User:RightCowLeftCoast/Sandbox/Goat Canyon Trestle

Goat Canyon Trestle is the world's largest curved wooden trestle. It was built as part of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway.

Background
Under the direction of John D. Spreckels, construction of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railroad began in 1907. It was backed by Edward Henry Harriman at the urging of President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1919, the railroad was completed, connecting San Diego with the Imperial Valley, by way of Mexico. It was called the "Impossible railroad", and has experienced a series of difficulties, to include collapsed tunnels and rock slides, which have led to the periodic closure of the railroad. Initially, the most significant bridge on the route was the Campo Creek Viaduct, which is 600 feet long and 200 feet in height. One of these was the collapse of tunnel number 15 in March 1932; the collapse was caused by an earthquake.

History
In response to the collapse of tunnel 15, the trestle was constructed; construction of the trestle began in 1932. Construction of the trestle was done in sections, with sections being constructed at the bottom of the canyon, then lifted into position; it was completed by 1933, leading to a realignment of the railroad route. It was constructed using redwood timber; this was the same type of timber used for railroad ties along the rest of the route. Wood was utilized due to metal fatigue which would have inflicted a steel bridge due to the large temperature fluctuations.

In 1951, scheduled passenger service over the trestle ended, with intermittent freight traffic continuing when the railroad wasn't closed due to damage. In 1976, Hurricane Kathleen damaged the trestle, as well as the rest of the line; repairs were not completed until 1981. The usage of the railroad ended again in 1983, due to collapsed tunnels, with restoration of the railroad not resuming until 2003. In 1999, Huell Howser visited the trestle. After repairs to the line were completed in 2004 rail usage continued. Pacific Southwest Railway Museum provided trips on the railroad from Campo. Damage to the line occurred in 2010, ending rail usage of the trestle. It remains a popular destination for hiking.

Since at least the 1970s, there have been a population of bighorn sheep that have lived near trestle, that are an endangered species.

Replicas
A HO scale replica of the trestle can be seen in use in the San Diego Model Railroad Museum.