The Eagle Mountain Railroad (EMRR) was a private railroad in California , owned by the Kaiser Steel Corporation, and is owned today by Kaiser Steel's successor, Kaiser Ventures, Inc. of Ontario, California .
105-823: The EMRR is 51 miles (82 km) long and is located in Riverside County , California. Constructed in 1947–1948, it was used until 1986 to haul iron ore from Kaiser's Eagle Mountain Mine in the Colorado Desert to an interchange with the Southern Pacific Transportation Company in the Coachella Valley . The last revenue train to operate over the line was on March 24, 1986. The Eagle Mountain Railroad starts at
210-550: A Mexican bandit. The movie makes extensive use of ex-Great Western steam locomotive No. 75, which stands in for both an American and Mexican locomotive. The scenes where the four men cross the border at a wooden bridge is actually the first railroad bridge north of Ferrum. The large steel bridge over the Salt Creek Wash was repainted to appear as a wooden bridge since the movie is set around 1910. Other scenes were shot at Gravel Pit and Summit. An ex-Southern Pacific caboose and
315-404: A Pomona County and one for a San Jacinto County. None of the proposals were adopted until a measure to create Riverside County was signed by Governor Henry H. Markham on March 11, 1893. The new county was created from parts of San Bernardino County and San Diego County . On May 2, 1893, seventy percent of voters approved the formation of Riverside County. Voters chose the city of Riverside as
420-408: A couple old wooden boxcars were used along with a Kaiser Steel flatcar for the various trains seen in the movie. In March–April 1986, Touchstones Films, a Walt Disney subsidiary, filmed the movie Tough Guys on a portion of the railroad. This comedy starred Burt Lancaster , Kirk Douglas , Eli Wallach and Dana Carvey . It was the final collaboration for Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas. They play
525-529: A daily basis and all five were required to move a single train from the Eagle Mountain Mine to the interchange at Ferrum. By 1968, these locomotives were at the end of their useful lives and were constantly breaking down. The railroad was leasing two additional Baldwin AS616's from Southern Pacific, but still couldn't keep five locomotives running on a regular basis. This required the railroad "double"
630-736: A pair of train robbers that have been released from prison after 30 years. Unable to survive in a changed world, they decide to rob the same train that they robbed 30 years ago. At the end of the film, they hijack the "Gold Coast Flyer" pulled by famed locomotive Southern Pacific 4449 , and run it full throttle to the Mexican border. The special train used in the film consisted of Southern Pacific 4449, its auxiliary water car, and four passenger cars. It departed its home base in Portland, Oregon , on March 5 and arrived in Los Angeles on March 9. Over
735-533: A partnership of two privately operated trash collection firms and the successor to Kaiser Steel, Kaiser Ventures, would ship trash by train from metropolitan Los Angeles area via the Eagle Mountain Railroad. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved the project in October 1992 after EPA approval of the project. Due to numerous lawsuits regarding the environmental effects of the landfill,
840-572: A population of 2,189,641. The racial makeup of Riverside County was 1,335,147 (61.0%) White (40.7% Non-Hispanic White), 140,543 (6.4%) African American , 23,710 (1.1%) Native American , 130,468 (6.0%) Asian (2.3% Filipino, 0.8% Chinese, 0.7% Vietnamese, 0.6% Korean, 0.5% Indian, 0.2% Japanese, 0.1% Cambodian, 0.1% Laotian, 0.1% Pakistani), 6,874 (0.3%) Pacific Islander , 448,235 (20.5%) from other races , and 104,664 (4.8%) from two or more races. There were 995,257 residents of Hispanic or Latino ancestry, of any race (45.5%); 39.5% of Riverside County
945-656: A remote location called "Ferrum" (Latin for iron) which is located adjacent to the Salton Sea in Riverside County, and terminates 51 miles (82 km) away at the Eagle Mountain Mine (also known as Iron Chief Mine). Ferrum was the location of a five track yard that was used to interchange with the Southern Pacific Railroad . Also located at Ferrum is a wye (not disconnected) and maintenance equipment shed. The interchange yard parallels
1050-461: A short time before being moved to the old Fontana Mill site where it remained stored. In August and September 2003, approximately 10 mi (16 km) of track were damaged when two flash floods hit the railroad. In several locations, culverts were washed out leaving track suspended in the air although no significant structures were damaged as all bridges held up well to the flood waters. In other locations, silt up to 10 feet (3.0 m) deep covers
1155-412: A spring-loaded switch that would send the four loaded cars to one of two "saucer" tracks. These tracks were laid with the curvature of a saucer, with each end higher than middle. The cars would roll into the saucer track and settle at the bottom. When the next four loaded cars arrived, they would couple to the cars already there without damaging the cars and the entire line of cars would be evenly settled on
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#17328009156881260-515: A time were cut off from the empty ore train and allowed to roll downhill the short distance to the loading tower where they were loaded, two cars at a time. Once four cars were loaded, they were allowed to roll downhill to a special section of track called the "Reverser Track". As the cars rolled onto the Reverser Track, they would immediately start rolling uphill until they came to a stop and started rolling backward. They would then pass over
1365-475: A week, with a primarily commuter-oriented schedule. Riverside County has 12 federally recognized Indian reservations , which ties it with Sandoval County, New Mexico , for second most of any county in the United States. (Sandoval County, however, has two additional joint-use areas, shared between reservations. San Diego County, California has the most, with 18 reservations.) The population ranking of
1470-577: Is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California . As of the 2020 census , the population was 2,418,185, making it the fourth-most populous county in California and the 10th-most populous in the United States. The name was derived from the city of Riverside , which is the county seat . Riverside County is included in the Riverside– San Bernardino – Ontario Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as
1575-482: Is a wooden trestle over Dos Palmas Wash. The track crosses over the rebuilt Coachella Canal. The canal passes under the track in a concrete siphon. The track crosses the abandoned original channel of the Coachella Canal on a three span steel bridge. While the bridge remains, water no longer flows beneath. The tracks continue climbing the mudflats east where they turn north on a sweeping curve. Continuing north,
1680-698: Is at the southernmost part of its range in Riverside County. There are 19 official wilderness areas in Riverside County that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System . Some are integral parts of the above protected areas, most (11 of the 19) are managed solely by the Bureau of Land Management , and some share management between the BLM and the relevant other agencies. Some extend into neighboring counties: The 2010 United States Census reported that Riverside County had
1785-624: Is composed of two reservoirs, five pumping stations, 62 mi (100 km) of canals, 92 mi (148 km) of tunnels, and 84 mi (135 km) of buried conduit and siphons. Average annual throughput is 1,200,000 acre⋅ft (1.5 km ). The Colorado River Aqueduct begins near Parker Dam on the Colorado River . There, the water is pumped up the Whipple Mountains where the water emerges and begins flowing through 60 mi (97 km) of siphons and open canals on
1890-454: Is located at Milepost 25. A 3,000 feet (910 m) long passing siding and a short storage spur are located here. A maintenance shed is also located here. After Summit, the track begins a long down hill run that will go almost the entire way to Eagle Mountain. Just past Summit, the tracks turn north and head towards Interstate 10 . Just prior to crossing under Interstate 10, there are three small maintenance sheds. The "Interstate 10 Underpass"
1995-654: Is located at the Red Cloud Road Exit. After the underpass, the tracks curve east and start running along the foothills of the Eagle Mountains. At Milepost 35.8 is "Entrance" , the location of a short 450-foot (140 m) storage track. Shortly after Entrance, the tracks curve north again and head for the Victory Hills. Just before arriving at the Victory Hills, the tracks cross Eagle Mountain Road,
2100-983: Is now Riverside County are the Serrano , the Payómkawichum , the Mohave , the Cupeno , the Chemehuevi , the Cahuilla , and the Tongva . The Aguanga and Temecula Basins, Elsinore Trough and eastern Santa Ana Mountains are the traditional homelands of the Payómkawichum. The inland valleys in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains and the desert of the Salton Sink are the traditional homelands of
2205-629: Is the Riverside Historic Courthouse. This landmark, erected in 1903, was modeled after the Grand and Petit Palais in Paris, France . The courthouse, designed by Los Angeles architects Burnham and Bliesner, has a classical design – including a great hall that connects all the departments ( courtrooms ). In 1994, the courthouse was closed for seismic retrofits due to the 1992 Landers and 1994 Northridge earthquakes . The courthouse
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#17328009156882310-465: Is the state trial court for Riverside County with 14 courthouses : Riverside Historic Courthouse , Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside Family Law Court, Riverside Juvenile Court, Southwest Justice Center – Murrieta, Moreno Valley Court, Banning Court, Hemet Court, Corona Court, Temecula Court, Larson Justice Center – Indio, Indio Juvenile Court, Palm Springs Court and Blythe Court. The main courthouse
2415-516: The Colorado River Aqueduct . There were fears that vibrations from the heavy trains would damage the underground concrete aqueduct, so the railroad crosses the aqueduct on a 50-foot (15 m) steel bridge. While this bridge appears to cross over nothing since the desert sand covering the aqueduct covers the lower part of the bridge, its serves a vital function. As the tracks approach Eagle Mountain, they cross Eagle Mountain Road for
2520-618: The Eagle Mountain townsite. Kaiser Steel Corporation was incorporated on December 1, 1941, for the purpose of manufacturing steel in Southern California. The finished steel was needed to supply the various shipbuilding facilities controlled by Henry J. Kaiser on the west coast. These facilities were building ships for the British government and were using costly eastern steel that was in short supply. After obtaining
2625-620: The First Mexican Republic , a series of rancho land grants were made throughout the state. In the Riverside County this included; Rancho Jurupa in 1838, El Rincon in 1839, Rancho San Jacinto Viejo in 1842, Rancho San Jacinto y San Gorgonio in 1843, Ranchos La Laguna , Pauba , Temecula in 1844, Ranchos Little Temecula , Potreros de San Juan Capistrano in 1845, Ranchos San Jacinto Sobrante , La Sierra (Sepulveda) , La Sierra (Yorba) , Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero in 1846. New Mexican colonists founded
2730-659: The Inland Empire western portion, the Santa Rosa Mountains communities such as Reinhardt Canyon , and the desert region. Other possible subdivisions include tribal lands, the Colorado River communities, and the Salton Sea . There is a diversity of flora and fauna within Riverside County. Vegetative plant associations feature many desert flora, but there are also forested areas within the county. The California endemic Blue oak , Quercus douglasii
2835-609: The Inland Empire . The county is also included in the Los Angeles – Long Beach Combined Statistical Area . Roughly rectangular, Riverside County covers 7,208 square miles (18,670 km ) in Southern California , spanning from the greater Los Angeles area to the Arizona border. Geographically, the western region of the county is chaparral with a Mediterranean climate , while the central and eastern regions of
2940-399: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 7,303 square miles (18,910 km ), of which 7,206 square miles (18,660 km ) is land and 97 square miles (250 km ) (1.3%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in California by area. At roughly 180 miles (290 km) wide in the east–west dimension, the area of the county is massive. Riverside County, California is roughly
3045-726: The United States House of Representatives , Riverside County is split between 6 congressional districts: In the California State Senate , the county is split between four legislative districts: In the California State Assembly , the county is split between six legislative districts: Riverside County voted 64.8% in favor of Proposition 8 which amended the California Constitution to ban same-sex marriages. Only
3150-690: The $ 125 million needed, construction of the mill in Fontana, California , began. In August 1943, the first plate steel rolled off the production line there. Coal for this early production came from Utah Fuel Company Mine No. 2 at Sunnyside, Utah , and was transported to the mill via the Union Pacific Railroad . In 1950, Kaiser Steel purchased the entire Sunnyside, Utah facility. In 1955, Kaiser purchased 500,000 acres (2,000 km) of land near Raton, New Mexico , for future expanded coal production. The existing mine at this Raton location, named
3255-471: The 1960s, these cars were modified to give them increased height, needed to carry pelletized ore (which was less dense) and this increased car loadings to 108 tons. From the early 1960s until the early 1970s, two loaded 100-car trains left the mine each day, seven days a week. One train carried the iron ore needed for the Fontana Mill while the second train handled ore to Long Beach, California , where it
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3360-533: The 9th Circuit regarding this lawsuit. This ruling was a major setback for the project and ultimately Kaiser Ventures decided to abandon the project. However, the solid waste disposal market has changed significantly since the Eagle Mountain landfill was first proposed. There has been a substantial reduction in the waste generated due to recycling efforts and an increase in low-cost traditional disposal sites (most notably in nearby Orange County ), eliminating
3465-579: The Cahuilla. The first European settlement in the county was a Mission San Luis Rey de Francia estancia or farm at the Luiseño village of Temescal. In 1819, the Mission granted Leandro Serrano permission to occupy the land for the purpose of grazing and farming, and Serrano established Rancho Temescal . Serrano was mayordomo of San Antonio de Pala Asistencia for the Mission of San Luis Rey. With
3570-827: The California- Arizona border, west across the Mojave and Colorado deserts to the east side of the Santa Ana Mountains . It is one of the primary sources of drinking water for Southern California. Originally conceived by William Mulholland and designed by Chief Engineer Frank E. Weymouth of the MWD, it was the largest public works project in southern California during the Great Depression . The project employed 30,000 people over an eight-year period and as many as 10,000 at one time. The system
3675-584: The County Board of Supervisors approved a multimillion-dollar planning effort to create the Riverside County Integrated Plan (RCIP) which was to encompass a completely new General Plan, regional transportation plan (CETAP) and Habitat Conservation Plan. The resultant General Plan adopted in 2003 was considered groundbreaking for its multidisciplinary approach to land use and conservation planning. The Riverside Superior Court
3780-671: The Eagle Mountain Railroad were a pair of Baldwin Locomotive Works DRS6-6-15 diesels numbered 1010A and 1010B. They were constructed in June 1948 and delivered to the railroad in August 1948. They were Builder Numbers 73749 and 74451. They had 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW). As production at the mine increased, the railroad purchased two more locomotives from Baldwin. These were AS616s and were numbered 1012A and 1012B. They were constructed in early 1951 and delivered to
3885-532: The Fontana Mill. The limestone was transported to the Fontana Mill by the Santa Fe Railway . The last ingredient needed for the steelmaking process was a reliable source of iron ore. Kaiser Steel purchased the Vulcan Mine located near Kelso, California , which served as the primary source of ore until 1948. The Union Pacific Railroad transported the iron ore from Kelso to the Fontana Mill. This ore
3990-540: The Koehler Mine, was operated and upgraded until a newer and more modern mine could be completed. This new mine, named York Canyon Mine, served as the major source of coking coal until the Fontana Mill closed in 1983. Also needed for the production of steel was limestone. Until 1955, this material was purchased from various sources in California and Nevada. In that year Kaiser Steel purchased a large deposit located at Cushenbury, California , 75 miles (121 km) from
4095-717: The Los Angeles Aqueduct to the Mono Lake Basin.) The MWD considered eight routes for the aqueduct. In 1931, the MWD board of directors chose the Parker route which would require the building of the Parker Dam. The Parker route was chosen because it was seen as the safest and most economical. A $ 220 million bond was approved on September 29, 1931. Work began in January 1933 near Thousand Palms, and in 1934
4200-651: The Pureland Industrial Complex in Bridgeport, New Jersey. The five GE U30C locomotives worked on the Eagle Mountain Railroad from 1968 to April 1986. Most of the time, four were assigned to the daily iron-ore trains, while the fifth locomotive would be used as a spare or be cycled through the Southern Pacific's Taylor Shops for routine maintenance and repairs. When the mine shut down in 1983, the railroad continued operating, hauling out
4305-605: The United States Bureau of Reclamation began work on the Parker Dam. Construction of the aqueduct was finished in 1935. Water first flowed in the aqueduct on January 7, 1939. The CRA contributed to urban growth in the south coast region. Although the CRA brought "too much, too expensive" water in its early years of operation, subsidies (via property taxes) and expansion of MWD's service area brought reduced prices and expanded demand. (Holding supply constant, that meant that
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4410-418: The age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.0 and the average family size was 3.5. In the county, the population was spread out, with 30.3% under
4515-462: The age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 42,887, and the median income for a family was $ 48,409. Males had a median income of $ 38,639 versus $ 28,032 for females. The per capita income for
4620-470: The burgeoning city. By the early 1920s, Los Angeles had grown so rapidly that the Owens River watershed could no longer supply the city's needs for domestic and agricultural water. By 1923, Mulholland and his engineers were looking east to an even larger water supply, the Colorado River. The plan was to dam the Colorado River and carry its waters across hundreds of miles of mountains and deserts. In 1924,
4725-716: The cities and towns of Coachella, Eastvale, Indian Wells, Jurupa Valley, La Quinta, Lake Elsinore, Moreno Valley, Norco, Palm Desert, Perris, Rancho Mirage, San Jacinto, Temecula and Wildomar. The Morongo Indian Reservation also contracts with the Sheriff's Office to provide police services to the reservation. Municipal departments within the county are Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Calimesa, Cathedral City, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Hemet, Indio, Menifee, Murrieta, Palm Springs, Riverside, Riverside Community College Riverside County Probation Department https://rivcoprobation.org/ Chart of voter registration Prior to 2008, Riverside County
4830-1091: The city of Palm Springs voted against the measure. The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. K-12 unified: Secondary: Elementary: Amtrak trains stop in Riverside and Palm Springs , and Amtrak California provides bus connections to the San Joaquins in Riverside–Downtown , Beaumont , Palm Springs , Thousand Palms , Indio , Moreno Valley , Perris , Sun City , and Hemet . Metrolink trains serve nine stations in Riverside County: Riverside–Downtown , Riverside–La Sierra , Corona–North Main , Corona–West , Jurupa Valley/Pedley , Riverside–Hunter Park/UCR , Moreno Valley/March Field , Perris–Downtown , and Perris–South . These trains provide service to Orange, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties seven days
4935-446: The county are predominantly desert or mountainous. Most of Joshua Tree National Park is located in the county. The desert resort cities of Indio , Coachella , Palm Springs , Palm Desert , Indian Wells , La Quinta , Rancho Mirage , Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs are located in the Coachella Valley region of central-eastern Riverside County. Between 2007 and 2011, large numbers of Los Angeles -area workers moved to
5040-419: The county had a population of 2,026,803, up 31.2% since 2000. In 2005 45.8% of the population was non-Hispanic whites. The percentages of African Americans, Asians and Native Americans remained relatively similar to their 2000 figures. The percentage of Pacific Islanders had majorly risen to 0.4. Hispanics now constituted 41% of the population. There were 506,218 households, out of which 38.90% had children under
5145-708: The county seat, also by a large margin. Riverside County was officially formed on May 9, 1893, when the Board of Commissioners filed the final canvass of the votes. Riverside county was a major focal point of the Civil Rights Movements in the US, especially the African-American sections of Riverside and heavily Mexican-American communities of the Coachella Valley visited by Cesar Chavez of
5250-434: The county to take advantage of more affordable housing. Along with neighboring San Bernardino County, it was one of the fastest-growing regions in the state prior to the recent changes in the regional economy. In addition, smaller, but significant, numbers of people have been moving into southwest Riverside County from the San Diego metropolitan area . Riverside County is bordered on the north by San Bernardino County ; on
5355-413: The county was $ 18,689. About 10.7% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.5% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over. Riverside County is organized as a General Law County under the provision of the California Government Code. The county has five supervisorial districts, and one supervisor is elected from each district every four years. In 1999,
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#17328009156885460-426: The county was 65.6% White , 6.2% Black or African American , 1.2% Native American , 3.7% Asian , 0.3% Pacific Islander , 18.7% from other races , and 4.4% from two or more races. 36.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 9.2% were of German, 6.9% English, 6.1% Irish and 5.0% American ancestry according to Census 2000 . 67.2% spoke English and 27.7% Spanish as their first language. In 2006
5565-430: The curve, the track is located in a deep cut. The tracks head northeast with the Salt Creek Wash paralleling the line on the north side. The tracks cross numerous small washes with either small wooden bridges or cast iron culverts allowing water to pass. At Milepost 20, the uphill grade remained at a constant 2.0% ever since before Milepost 4. The railroad reaches the top of the long climb from Ferrum at "Summit" , which
5670-472: The deserts of the Coachella Valley and through the San Gorgonio Pass. Near Cabazon , the aqueduct begins to run underground until it enters the San Jacinto Tunnel at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains . On the other side of the mountains the aqueduct continues to run underground until it reaches the terminus at Lake Mathews . From there, 156 mi (251 km) of distribution lines, along with eight more tunnels, delivers water to member cities. Some of
5775-439: The early days of the railroad. All loaded ore trains descending Caution Hill were restricted to 15 mph (24 km/h) and were required to come to a complete stop at the bottom for 5 minutes to cool their brakes before proceeding. During the climb up to Eagle Mountain, the tracks cross Eagle Mountain Road for a third time and then cross Aqueduct Road. Immediately after Aqueduct Road, the railroad crosses an underground section of
5880-424: The east by La Paz County , Arizona ; on the southeast by Imperial County ; on the southwest by San Diego County ; and on the west by Orange County . When Riverside County was formed in 1893, it was named for the city of Riverside, the county seat. That city, founded in 1870, was so named because of its location near the Santa Ana River . The Indigenous peoples of the valleys, mountains and deserts of what
5985-407: The farm labor union struggle. Riverside county has also been a focus of modern Native American Gaming enterprises. In the early 1980s, the county government attempted to shut down small bingo halls operated by the Morongo Band of Cahuilla Mission Indians and the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians . The tribes joined forces and fought the county all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in
6090-455: The filming, the local school children from Eagle Mountain Elementary School took a field trip to see and tour the train and movie set, with miniatures, at Summit. Filming wrapped up on April 10, and that afternoon the train headed to Eagle Mountain for servicing. The next day, April 11, the special train backed all the way to Ferrum where the train was turned around before heading to Colton, California . It arrived back in Portland on April 16. In
6195-451: The first steps were taken to create a metropolitan water district, made up of various cities throughout southern California. The Metropolitan Water District ("Met") was incorporated on December 6, 1928, and in 1929 took over where Los Angeles had left off, planning for a Colorado River aqueduct. (During the same period, as a hedge against the possible abandonment of the planned Colorado River aqueduct, Los Angeles also undertook an extension of
6300-414: The following table is based on the 2020 census of Riverside County. † county seat Colorado River Aqueduct The Colorado River Aqueduct , or CRA , is a 242 mi (389 km) water conveyance in Southern California in the United States , operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). The aqueduct impounds water from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu on
6405-425: The fourth and final time before looping around the base of the mountains and arriving at the Eagle Mountain Mine. " Eagle Mountain Mine " is located at Milepost 51.0 with the end of track located at Milepost 51.3. There are four long tracks used in the loading ore process located here, along with a two track maintenance shop, a wye, and a few storage tracks. All the railroad facilities are located immediately west of
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#17328009156886510-409: The landfill project to replace the Puente Hills landfill, which would be nearing the end of its useful life. However, since the sale agreement stated that all lawsuits and claims regarding the project must be resolved, the transaction never began. As of 2009, there was only one lawsuit still pending but in November 2009, Kaiser Ventures received a disappointing ruling from the Federal Court of Appeals for
6615-425: The last ore train operated in 1986. However, the large ore loading tower at Eagle Mountain was removed in 1990. Kaiser Ventures conducted maintenance work and routine repairs to the rail line in the mid-1990s. To accomplish this, a single switcher locomotive (painted for Kaiser Ventures) was brought to the property to operate small work trains. When this work was completed, the locomotive was stored at Eagle Mountain for
6720-406: The late 1970s increased environmental concerns at the Fontana Mill and stiff foreign competition resulted in decreased demand for Kaiser Steel products and thus resulted in a reduction of output at the Eagle Mountain Mine. This dropped the population at Eagle Mountain to a low of 1,890 residents. In Summer 1980, the mine shutdown briefly, reopening on September 23. Only 750 workers were brought back to
6825-467: The mine and mill a few months later. The Eagle Mountain Railroad saw a reduction on operations that mirrored the reduced production at the mine. During the early 1980s, the railroad was only operating a single ore train three to five times per week, with each train consisting of as few as 40 cars. When the mine closed in 1983, the railroad was barely operating three trains per week. While the Eagle Mountain Mine had stopped all mining activity in 1983, there
6930-477: The mine yard and another two miles (3 km) of mine trackage. This was one of the longest privately built standard gauge railroads constructed in the American Southwest in the post World War II era. The line was completed on July 29, 1948, at a cost of $ 3.2 million. In August 1948 the first carloads of raw iron ore rolled over the newly-laid rails. The railroad was originally constructed with 110-pound per yard jointed rail laid on wooden crossties. Later welded rail
7035-461: The need for remote solid waste landfills such as the Eagle Mountain landfill. The reduction in waste generated has been so great that the other landfill site owned by the Los Angeles Sanitation Districts, the Mesquite Regional landfill near Glamis , will not be needed until 2030 at the earliest even though all construction of this facility has been completed and it could immediately start accepting trash. The railroad remained relatively untouched since
7140-498: The next four days, the interior of one passenger car was redone by Touchstone crews since it would appear in one scene. In addition, two Southern Pacific flatcars were added to the train and a mockup of the 4449's cab was placed on one of them. This mockup was used for some cab shots, since it was easier to move the camera around in it than in the real thing. Over the eight days between March 14 and March 21, several scenes were filmed at Southern Pacific's Taylor Yard . On March 31, 1986,
7245-448: The old shopping center into just such a facility. State budget problems and a fatal riot led to the closure of the prison on December 31, 2003. Although there were talks to reopen the facility in 2005, no agreement was reached to do so. During 1988, a proposal was made to turn one of the gigantic 1.5-mile-long (2.4 km) by half-mile-wide (800 m) mining pits into a massive, high-tech sanitary landfill. The landfill, to be operated by
7350-471: The original access road to the mine. This is the first paved road (other than Interstate 10) that the railroad has crossed. The Victory Hills are a chain of small hills that run east of the Eagle Mountains and provide a minor obstacle to the railroad. The railroad passes through these through a deep cut in the low part between two hills. After crossing Eagle Mountain Road for a second time, the tracks arrive at "Telephone Pass" . The railroad today passes between
7455-402: The present-day Union Pacific Railroad Yuma Subdivision main line, the main transcontinental railroad line between California and Texas. The main track heading to Eagle Mountain starts at the east end of the yard. Upon leaving the Ferrum interchange yard, the track immediately climbs a hill, then descends to a wooden trestle. The track then heads east over mudflats while ascending a grade. There
7560-495: The project was repeatedly delayed. The private partnership decided in late 1999 to give up on the project. Its share of the project was bought out by Kaiser Ventures, making it controlling owner of the project. In August 2000, Kaiser Ventures reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Sanitation Districts, a public entity consisting of several Los Angeles public waste collection agencies, to purchase
7665-410: The quantity demanded rose to meet supplies.) On subsidies and sprawl, note that it was not until 1954 that Met's revenue from selling water exceed the cost of delivering it; it was not until 1973 that revenue from sales exceeded revenue from taxes. Since about 80 percent of Met's costs are fixed, revenue needs to cover far more than operating expenses in order to pay for all costs. In 1955, the aqueduct
7770-465: The railcars with the processed iron ore at Eagle Mountain was fairly simple and required no locomotives to be used. An arriving train of up to 101 empty ore cars would be placed on one of two "incline" tracks. These incline tracks were specifically laid out so that the end of the track furthest from the ore loading tower would be the track's highest point and would gradually drop downgrade to the ore loading tower. When loading operations started, four cars at
7875-686: The railroad in June 1952. They were Builder Numbers 75356 and 75357. They had 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW). In 1958, with production continuing to increase, the railroad purchased another Baldwin AS616 from a second-hand locomotive dealer. This locomotive was built in November 1950 and delivered to the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in December 1950 as their No. 5533. It has Builder Number 74917 and also had 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW). It
7980-408: The railroad's longest bridge. The "Salt Creek Wash Bridge" is 500 feet (150 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) high. The original bridge located here was a wooden trestle. After a fire destroyed that bridge an all-steel bridge was constructed. After the bridge, the track enters the second or upper horseshoe curve. At the start of the horseshoe curve, the track is located on a high fill; by the end of
8085-404: The same two mountains. Telephone Pass is the end of the downhill grade from Summit and for here to the mine is all uphill. The uphill climb from Telephone Pass to the Eagle Mountain Mine is called "Caution Hill" and is so named because its 2.15% grade is the steepest on the line and descending it with a loaded ore train required great caution. It got its name after a loaded train ran away here in
8190-406: The saucer track. In January–February 1966, Columbia Pictures filmed many scenes for the motion picture The Professionals on the railroad. This action western starred Burt Lancaster , Lee Marvin , Robert Ryan , Woody Strode , Jack Palance and Claudia Cardinale . The basic story involved four men, each with unique talents, being hired by a millionaire to rescue his wife, who was kidnapped by
8295-420: The seven car special train departed Los Angeles at 10:00am and arrived on the Eagle Mountain Railroad at Ferrum around 6:00pm. About one hour later it arrived at the movie set that had been constructed at Summit. The train spent the night here. The next day, April 1, the Southern Pacific 4449 along with one passenger car and its auxiliary water tender headed for Eagle Mountain for water. After filling up with water,
8400-521: The shortened train returned to Summit. The following day, April 2, saw the start of nine days of filming on the railroad. Scenes were shot between the Coachella Canal Bridge and Summit. Filming required numerous run-bys and hours of waiting. During the last few days of filming, the water supply on board the locomotive started to run low, so a pair of Kaiser Steel U30C's picked up the auxiliary water tender, took it to Eagle Mountain where it
8505-611: The signing of the Treaty of Cordoba in 1821, Mexico gained its independence from Spain, but the San Gabriel Mission near what is now Los Angeles, California , continued to expand, and established Rancho San Gorgonio in 1824. The ranch was to be one of the Mission's principal rancherias , and the most distant, and it occupied most of today's San Gorgonio Pass area. Following the Mexican secularization act of 1833 by
8610-600: The size of the State of New Jersey in total area. County government documents frequently cite the Colorado River town of Blythe as being a "three-hour drive" from the county seat, Riverside . Some view the areas west of San Gorgonio Pass as the Inland Empire portion of the county and the eastern part as either the Mojave Desert or Colorado Desert portion. There are probably at least three geomorphic provinces:
8715-483: The southern Mojave Desert. At Iron Mountain , the water is again lifted, 144 ft (44 m). The aqueduct then turns southwest towards the Eagle Mountains . There the water is lifted two more times, first by 438 ft (134 m) to an elevation of more than 1,400 ft (430 m), then by 441 ft (134 m) to an elevation of 1,800 ft (550 m) above sea level. The CRA then runs through
8820-417: The stockpiled iron ore. When the stockpile ran out, the locomotives were sent to the Fontana Mill for storage. The last three locomotives left the property on April 8, 1986. All five locomotives remained in storage at the Fontana Mill until 1995 when they were scrapped. Riverside County 33°44′N 115°59′W / 33.73°N 115.98°W / 33.73; -115.98 Riverside County
8925-683: The stockpiled ore was gone, the railroad shut down. The last ore train operated on March 24, 1986, when 20 cars of ore where shipped out. Once filming of the Tough Guys movie was completed, the last two remaining locomotives were sent to the Fontana Mill. Shortly after the last iron ore had been shipped out in 1986, the California Department of Corrections proposed placing a privately operated prison for low-risk inmates at Eagle Mountain. In 1988, Management and Training Corporation , an operator of several privately-run prisons, converted
9030-629: The town of La Placita on the east side of the Santa Ana River at the northern extremity of what is now the city of Riverside in 1843. When the initial 27 California counties were established in 1850, the area today known as Riverside County was divided between Los Angeles County and San Diego County . In 1853, the eastern part of Los Angeles County was used to create San Bernardino County . Between 1891 and 1893, several proposals and legislative attempts were put forth to form new counties in Southern California. These proposals included one for
9135-554: The town with 150 on furlough. On November 3, 1981, Kaiser Steel announced the phasing out of half the Fontana Mill and the closure of the entire Eagle Mountain Mine over the next few years. The population dwindled as layoffs began. The grocery store closed in October, 1982 and the post office, which had been active since 1951, closed in January, 1983. In June 1983, the last official graduating class celebrated their commencement at Eagle Mountain High School, followed by closing of both
9240-543: The tracks cross the Bradshaw Trail before passing through a small cut and entering the first of two horseshoe curves. After this horseshoe curve, the tracks run east along the foothills of the Chocolate Mountains while the Salt Creek Wash parallels the tracks on the south side. After curving along the Chocolate Mountains for two miles (3 km), the tracks turn south and cross the Salt Creek Wash on
9345-467: The tracks. Kaiser Ventures estimated it would cost about $ 3.5 million to repair the damage. During the next two years, a contractor conducted work along the entire line to culverts and protective diversion dikes to prevent any further damage but the damaged sections remained as Kaiser Ventures decided to postpone repairs until a future date when funds would be available. The entire interchange yard in Ferrum
9450-1111: The train, which is a costly and time-consuming procedure. By 1968, the railroad decided it was time to purchase new locomotives. In 1968, Kaiser Steel purchased five new General Electric U30C locomotives. These were numbered 1030 through 1034. The first three were constructed in March 1968 and the other two in April 1968. All five were delivered to the railroad in late April 1968. They were Builder Numbers 36762 through 36766. They have 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW). They met Southern Pacific specifications since they were built from five production slots from an existing Southern Pacific order. The five original locomotives were kept as spares until 1971 when they were either sold or transferred to other Kaiser operations. Locomotives 1025 and 1026 were sold in March 1972 to Railway Supply Company of Montgomery, Alabama. There they were rebuilt for Peabody Coal Company for use at its River King Mine in Marrisa, Illinois. 1025
9555-628: The tribes' favor on February 25, 1987. In turn, Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988 to establish a legal framework for the relationship between Indian gaming and state governments. Naturally, both tribes now operate large casinos in the county: the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa and the Fantasy Springs Resort Casino adjacent to Spotlight 29 Casino . According to
9660-774: The water is siphoned off in San Jacinto via the San Diego canal, part of the San Diego Aqueduct that delivers water to San Diego County . As the Los Angeles metropolitan area grew in the early 1900s, Mulholland and others began looking for new sources of water. Eventually, Los Angeles laid claim to the waters of the Owens Valley , east of the Sierra Nevada, and in 1913 completed the 240-mile (390 km) Los Angeles Aqueduct to deliver its waters to
9765-487: Was historically a Republican stronghold in presidential and congressional elections. Between its creation in 1893 and 2004 , it voted for the Democratic presidential nominee only three times: Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 (by a margin of 337 votes, or 0.99%), Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 (by a margin of 19,363 votes, or 13.65%), and Bill Clinton in 1992 (by a margin of 6,784 votes, or 1.58%). In 1932 , it
9870-756: Was later sold for scrap to Hyman-Michaels in Alton, Illinois and was scrapped in August 1978. 1026 was sold in August 1978 to Koppel Bulk Terminal at Long Beach, California. It was then sold in early 1980 to Chrome Cranshaft in Alhambra, California and was scrapped in late 1980. Locomotives 1027 and 1029 were sent to Pan American Engineering in 1971 for repairs. They were then sent to Kaiser Bauxite in Discovery Bay, Jamaica where they became 5108 and 5107 respectively. As of 2008, reports from railfans indicate they are still there, but long out-of-service. Locomotive 1028
9975-535: Was not of sufficient quality to satisfy Kaiser, and a better source was sought. In 1944 Kaiser Steel purchased the Eagle Mountain mining claim from the Southern Pacific Railroad and began development of the Eagle Mountain Mine after the end of World War II . Construction of 52-mile (84 km) long Eagle Mountain Railroad began in August 1947. This included 50 miles (80 km) of main line from Ferrum Junction (changed in 1956 to just Ferrum) to
10080-417: Was of Mexican origin, 0.8% Salvadoran, 0.7% Honduran, 0.6% Puerto Rican, 0.3% Cuban, and 0.2% Nicaraguan descent. As of the census of 2000, there were 1,545,387 people, 506,218 households, and 372,576 families residing in the county. The population density was 214 inhabitants per square mile (83/km ). There were 584,674 housing units at an average density of 81 per square mile (31/km ). The racial makeup of
10185-465: Was one of only two counties in the entire West Coast to vote for Republican president Herbert Hoover over Roosevelt during the latter's landslide victory. In 2024, it was one of eight counties that flipped for Donald Trump after voting for Biden in 2020 , and was one of five counties that voted for the Republican presidential candidate for the first time since George W. Bush in 2004 In
10290-492: Was refilled with water and then returned to Summit later in the day. Near the end of the movie, it appears that 4449 runs off the end of the track into the dirt, then the actors emerge from the cab. This was done using another full-sized fiberglass/wood mockup, this time of both the engine and tender. This mockup can still be seen through the windows of a garage building adjacent to the cafe in Desert Center, CA. During
10395-463: Was removed by the Union Pacific during a track expansion project. All that remains is part of the wye and an old maintenance-of-way structure. The railroad's mainline appears to still be mostly intact. In April 2017, a railroad materials company began removing the track by working its way from Eagle Mountain to Ferrum. By 2023 removal was completed. The first locomotives used by Kaiser Steel on
10500-475: Was reopened and rededicated in September 1998. Riverside County hands down 1 in 6 death sentences in the US, in spite of it having less than 1% of the population. The Riverside County Sheriff provides court protection, jail administration, and coroner services for all of Riverside County. It provides patrol, detective, and other police services for the unincorporated areas of the county plus by contract to
10605-409: Was shipped to oversea steel mills. From the early 1970s until the early 1980s, one 100-car train was dispatched to the Fontana Mill each and every day. By 1982, operations varied from three to five trains per week, with as few as 40 carloads per train. After a short suspension of operations in early 1985, trains were run once a week until the complete discontinuance of operation in March 1986. Loading
10710-466: Was sold by C&O to Pan American Engineering in Dallas, Texas in January 1958 and resold to Kaiser Steel later that year. It was assigned No. 1020 by Kaiser Steel. In 1966 and 1967, all locomotives were renumbered by Kaiser Steel. 1010A and 1010B become 1025 and 1026 respectively while 1012A and 1012B becoming 1027 and 1028. Locomotive 1020 become 1029. These five Baldwin locomotives were being used on
10815-650: Was sold in 1971 to Rayonier, Inc. at Grays Harbor, Washington, where it was numbered 14. It was then sold in late 1985 to Trona Railway in Trona, California, where it became No. 54, entering service in late 1986. In late 1992 it was sold to Johnston Terminal in Enid, Oklahoma. It was then sold in July 1995 to SMS Rail Service in New Jersey and given the number 554. As of 2008, it was still in service at SMS Rail Service, assigned to
10920-427: Was still a significant stockpile of processed iron ore sitting on the ground in Eagle Mountain. It was decided to ship this product out since it was high-quality concentrated iron-ore, which is very valuable. The railroad operated two trains per week from mid-1983 until early 1985 when operations shutdown for a brief time. When operations resumed, only a single train operated per week, usually 50 to 60 cars in length. Once
11025-576: Was tried but difficulties in retrieving this rail after flooding resulted in the railroad switching back to jointed rail. By 1980, 119-pound per yard rail was used in tangent sections while heavier 136-pound per yard rail was used in the majority of the curves. During early operations, ore was loaded into Southern Pacific gondola and open-top hopper cars of 50-, 60- and 70-ton capacity. Starting in 1958, these cars were replaced by about 700 closed-bottom 100-ton ore cars. These cars were constructed by Southern Pacific at its Sacramento, California shops. During
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