurant

[@mothman-jz8ug]

Bits of abandoned history all over the country, and seems that vandals can find and deface/destroy ever inch of it. Utterly disgusting.

[@gordonreeder3451]

I found it on Google Earth. They are still there. They appear to have been pushed down the spur a bit and the last car is not fouling the main. I'm guessing that the car derailed as it was being pushed into the siding. It must have been late and the train crew just decided to leave it.

[@cnw1302]

They are former CNW Metra Chicago cars that are retired

[@marksommers6764]

Pronounced (HA CUMBA). I wonder if someone had a dream of conversions as living quarters (and how much of that grafito was imported) ?

[@eml-0404]

I miss riding those METRA trains in the Chicagoland area. Used to be the Chicago and North Western.

[@johnranyak1374]

Thumbs down isn’t for you, it’s for seeing something abandoned and disrespected by vandals. I just hate seeing things like that.

[@MyJOHNNY9999]

Did you know there is more trains on the other truck it's about a mile down the track

[@AdventuresInAZ]

I did! Their are also some train cars off the side of the cliff by the trestle bridge.

[@enzoferrari315]

I LIVED IN OKLAHOMA FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND I SEEN DAT GRAFFITI FACE IN MINUTE 7:50 UNDER THE EMERGENCY EXITS SIGN. I EVEN SEEN IT IN A COUPLE OF STATES, SOME IDIOT CAUSING DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ALL OVER THE PLACE

[@pigoff123]

I road trains all my life in Germany and I never saw a double decker even in frankfurt which has the ice trains

[@plcwboy]

lots of Regio trains are double level.

[@coastlinecruiser2525]

Almost every train here in America is a bi level

[@laurabadagliacca8641]

wow, never heard of jacumba.....looks like low desert? sandiego ish? those tracks dead end there?

[@AdventuresInAZ]

laura Badagliacca it's on the way to San Diego. The tracks go all the way into Mexico..

[@DD-zv1jg]

Did you drive a vehicle all the way there? Can you offer the route? Thanks

[@TFlanary]

Those are Chicago Metra Bi-Level cars, from the 1940s-50s and early 60s. This is a real minor derailment. They just need to get it off the ground. Unfortunately the graffiti probably means the cars are toast.

[@MIKECNW]

They were made in the late 50's & early 60's. They were run on the UP lines which were then own as the C&NW. My profile photo shows them.

[@indigodragon7129]

Find a tunnel then strip out and refurbish those cars into living quarters then place them in the tunnel then seal the ends and install air handlers for a bunker complex.

[@sinking_banana1223]

Metra is from my home town Chicago, Illinois

[@jerrys13]

Cool video! If you follow those tracks a little further north there are multiple railroad tunnels and more of what appear to be abandoned railroad cars. And also, what appears to be a train wreck on the side of a mountain. Check it out on google earth.

[@AdventuresInAZ]

Jerry S yep, I've seen it. Didn't have time to go all the way back.

[@unity3596]

Yea the gallery cars derailed and the railroad didn't feel like rerailing them and just left them there

[@Ghostrider-71]

I have ridden on these kind of passenger train cars in the Chicago area (downtown out to Lake Forest). I see in the comments that similar train cars were used out in California. I wonder how these cars got out here? I have searched for them on Google maps but I have only found the 3 cars on a siding. Are these cars still in the same location or were they moved?

[@RaisingHellAgain]

Thanks wondered what the old school trains looked like on the inside

[@AdventuresInAZ]

Kajun Means Seasoned Not Hot! They're pretty awesome!!

[@gomile1000]

These model cars are still in use today in various city transits.

[@terenfro1975]

If that line is still connected, it would be a good asset for a company. They could sell storage to the RR.

[@ronaldchaidez964]

I do believe if you go to" Train to Tecate &Verde Crema" on KZbin you can see one of the last time these cars were in use

[@OfficialLILV]

Great Video! Thanks for sharing, such a cool spot! Good to see you back!

[@AdventuresInAZ]

Living in Las Vegas good to be back!! Great to see you guys!!

[@lukeshields9171]

Metra is a commuter service operating out of Chicago

[@bettyluckey9497]

Crazy Cool Vid ! The drone shots, too. Hey, "Happy New Year!" to You, also. ; D

[@AdventuresInAZ]

Betty Luckey happy New Year Betty!!

[@hectorkingjr]

What is the name of that tune starting at 0:16 - 0:42?

[@maiyo8518]

Were is that train town in California!🤔 tell me what town is this.

[@cherrystar9209]

jamul!

[@sonnichjensen]

Any story of the track? Where does it go? Why is it no longer used?

[@unity3596]

The tracks were owned by the carrizo gorge railway but because of the conditions of the tracks they can't use it so they ended up abandoning the track

[@ltmongoose1594]

i looked at it in google maps and i looks like theres 3 more big train cars up he line a bit

[@801bear5]

LT mongoose where is on on Google maps?

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

There is. 3 vintage coaches that looked like they were from the 20's or 30's. One of em's got Wile E Coyote chasing the Roadrunner rattle caned on it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXOtgGeqp5ign6M That's the link to em. Skip to 3:14

[@bryanwhat2268]

so did you hike the mile to goat canyon?

[@AdventuresInAZ]

Bryan S not this trip. I have before though. Planning to go back and film the rest and the cars that went over the side...

[@bryanwhat2268]

cool let me know id like to take my metal detector and look around the old camps but im also out of shape lol

[@AdventuresInAZ]

Bryan S I will!! Would be cool to see what we could find with a metal detector.

[@Ferrocarril_Chicago]

That's absolutely amazing. People are such butt faces though to be graffiting and vandalizing these cars. Sure they're abandoned, but the dirty subjects graffitied on these cars especially just makes it rather displeasurable to explore.

[@fredlowenhaupt2600]

Metra MP36 407 Has

[@reneehanan1149]

Graffiti is what makes this interesting. If u want to live in a blank and boring world, sit in a box for the rest of ur life

[@annettewalker415]

I agree. What a waste of paint. And the litter. Thoughtless nitwits.

[@carolinarailfanning]

And even to see something i hate on something i love makes me wanna run whoever sprayed that on there right over with a 9 ton truck

[@ernoner7068]

Graffiti is what makes all types of trains more interesting specially what it takes to get to some of this trains is what makes this beautiful art more interesting

[@karlaherrejon4607]

So cool!!

[@Falconwing_01]

They are former Metra Commuter cars out of Chicago, one of them is a Cab Car too

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

Then how the hell did they end up where they sit?

[@australiantruckspotting8883]

This is amazing

[@leehurley8358]

And I thought you were going to say "rust in the wind". Oh well. Great video.

[@AdventuresInAZ]

Lee Hurley lol....

[@EnterpriseXI]

If no one owns those passenger cars, on a abandoned rail line, then that makes them FREE and just take them. How hard can it be. just to get a heavy-duty crane to get the cars back on track then check the wheels and brakes and get those working then get someone with a locomotive to tow the cars out of there or at least try to get the cars on a flatbed semi truck and haul them away. what I would do with two of them is to convert them into a home I think that would be really cool

[@citraaprihastuti881]

OMG!!! the last car is drifting

[@johnUB4478]

They could be turned into houses, or holiday let's somewhere.

[@zonashad5953]

I guess it was one of those short line railroads that just got shut down and no other railroad bought it

[@edwardstd52]

It's not amazing that these cars have been retired to the desert, but what is amazing is that bratty kids have so little respect for other people's property. >:-( Many cars of this type are still in service in Chicago.

[@yamakawirodebike5710]

Grew up in Des Plaines next to the tracks (northwestern line) Worked in Barrington my Jr.yr. in High School rode the train daily 1985-86. Sucks to see this. People/kids destroy everything.

[@skaterdudeprodutions]

Abandoned means freegame. Dont like it grow up.

[@c0ntrymouse]

Those are Metra/RTA commuter "Bi Levels" from Chicago. They were built by Pullman circa 1959 and used in commuter service to and from Chicago's northwest suburbs. Some of these cars are still in use today, and their stainless steel replacements are very similar. All Chicago Metra commuter trains are Bi Level. Here's what they looked like new. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5WvpJ9vjM6ha8k

[@c0ntrymouse]

A quick scene with these cars from the movie "Home Alone" kzbin.info/www/bejne/f16VpYRrnsyJfK8

[@c0ntrymouse]

Some current metra Bi Levels in action. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hXmsYZSeh9t3qc0

[@AdventuresInAZ]

c0ntrymouse awesome!! Thanks for all the info!!

[@richardclarke376]

yep, don't know why these ended up in the desert like that. There are hundreds of cars just like this and older in daily use in Chicago, on Metra (www.metrarail.com)!

[@SamLovesTrains]

Richard Clarke All the old RTA cars are now repainted into the Blue, Red, and silver scheme. There aren’t any more of the white, red, and brown RTA cars running on Metra. To bad they are rusting away. It would be nice if a museum like IRM got there hands on them.

[@captainboggles]

this is on google earth... just north of Jacumba. 5 cars..

[@bnsfavardsubdivisionproduction]

I saw a cab car i wonder what the inside lookslike

[@michaelkoncal7622]

I wish I had the hardware store that sold spray paint!

[@biskeoat9337]

michael koncal what?

[@rushylvania.northern]

Metra board them cars operated on Metra in Chicago odd that there out here than

[@jlhuffa]

An innovative homeless person could put a group together to utilize some of these abandoned places for shelter. Just need to set up a food & water delivery system because of the remoteness of these places. Wrong places at the wrong times, I guess.

[@StickwithBrooklyn]

I can see A hidden cab car amount those coaches to prove they are from rta or just Metra now

[@powellpker]

its all stainless steel inside must be easily 200k+ scrap value.. crazy they just leave it lol

[@frankguthrie2825]

Great video - thanks for sharing!

[@aventadorsvj6171]

Is that train an Amtrak probably about like 20 years

[@karenquartier9665]

These are cool train cars!

[@krlm2280]

Where is this and how can I find this

[@unity3596]

Jacumba California

[@krlm2280]

@@unity3596 thank you

[@graceonline320]

Strange place to abandon them. Why?

[@unity3596]

The railroad used them on a dinner train apparently but the train derailed and the line closed down and they did not rerail them

[@MRHSDM316SD18186]

Metra still is Chicago's commuter service

[@StickwithBrooklyn]

I think these are rta, now know as. Metra coaches

[@Thomas1980]

wow....nice!!!

[@iskav]

It’s a chicago commuter train.

[@shanewalters4171]

Why was this train abandoned? Was the railroad also abandoned?

[@unity3596]

The coaches were abandoned because the company that owned them closed down and didn't re rail them and also the railroad is abandoned due to the unsafe conditions of the tracks

[@shanewalters4171]

@@unity3596 I see

[@kindcake]

Metra is a computer railroad in chicago

[@keithwillis4524]

I would like to have one of the cars to make a house out of

[@martinandersen4803]

Id buy the double deckers wheres this at

[@darrellprice4029]

Wonder does it still run

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

Not anymore

[@RamtejK19911006]

HILLS HAVE EYES 👀

[@harryedmunds6652]

I'm surprised that environmentalists aren't demanding that these blights on the landscape be removed!

[@imzackson]

they were preoccupied before but on the 21st of this month they will be back in force

[@zakdilmen4655]

Are these still here

[@darcymceachern6304]

Cool ! Thanx from Bc Canada ,Agassiz

[@AdventuresInAZ]

Darcy Mceachern welcome!!

[@stevenbrown7042]

I do like the actual murals. Not the stuff that looks like a 2 year old drew with a crayola

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

2 year old drew??

[@stevenbrown7042]

chaosdemonwolf1 drawn my bad

[@tomsnj]

It's CRAZY !!

[@CullenRick]

Look like the carriages used for that Sci Fi time travel film with the bomb on the train.

[@m.showers1242]

What prompts humans to be so destructive?

[@davidmurphy5405]

like my buddies marriage ...trainwreck in the desert.

[@Alfred.E.Newman]

the hills have eyes

[@stevebrandon710]

i would have LAUGHED my flippin ass off if a bird or owl...a chicken would have jump up and flown out of there while you were in side with it !!!lLOL

[@ianreinacher8284]

Cool

[@purplepilled6478]

The last time i was in those cars was back in 2007. Its a shame that someone graffiti inside and out.

[@matthewvincent8971]

Train. One train.

[@lindaburns4890]

So sad people could use them to live in , had seen people making them as homes ...

[@CLBudreau43]

Was this whole rail line abandoned because of this derailment?

[@AdventuresInAZ]

CLBudreau3600 I'm not sure, but I'm guessing so...

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

No. It was abandoned in 2007 due to the lack of profitable operation

[@railnut8453]

No, I’m guessing it derailed BECAUSE it was abandoned!!!

[@michaelmaciejewicz7534]

See the lousy destructive looser tag gets got to it Losers is a understatement

[@tehpw7574]

Someone's disinterest is another's form of art: Mankind has been making fart jokes since the first time we farted, mate.