Main Routes and Strategic Connections
The Pacific Desert Lines (PDL) operates an extensive rail network that traverses southern California’s diverse landscapes from coast to desert. The railroad’s western anchor is a substantial operational hub at National City, featuring an impressive yard that spans 200 scale feet—providing ample space for classification, storage, and train makeup activities essential to efficient operations.
From this vital nerve center, the PDL extends westward to reach the San Diego Depot, where it maintains a strategic interchange with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF). This connection allows for seamless transfer of freight and passenger traffic between the two railroads, enhancing the regional transportation network. The PDL also provides crucial switching services throughout the San Diego Harbor area, serving the maritime industries that drive the local economy.
Continuing along the picturesque coastline, the route parallels the renowned ATSF Coast Route, offering spectacular views as trains pass the iconic Torrey Pines area and proceed through Oceanside. The western portion of the system ultimately connects to a staging yard representing Los Angeles—the bustling transportation hub of Southern California where connections to the broader national rail network are established.
The Eastern Division: Mountains to Desert
The eastern segment of the Pacific Desert Lines presents some of the most challenging and visually striking railroad engineering on the layout. From San Diego, trains climb steadily eastward, passing through the communities of Dulzura and Cottonwood as they ascend toward the formidable mountain range that separates the coastal region from the desert beyond.
The line reaches its summit at appropriately named HiPass, where trains navigate the continental divide before beginning their dramatic descent. The most spectacular portion of the route follows as tracks thread through the imposing Carriso Gorge—a section meticulously modeled after the prototype’s most famous engineering challenge, complete with tight curves, steep grades, and breathtaking trestles spanning deep ravines.
Continuing eastward into the desert environment, the line serves Coyote Wells, an important junction where a branch line diverges to serve additional communities and industries. Further east lies Plaster City, home to the significant U.S. Gypsum plant and a fascinating narrow gauge interchange that adds operational variety to the system.
The eastern mainline culminates at El Centro, California, where another substantial classification yard manages freight traffic and facilitates interchange with the Southern Pacific (SP) Railroad. From El Centro, the SP mainline continues onward, connecting to a staging yard representing Yuma and points beyond, creating a gateway to the eastern United States rail network.
Operational Flexibility and Scale
One of the most impressive aspects of the Pacific Desert Lines layout is its operational flexibility. While the railroad can function as a point-to-point system between its western and eastern terminals, it also offers the capability to operate as a continuous loop. This is accomplished through connections at Yuma that utilize Southern Pacific trackage rights to complete a circuit back to Los Angeles.
The sheer size of the layout creates a remarkable sense of distance and journey. A complete transit around the mainline represents a scale distance of approximately ten miles, requiring a minimum of twenty minutes of real-time travel—providing operators with an authentic sense of the time and distance involved in prototype railroad operations.
East County Branch: Serving Agricultural Interests
Complementing the mainline operations, the Pacific Desert Lines maintains an additional branch line that extends into East County. This secondary route serves the region’s agricultural interests and various local industries, creating additional traffic patterns and operational variety for the layout. This branch connects to the mainline system at Coyote Wells, where an interchange yard facilitates the transfer of freight between branch line locals and mainline trains.
Through this comprehensive network, the Pacific Desert Lines provides museum visitors and club members alike with a detailed representation of how railroads connected the diverse regions of Southern California, linking coastal urban centers with inland agricultural and industrial communities across challenging mountainous terrain.