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On FEBRUARY 27, 1938, SOME OF THE Further alterations in Soledad Pass came about
heaviest rainfall in Southern California history during 1942-1944. In conjunction with CTC instal-
swept in off the Pacific in hurricane proportions, lation elsewhere on the Southern Pacific, 1,400 miles
filling streams and rivers far beyond their capacity. of new rail was laid systemwide. Grade changes and
By the morning of March 2, the storm began yield- daylighting of tunnels in the Tehachapi, Cuesta, and
ing its destructive force against critical sections of Soledad Passes eliminated nine original bores. Evi-
the Southern Pacific; worst struck was the Soledad dence of these "lost tunnels" can be found in SP's
Canyon region. A total of 13 miles of track was Los Angeles & San Joaquin Divisions timetable,
affected. Between Russ and Lang, where the SP where the surviving tunnels are numerically listed as
right-of-way hugged the banks of the Santa Clara follows:
River, four miles of mainline, including five steel
Tunnels 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10,
bridges, were torn out by charging flood waters.
14,15,16,17 Tehachapi Pass
Sand and debris blanketed three more bridges, and
Tunnels 18, 19, 25 Soledad Canyon
Tunnels 18 and 119, having become temporary Tunnels 26, 27, 28 Santa Susana Pass
culverts for the swollen river, were clogged with Tunnel29 Searles Branch
several feet of mud. The Valley route over Soledad
reopened on March 15, 1938, but not without some It is apparent that five additional tunnels had once
necessary remodeling to safeguard against future been part of the Soledad Canyon route, but are now
disasters. New roadbed below Russ siding was lost to oblivion. The ancient cuts and fills west of
moved a considerable distance from the river, and a Lang fade into a weedy landscape behind the rela-
concrete floodwall erected between Tunnels 18 and tively young trackage where today's gray and red
19 still protects an otherwise vulnerable earthen fill. diesels make their occasional appearances.

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Saugus was a very important junction in February 1963, when fire damage. in one of the tunnels
at Santa Susana Pass caused diversion of all coast line traffic onto the Santa Paula branch.
Train No. 374 is headed off the branch toward Los Angeles. - JOHN E. SHAW
14 • APRIL 1984