The Entire San Diego Trolley System 2/4/2006

The trolley began service on July 26, 1981, making it the oldest of the second-generation light rail systems in the United States. In August 1980, the MTDB established San Diego Trolley, Inc. to operate and maintain the new light rail system. Trains operated every 20 minutes (timed to meet at four passing tracks on the single track sections) between 5:00 AM and 9:00 PM and carried approximately 10,000 passengers a day. In light of the strong ridership, construction of the second phase was started almost immediately, which involved double-tracking the SD&AE corridor and purchasing 10 additional vehicles. Upon completion of double-tracking in February 1983, the total cost of the project was $116.6 million.

The success of the San Diego Trolley would also spark a nationwide revival of light rail in the late 1980's, with lines built in several other mid-sized cities, including Buffalo, Denver, Portland, Sacramento and San Jose). Construction of the Little Italy extension in October 1991. The San Diego Trolley added a second line on March 23, 1986, that shared the same downtown tracks and travelled east to Euclid Avenue on the La Mesa Branch of the SD&AE. The new route was then called the Euclid Line, part of today's Orange Line). This line was extended to El Cajon by June 23, 1989, at which time it was renamed the East Line. Service was expanded beyond the old SD&AE right-of-way when the line was extended further, north, to Santee on August 26, 1995.

The East Line's Bayside Connection extension to the San Diego Convention Center and Gaslamp Quarter opened on June 30, 1990. Later in the decade, the South Line was extended to the north, reaching Little Italy on July 2, 1992 and Old Town on June 16, 1996. The system was further expanded east from the Old Town station as the Mission Valley Line, which opened on November 23, 1997. It proceeded eastward from Old Town to Fashion Valley Mall, Mission Valley Mall and San Diego Stadium. At the same time, the South Line (which now travelled north of downtown San Diego to Old Town) and East Line of the system were renamed the Blue Line and the Orange Line, respectively.

The Mission Valley East extension, which opened on July 10, 2005, built the only underground station in the system at San Diego State University, as well as its highest elevated station at Grantville. This line was then renamed the Green Line. The line also featured the first low-floor trolley vehicles, that allow passengers to board without climbing stairs and allowed passengers using wheelchairs to use a small bridge plate instead of the slower lifts on the older trains. But, the new vehicles could only operate on the Green Line, forcing passengers heading between Mission Valley and downtown San Diego to change trains in Old Town.

The system map.

The three of us boarded the trolley, a SD100, but would have preferred a new S70 car instead. I passed out the trolley passes and a moment later, we were off, crossing the San Diego River and curving east to the Moreno/Linda Vista station. We made an "S" curve that took us over the San Diego River and along a golf course to the Fashion Valley Transit Center then to our stop at Hazard Center. We crossed up and over the San Diego River to the Mission Valley Center then crossing river again, we ran to the Rio Vista and Fenton Parkway stations. Our route then became elevated, taking us to Qualcomm Stadium before reaching the Mission San Diego station. From here, we continued elevated over the San Diego River to Grantville station, forty feet above the ground. We crossed over Interstate 8 then started up the 4.4 percent grade along the cliff, gaining elevation away from Interstate 8.

Our route then turned into a small canyon and crossed a bridge before we entered the 4,000 foot tunnel under San Diego State University, the first tunnel built for the San Diego Trolley. In the middle of the tunnel is the SDSU Transit Center station. We departed there and in a few minutes, exited the tunnel back into the now-bright light of the morning. Our trolley continued to climb along the canyon wall in order to reach the valley floor where we stopped at Alvarado Medical Center, which has a riddle along the top of north embankment wall reading from west to east.

This riddle, engraved into the tiles on the wall that separates the station from the freeway, was created by Roman De Salvo in 2005 and reads: "Arteries, veins, and, capillaries. For autos, rain, and, catenaries. All three lines are side by side. Above, below, and, stratified. One is numbered less than nine. Another was there at the dawn of time. The last will be here after a wait. Or, right away if you're not too late. Look around to solve this riddle. Name all three, top, bottom and middle. If bewildered, feel the handrail. The answer there is writ in Braille."

Next we ran to the 70th Street station then climbed up and over Interstate 8 before rejoining the Orange Line at Baltimore Junction and rolled to a stop at Grossmont Center. We continued rolling to the Amaya Drive station and onto El Cajon Transit Center, passing under Interstate 8 to Amele Drive before climbing up and over the last of the freight line and Fletcher Parkway.

The line then made a series of curves to the former Weld Boulevard station, now known as the Gillespie Field station. We turned onto North Cuyamaca Street, where the tracks ran down the middle of the street, until Mission Gorge Road, where we turned into Santee Town Center, ending this morning's trip on the Green Line.

After a picture, we reboarded the now westbound trolley for the one-stop trip to Gillespie Field station, where the three of us detrained to wait for an Orange Line Trolley.

We were still in the thirty minute headway window, so had to wait for the 11:22 AM Orange Line Trolley. At least the airplanes and helicopter taking off from Gillespie Field provided us with entertainment.

The Orange Line shares the trackage with the Green Line as far as Baltimore Junction so for that segment, I will say we just picked up passengers. At Baltimore Junction, our route curved south, crossing over Interstate 8 to our stop at La Mesa Boulevard, where just south of there is the nicely restored 1894 original La Mesa station which, when constructed, was called Allison Station. Also on display is Mojave Northern 0-6-0ST 3, Pacific Fruit Express Company 11207, a refrigerator car and Southern Pacific caboose 1058. We curved along a hillside to reach Spring Street where fencing was being installed in between the tracks.

A few minutes later, we arrived the busy Lemon Grove station, in the heart of that suburb then followed the valley down to the station stops at Massachusetts Avenue, Encanto/62nd Street, Euclid Street and 47th Street. I was surprised that we had not seen any fare inspectors so far. Now this line became interesting as it passed through Greenwood Cemetery and later made a big horseshoe curve to cross Chollas Creek in the valley, then climbed out of the valley to the 32nd and Commercial station. We then ran due west down the middle of Commercial Street, stopping at 25th and Commercial and completed our street-running when we reached the junction with the Blue Line at 12th & Imperial Transit Center, which would be our passing stop at this station.

We then resumed street-running in the middle of 12th Street. To our left was Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres and we passed all the new downtown housing which has improved this area. We stopped at Park and Market station before turning the corner onto C Street to the temporary City College Station. We paused at Fifth Avenue, Civic Center then curved into the unique covered American Plaza station. I was amazed how we had made every signal green during our street-running. Next we passed in front of the Santa Fe station, but at the junction, turned south and left the Blue Line, now paralleling the BNSF line to the stop at Seaport Village. Our next stop was the Convention Center, which is across the street from the sailed building of the same name. That was followed by Gaslamp Quarter, which is the stop for both the San Diego Gaslamp District and Petco Park. We turned east, leaving the BNSF line, and passed the west trolley maintenance yard before arriving the end of this route at the 12th & Imperial Transit Center.

After a quick picture of the trolley we had just ridden, we walked over to the covered station where we waited in the chilly temperatures for our next trolley.

The Blue Line trolley arrived and we boarded and were all glad to be out of the cold wind. We passed through the middle of the San Diego Trolley Maintenance Facility and at the south end, saw engines of the San Diego and Imperial Valley Railroad then stopped at Barrio Logan after having a good view of the BNSF yard. Now we would be able to see the activities along San Diego Bay as we stopped at Harborside, then Pacific Fleet (home of the United States Navy) on the way to the next stop at 8th Street. Our route next passed under the maze of highway bridges before 24th Street, after which we crossed the Sweetwater River before arriving at Bayfront/E Street. Continuing south, we crossed the former railroad diamond that once led to the old Rohr Plant which made Amtrak's American-built Turbo trains.

Here is the first Rohr-built Turbo Train coming into Summit on Cajon Pass in June 1976. South of there, we crossed the Otay River on a high fill, then arrived at the Palm Avenue station in Imperial Beach. Our next two stops were at Iris Avenue and Byer Boulevard. The freight line then climbed up away from our route to the San Ysidro Yard and shop building. We passed the border parking lots before arriving at the San Ysidro Transit Center, where left this train to board a waiting northbound trolley.

The three of us were hungry so it was time to return north to Bayfront/E Street and this trip was quick, and in no time we arrived at our lunch stop.

We walked over to the Black Angus for lunch, which is right across from the Best Western where I used to stay when being a guest on the Internet radio show "Let's Talk Trains". I enjoyed a sirloin steak, Coca-Cola and a chocolate brownie for lunch.

We returned to another northbound Blue Line Trolley for Old Town and this time, we were stopped at every red traffic signal. At 12th and Imperial, fare inspectors boarded to check that everyone had a valid ticket. Back at the Santa Fe station, we turned north at the junction and passed the front of the Amtrak station where our train home, Pacific Surfliner 785, was waiting. We made our depot stop before we going to the County Center/Little Italy station, then passed under a street then up and over another with a great view of the San Diego Airport before arriving at Middletown Station. After leaving Middletown, our next stop was Washington Street then Old Town where, once again, I had completed riding the entire San Diego Trolley system.

The trolley which brought us here.

One of the new S70's arrived on a Green Line train and we boarded. After a few minutes, we were back at the Santa Fe Depot ready to board Pacific Surfliner 785.

We departed San Diego on time and stayed that way the whole trip. It was a dark and dreary afternoon the entire way. We met Pacific Surfliner 578 at CP Cumbres, Pacific Surfliner 580 at Oceanside and had a very well-timed meet with Pacific Surfliner 784 at CP Serra. Winston detrained at Irvine and Chris and I returned to Santa Ana, ending a great day of San Diego Trolley riding.

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