(The statement referred to and submitted by the witness is as follows:)

THE ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILWAY CO. COAST LINES,
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT,
Los Angeles, Calif., February 7, 1944.

LYTLE AND CAJON CREEKS, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CALIF., AND THE EFFECT OF FLOOD FLOWS THEREIN ON THE TRANSCONTINENTAL TRAFFIC OF THE SANTA FE AND UNION PACIFIC RAILWAYS

The Santa Fe Railway Co.'s doubled-track or two single-track lines from Chicago to Los Angeles and San Diego crosses the coast range of mountains via Cajon Pass at a point about 80 miles east of Los Angeles, and for a distance of 22 miles follows Cajon Creek into the city of San Bernardino, where it crosses Lytle Creek and en route to Los Angeles and San Bernardino follows the latter creek for some 2 miles into Colton. The Union Pacific Railroad Co.'s transcontinental line to the Los Angeles area uses the tracks of the Santa Fe jointly with the latter from Daggett, a point 150 miles east of Los Angeles, to Riverside, which is 6 miles west of Colton; therefore, any disruption of the Santa Fe tracks or facilities caused by flood flows of these creeks affects the operations of both roads.

From San Bernardino to Los Angeles the Santa Fe has two lines; one via Pasadena, used almost exclusively for the operation of passenger trains-the gradients on this line not being favorable to the operation of freights; and the other via Colton, Riverside, and Fullerton. Santa Fe freight trains destined to Los Angeles and San Diego use this line, as do both freight and passenger trains of the Union Pacific, for a distance of about 9 miles west of San Bernardino. The latter of these two lines is most affected by overflows of Lytle Creek, although the line via Pasadena also crosses this creek twice at San Bernardino and usually is out of commission when the other line is. Even if open, it would afford little relief except for passenger-train movements, for the reason heretofore stated.

At San Bernardino the Santa Fe has large freight yards, shops, roundhouse facilities, and precooler plant. The freight yards and roundhouse facilities are used jointly with the Union Pacific. A large portion of the freight yards and the precoller plant are in the direct path of overflows of Lytle Creek, inasmuch as they are located between the two forks of this creek-the topography of the country making it impractical to locate them otherwise.

In order that you may have an idea of the traffic handled by these two roads on the district immediately east of San Bernardino in the area affected by flood flow of these creeks, we have selected a typical month, namely March 1943, and from our records have compiled a detailed statement hereto attached, showing much information, but the following brief summary clearly outlines the salient features:

Of the loaded freight cars, 27,800 moved west and 16,000 moved east; of the military trains, 113 moved west and 75 moved east.

A check of subsequent months of 1943 indicates that there is still moving approx. imately the same volume of traffic as moved in March.

Of the freight traffic moved, as noted above, our records reflect that approximately 75 percent of it consists of materials or commodities vital to the war effort.

The flood of January 1943, in Lytle and Cajon Creeks fractured the tracks at four places east of San Bernardino, and the overflow of Lytle Creek completely submerged a large portion of San Bernardino yard, washing out the double track main line and depositing silt and sand over the freight and precooler tracks from 6 inches to 3 feet in depth. The freight yard at this location contained at that time approvimately 300 cars. Several freight trains, being made up at that time,

were caught in the overflow. Twenty-one cars were derailed and overturned. By reason of the sand and silt in the journal boxes and all of the cars in this yard, it was necessary to clean same and repack before they could be moved, all of which had to be done after the yard had been cleared of sand and debris.

As soon as the first break in the line occurred the railway company began to assemble and move equipment from various parts of the coast lines territory to the flooded area. Also, numerous extra gangs of track men were moved in from remote areas. In addition thereto there was employed as much contractors' equipment and force as could be obtained. With all of this force working night and day it required approximately 48 hours to open one track through for operation; the second track was opened 24 hours later, but all of the line and yard facilities were not completely restored until a week after the line first became inoperative. In addition to the above company track force and contractors' outfits, 250 shopmen were required to place freight cars in condition for movement, and 2 complete wrecking outfits were used to pick up and rerail the overturned cars.

These washouts resulted in serious delays to passenger and military trains and particularly the movement of war material, supplies, and equipment; also commercial west- and east-bound freight, including perishable, and the return eastward of empties so necessary to war plants in the East to be reloaded with war material. This congestion made necessary the set-out of loads at terminals and to a considerable extent between terminals as far eastward as Waynoka on the Santa Fe and Ogden on the Union Pacific. This brought about very congested conditions, delaying such loads and trains from 2 to 5 days. As a matter of fact, the situation did not actually begin to get cleared up until about February 1 and the after effects still existed for a considerable time thereafter. The delayed business west-bound between San Bernardino and Waynoka, Okla., approximated 3,300 loads; also empty refrigerators. The Union Pacific was involved to extent of approximately 1,000 loads although we do not have authentic figures, but assume will be incorporated in the report of that company. In addition to the above, serious delays occurred in movement of north- and south-bound business between northern and southern California, which congestion centered at Bakersfield and Fresno south-bound, and north-bound Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Barstow. Two thousand loads would be a fair estimate of the number involved.

On January 23 and 24 there were a total of four west-bound military trains delayed from 3 hours and 40 minutes to 61 hours. Three east-bound trains 5 hours to 25 hours and 10 minutes, one of which was finally diverted to the Southern Pacific. Five local military trains were affected; namely, Fallbrook district, two trains canceled, one from San Diego diverted to San Diego & Arizona Eastern, and two trucked from Colton and San Bernardino to Camp Haan.

January 23 embargoed all freight originating in southern California to go through Cajon Pass, except west-bound transcontinental and Government freight. January 27 embargo was extended to cover all freight for movement via connecting lines when destined to points east of San Bernardino and Colton. January 28 embargoed acceptance from connecting lines at junctions between San Francisco and Bakersfield any freight for south of Barstow, except livestock, perishable, Army, Navy, and lend-lease traffic.

Embargoes entirely canceled effective 12:01 a. m. February 3.

In March 1938, these creeks reached flood stage and again damaged the railroad at various points between Cajon and San Bernardino, and overflowed the yard at the latter point. The damage to the railroad in that flood was considerably more extensive than that which occurred in 1943 and it required a period of 8 days to open the line for movement of trains. In the years 1915, 1916, and 1922 these creeks were again at flood stage but flow was considerably less than in the 2 years 1938 and 1943; consequently, the damage done by these floods was of a minor nature and did not cause such serious interruption to traffic.

From the above it will be noted that the Santa Fe and the Union Pacific Railroads move a very considerable volume of traffic into the Los Angeles area, 75 percent of which is vital to the war effort. The Los Angeles area abounds with industries essential to the war effort and is the location of many military camps and depots. In addition thereto, it is a port of embarkation. It is easy to realize the effect of an interruption in traffic handled by these railroads upon all these establishments. The San Diego area is particularly dependent on the Santa Fe for transportation, since it is served only by one other railroad, the San Diego & Arizona Eastern, which operates partially through Mexico; gradients and curvature of this line are so heavy that its capacity for movement of freight

is quite limited. San Diego is one of the most important naval bases on the
Pacific coast; also around and to the north of San Diego are many large and
important training bases for our Marine forces. Interruption to the traffic
moving to this important naval area would have quite serious consequence.
M. C. BLANCHARD,
Chief Engineer.

The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co.—Coast lines-Recapitulation of
train operations, first district, Los Angeles division, March 1943, Cajon, Lytle
Creek area

Mr. ELLIOTT. Between the Southern Pacific, the Santa Fe, and the Union Pacific your problems are similar in character, the Santa Fe serving the southern part of the State of California on behalf of the war effort at the present time, whereas the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific serve the northern part also, and it is imperative that we have some immediate action, if at all possible?

Mr. BLANCHARD. That is correct; because this affected area is all in about 3 miles, and it puts the whole railroad set-up out of business. Mr. ELLIOTT. At the time of Pearl Harbor if we had had a flood in this particular area, three of the main railroads or arteries of troop movement, food, and equipment would have tied up indefinitely? Mr. BLANCHARD. That is right.

Mr. ELLIOTT. I think this is one of the most important things, Mr. Chairman, that has been brought to this committee, and that it should have immediate action.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Blanchard, why can you not take the railroad around and bring it across here [indicating on map]? Is this a pass?

Mr. BLANCHARD. It is the Cajon Pass.

The CHAIRMAN. You cannot go south or north there?

Mr. BLANCHARD. The Southern Pacific comes in from the south and we come in here [indicating on map].

Mr. SHEPPARD. I would like to call Mr. F. W. Spencer, assistant engineer, Pacific Electric Railway Co., with headquarters at Los Angeles, Calif.

STATEMENT OF F. W. SPENCER, ASSISTANT ENGINEER, PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY CO., LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Spencer, you are assistant engineer of the Pacific Electric Railway Co.?

Mr. SPENCER. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Where does that railroad start and stop?

Mr. SPENCER. Well, Mr. Chairman, we operate approximately a hundred miles of railroad in and around Los Angeles.

The CHAIRMAN. The railroad is operated by electric power?

Mr. SPENCER. Yes, sir. Of course at the present time our operations are so heavy in freight that we are operating steam as well as electricity to handle the load.

The CHAIRMAN. Your railroad is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area?

Mr. SPENCER. Yes, and extends to Colton and San Bernardino.

The CHAIRMAN. You do not go any farther east?

Mr. SPENCER. Substantially that is the terminus.

The CHAIRMAN. So, that terminus is affected by floods as well as any other part of your railroad?

Mr. SPENCER. Yes, sir. Both our lines are crossed in two places by two branches of Lytle Creek.

The CHAIRMAN. Is there any point with respect to the extent of these floods that you would like to emphasize in addition to what has already been brought to our attention by preceding witnesses on behalf of the Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific Railways?

Mr. SPENCER. The Pacific Electric Railway Co. serves Los Angeles Harbor area and Long Beach. It is one of the principal carriers of freight to those ports, and at the present time we are receiving from the Southern Pacific Co. in the neighborhood of 200 carloads a day of export freight for transmittal to the harbor.

The CHAIRMAN. Do you transport that freight through the pass or do you get it after you get through the pass?

Mr. SPENCER. We get it afterward. Lytle Creek crosses our San Bernardino line just west of the city of San Bernardino, and when we are washed out at that point there is no possible traffic that can move over our line from San Bernardino into the city of Los Angeles and down to the ports. The line from San Bernardino to Colton is also crossed by this stream, and when there is a washout we cannot interchange freight to Los Angeles, because it has to go from Colton up to San Bernardino and thence into Los Angeles.

In addition to the export traffic we are receiving, we also are now handling approximately the same number of loads of oil and oil products from the refineries in southern California for interchange to the Southern Pacific Co. at Colton. Many industries, military establishments, large defense plants, some of the largest in the State, are served by us jointly with other railroads, and all of that traffic, or a substantial portion of it, is routed over our line for interchange with the Santa Fe at San Bernardino and the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific at Colton.

Similarly shipments routed via our line that come in over the steam roads are interchanged at those points. We have our interchange facilities in the Los Angeles area, and when they cannot get into Los Angeles, they just can't get in.

The CHAIRMAN. So your traffic is largely interchanged in this area that is under investigation?

Mr. SPENCER. A substantial portion of it at the present time is interchange traffic, but we also have a lot of traffic that originates on our lines and is for shipment east and we take it.

The CHAIRMAN. It has to go to one or the other of these railroads? Mr. SPENCER. Yes. Of course there is local traffic also between the cities.

The CHAIRMAN. With respect to floods, what have you to say?

Mr. SPENCER. Our San Bernardino line was out of service for a period of 7 days in 1943. We had some 300 feet of embankment washed out.

The CHAIRMAN. How far is it from one of those places to the other [indicating on map]?