I wasn't sure where to post this, so I put it both here and in the Route Builder's forum Hey guys,I have a little more progress to report on the Pacific Electric Ry Arrowhead Hot Springs route. I have all the track and poles in place from just south of 40th Street all the way to the Arrowhead Springs terminus. The rock crusher spur track and poles (a spur was placed on 40th Street for a quarry and rock crusher facility used to produce roadbed material for San Bernardino, Redlands, and Colton streets) is also in place, along with a simple wooden freight depot at the end of the spur. Since I have not been able to find any photographs, or very little information about the Phillips Rock Crusher for that matter, I just had to use creative improvision for that. I've also started adding more scenery. I've started placing a few more ranch homes and a few of the dirt roads which I thought would have existed at that time. I'm about to start laying the track down southward on Mountain View Avenue. The Arrowhead Hot Springs Line was originally a local electric trolley line built by the San Bernardino Valley Traction Company in 1907. The PEry took over the SBVT and acquired the line in about 1911. In 1917, Pacific Electric started bottling the springs water from a resevoir near the Arrowhead Hotel, and of course that is the origin of "Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water." Passenger service to the hotel ended in about 1942, but the water train continued running for many years afterward. From what I understand, the line was in operation until sometime in the late 1950s, possibly until 1958. The trackage was removed in 1960. Anyway, from what I've read and the pictures I have seen, the north end of San Bernardino was still very rural and for the most part had only primitive dirt roads and ranch homes during the majority of the time the Arrowhead line was in operation. This is what I've tried to capture and so far it seems to be coming along. It must have been something though, with more water and probably quite a bit greener, and a much better view of the mountains than we have now with this smog.Oh, just wondering...maybe someone can help with this. I have seen numerous times on the maps I have looked at on the Arrowhead line, a place called "Copia Ranch." I have only been able to find one small, obscure picture of it. I only have a vague idea of where it was, somewhere in the foothills, beween Electric Avenue and Waterman Canyon. Maybe if there is anyone here who is a little more familiar with historical locations, or knows of a website where I could find old maps, might be able to help. I've already been to the San Bernardino County Acessor's Office and looked at parcel maps, and I've been to the County Hall Of Records with no luck so far. I'll see if I can find a map of the Arrowhead Line to post here, which shows this "Copia Ranch" place along the line. I don't absolutely need to include it on the route, but it would be nice. And since I'm not necessarily going for absolute pinpoint accuracy, I guess I could get it within the general area. (I've compared my placement of the trackage, roads, locales, etc. use the Geo coordinates on the RE to maps on Topozone and I come pretty close, close enough I think). I'm more trying to capture the look and "feel" of the route and the area rather than textbook geography. And this is the first route I've built. I'll see if I can post some new screen shots too, so you can see my slow, but steady progress. Chris T.
San Bernardino, California
Chris T.
San Bernardino, California
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