PC-001-321A

Sunset Express train crossing Salton Sea, California

 

circa 1914

 

 

By this time the Southern Pacific Rail Road train going over the Salton Sea trestle bridge should have been known by its later name, the "Sunset Limited," instead of, as here, the "Sunset Express" (circa 1884-1894). This is not the original trestle. The current Salton Sea was created starting in 1904 by flooding of the Colorado River, which broke through an irrigation canal head works southwest of Yuma to flow into the Salton Basin. As heavy rains continued, attempts to close the runoff but leave enough water for Imperial Valley irrigation failed repeatedly, and in 1906 alone engineers made five new grades for the tracks on higher ground. In 1907 the break was closed and the new trestle bridge completed after 17 miles of railway had been built.

Salton Sea; Trestle bridges; Trains; Railroad trains; Southern Pacific Railroad; Sunset Limited; Sunset Route

 

California - Salton Sea

 

 

MS-0008

 

BN Co.

Postcard

3.5 inches X 5.5 inches

Yes

PC-001-321B; Don L. Hofsommer, The Southern Pacific, 1901-1985, a Google book

 

 

Image

TIFF

21.35 MB