New Rails to Old Towns. The Region and Story of the Ferrocarriles Chihuahua al Pacifico

Description

This is a story of the complex origin of a fascinating railroad. Take the many stakeholders on both sides of the border, combine them from here and there as potions from the minds of dreamers, hunch players, or practical and hard working engineers, or as portions of track laid and bridges built; add liberal amounts of money from time to time; mix in enough war and revolution to stun; squeeze in an all but overpowering amount of depression; add enemies and opposition at the most inconvenient times; include such a combination of peaks, ridges and and gorges as to challenge the sinews of a great country; at intervals let stand and swirl and shake for ninety years. The result is what the Tarahumaras would call a "beautiful intoxication." It is the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico. What a road! At Topolobampo you are at the sea. At Ojinaga and El Paso the plains stretch away and you are relaxed and laze along. The plateau begins at La Junta, and the foothills beyond Gonzalez. You are stimulated at Madera and Sanchez, the crests. You have come up to 8045 feet. So stop at Divisadero, here is excitement enough to tarry awhile. Refresh and prepare yourself, for the way down will be equal in feet but sur passing in experience. Here is over a hundred miles of thrills to flutter the heart and put the head in a whirl. It is more relaxing over the next hun dred miles to Topolobampo, where the sight or feel of the blue waters of the bay will put anyone into the mood of looking back and pleasant recollection. Read along and see if story, fact or picture will capture some of this for you. Better still, ride along and make it your own.