An Earthquake Forced a Radical Solution
In 1932, a powerful earthquake shook Southern California, collapsing Tunnel 15 along the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway line through Carrizo Gorge. The route had already been labeled the “impossible railroad” by engineers for its rugged, mountainous terrain.
Instead of rebuilding the tunnel, engineers decided to build an immense wooden trestle across Goat Canyon—a steep and wind-prone ravine. The trestle had to handle dramatic temperature swings, so builders avoided metal and turned to redwood, constructing what would become the world’s largest all-wood trestle.
A Trestle Like No Other
Designed by Chief Engineer Carl Eichenlaub, the Goat Canyon Trestle followed standard CS-33 specifications but had to include unique adaptations. The structure curved 14 degrees to resist strong canyon winds. It was built without nails, and large segments were assembled at the canyon floor and hoisted into place.
Completed in 1933, the trestle ranged between 597 and 750 feet long and reached up to 186 feet in height. It immediately became the centerpiece of the railway’s realignment, allowing trains to bypass the destroyed tunnel.
Trains, Fires, and Storms
The San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway faced repeated challenges throughout its history. Tunnel collapses, landslides, and financial troubles caused frequent service interruptions. Passenger trains stopped using the line in 1951, but intermittent freight continued.
In 1976, Hurricane Kathleen damaged the trestle and nearby tracks, shutting the line for years. It reopened in 1981, only to close again in 1983. In 2003, workers repairing the line during the Cedar Fire helped extinguish fires set by arsonists along the tracks. After further repairs, service resumed briefly in 2004.
The Line Goes Silent, but the Trestle Stands
By 2008, rail traffic ceased again, and a tunnel collapse in 2017 blocked any future operations. The Baja California Railroad assessed reopening the line in 2018, but by 2021 those plans had been dropped. Despite the inactivity, Goat Canyon Trestle remains intact and accessible.
Hikers frequent the site, drawn by its engineering, scenery, and the history embedded in its beams. Wildlife in the canyon includes bighorn sheep and endangered birds like the Bell’s vireo. The trestle has been replicated in miniature at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, where it continues to capture imaginations—just as it did when it first rose from the canyon floor in 1933.
When an earthquake destroyed a key tunnel in 1932, engineers faced a massive challenge in California’s Carrizo Gorge.
Instead of rebuilding the tunnel, they designed the world’s largest all-wood trestle—Goat Canyon Trestle—built in extreme conditions with no nails…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/e3cK6XiLAV
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) July 6, 2025