THE DEPOTS OF SOUTHERN PACIFIC
SUBSIDIARIES IN MEXICO

 

This page is dedicated to the depots built for Mexican railroads (ferrocarrils) which were controlled by the Southern Pacific railroad.   Many of the depots listed as standing are from a list compiled by the Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos, dated 1994.  Prior to this website, no current list existed.  As a result, those listed as standing which have an asterisk (*) next to them come from that list, but have no photographic proof of such as of June 22, 2005.

My profound thanks to members of the Mexlist for their help and the information provided therein, especially
Alberto Barnett (3 May 2005), R. Minsk (standing depots list, 4 May 2005), Charles Jay (Guaymas info and Emplame info and photo, 22 Jun 2005), Hector Gonzalez (I-C and T&T depots 23 Jun 2005)

Any errors are mine.  If you have any information or corrections, please contact me.

This page is part of David Coscia's SP site
July 24, 2006

ABBREVIATIONS
Mexican States
BC = Baja California             Jal = Jalisco         Nay = Nayarit         Sin = Sinaloa        Son = Sonora        

CS = Common Standard, a numbered series of plans for anything and everything used and built by the Southern Pacific.  
                         For depots, there were 25 standard plans.  Many depots were not built to a plan.
KP = Kilometer post markers, used to measure distances along the line
SP = Southern Pacific Railroad, parent company of these lines

STATIONS AND DEPOTS
It is important to know that a "station" and a "depot" are not the same.  A "station" is defined as "a place identified in the timetable by name."  As for "depot," the best definition is "a building located at a station, which has an office operated by a station agent."  There are three types.  A freight depot ships and receives freight.  A passenger depot allows passengers to board and detrain.  A combination depot has a freight room and a passenger waiting area

A building with a station name on it does not make it a depot.  It must meet the above definition.  The most common occurance of a building that does not meet the definition is a telegraph office.  These were used for controlling the movement of trains prior to radios.  A good example would be a an office in the middle of a desert.  There is a building there, but no passengers or freight come to this building.  However, the telegraph operator would live there, so it would have living quarters, and thus be a large building that might look like a depot. 

FERROCARRIL DE NACOZARI

Construction on this line began soon after August, 1899.  It was completed in 1904.  Southern Pacific planned on abandoning this line in 1965.  Instead, a deal was struck with the government of Mexico and it was nationalized on August 16, 1965.1
(Kirchner, John.   "The Ferrocarril de Nacozari"  SP Trainline 85, (Spring 2005) SPH&TS)

 

KP

Station Name

Built

Builder

Destroyed

Information
and photographs

L x W

0.0

Agua Prieta, Son

1904?
FdeN

standing

style of CS# 23 with plastered walls,
Trainline photo p. 27, photographed July 3, 2006

 

52.5

Fronteras, Son

1904?
FdeN

standing

not a CS style, now a museum (name?),
Trainline photo p. 30 and 39.

 

72.8

Esqueda, Son

1904?
FdeN

standing

CS#?, any photos?

 

123.2

Nacozari, Son

1904?
FdeN

standing

style of CS# 23 with hipped roof
but no bay window and plastered walls,
Trainline photo p. 27 of

 

 

FERROCARRIL TIJUANA & TECATE

This line was begun in 1912, and was completed in 1919.  Construction was severely delayed by the Mexican Revolution during those years.  Service began in 1919.  The line was nationalized on July 1, 1970.2
(Hanft, Robert.  The San Diego & Arizona: The Impossible Railroad)

 

KP

Station Name

Built
Builder

Destroyed

Information
and photographs

L x W

0.10

Tijuana, BC

1910
T&T

fire, 1917

1st, CS#23?, photo p. 214

 

0.10

Tijuana, BC

1917
T&T

standing

2nd, CS#?, photo p. 130

 

4.10

Agua Caliente, BC

none

 

hotel had a flag stop

 

 

Garcia, BC

T&T

 

 

 

 

Valle Redondo

1912
T&T

 

 

 

59.90

Tecate, BC

1919
T&T

standing

photo p. 105;
photo by Steve Bovee

 

 

FERROCARRIL INTER-CALIFORNIA

Construction of this line began in 1905.  It took four years to build because of delays caused by the series of Colorado River floods with created the Salton Sea.  Service began in 1909.  The border crossing east of Algodones was cut in January 1958.  The section from Pascualitos to Algodones was closed in 1959. 
The remaining section from Mexicali to Pascualitos became part of the Ferrocarril de Sonora-Baja California (S-BC), which connected at Pascualitos.3
(Kirchner, John. Baja California Railways)

 

KP

Station Name

Built
Builder

Destroyed

Information
and photographs

L x W

0.47

Mexicali, BC

1905
I-C

flood, 1906

1st, CS# 23? Oakdale-design,

168 x 25

0.47

Mexicali, BC

1906
I-C

standing, *

2nd, CS#?

 

6.89

Packard, BC

1905
I-C

 

CS #22 combo, 2 story passenger
1 story freight

32 x 28
64 x 28

 

Pascualitos

1907?
I-C

 

built by I-C or S-BC?

 

59.46

Paredones, BC

1909?
I-C

 

2 story adobe, photo p. 81

 

83.05

Algodones, BC

1909?
I-C

 

CS #22?, photo p. 81

 

 

SUD-PACIFICO DE MEXICO

The original line from Nogales to Guaymas was completed October 25, 1882 by the Ferrocarril de Sonora (FdeS).  This line was a subsidiary of the Atchisen, Topeka, & Santa Fe (ATSF).  In July 1898, the FdeS was leased to the SP in exchange for the Mojave to Needles line in California.  In December 1911, SP purchased the FdeS from the ATSF.  It was renamed Sud-Pacific de Mexico (SPdeM) and completed the line to Guadalajara in 1927.  Construction was seriously delayed by the Mexican Revolution, and problems building in the mountainous Barrancas area.  This line was nationalized on December 21, 1951.4
(Signor, John, and John Kirchner.  The Southern Pacific of Mexico and the West Coast Route)

 

 

KP

Station Name

Built
Builder

Destroyed

Information
and photographs

L x W

0.0

Nogales, Son

1882
ATSF
or FdeS

razed,
1898

1st, built on border,
shared with the other road

 

0.0

Nogales, Son

1898
FdeS

razed,
1960's

2nd,entirely in Mexico
due to border change
photo p. 63

 

87.0

Magdalena, Son

SPdeM

standing

photo p. 30

 

209

Carbo, Son

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

282

Hermosillo, Son

SPdeM

standing, *

photo p. 31

 

316

Torres, Son

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

371

Ortiz, Son

SPdeM

standing, *

CS#22?, photo p. 27

 

415

Empalme, Son

SPdeM

razed,
late 1960's

on map p. 36; 
photo provided by Charles Jay

 

512

Corral, Son

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

593

Navojoa, Son

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

733

San Blas, Sin

SPdeM

standing, *

photo p. 77

 

802

Bamoa, Sin

SPdeM

standing, *

photo p. 75

 

951

Culiacan, Sin

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

1003

Quila, Sin

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

1071

La Cruz, Sin

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

1172

Mazatlan, Sin

1924?
SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

1320

Acaponeta, Nay

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

1486

Tepic, Nay

SPdeM

standing, *

photo p. 84

 

1602

Ixtlan, Nay

1925
SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

1624

Barrancas, Jal

SPdeM

standing, *

photo p. 89

 

1653

La Quemada, Jal

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

1662

Magdalena, Jal

SPdeM

 

 

 

1688

Tequila, Jal

SPdeM

standing, *

photo p. 95

 

1701

Amatitan, Jal

SPdeM

 

 

 

1762

Guadalajara, Jal

SPdeM

NdeM
standing, *

shared with NdeM
beginning in 1927

 

 

RAMALS DEL SUD-PACIFICO DE MEXICO

Ramal

KP

Station Name

Built
Builder

Destroyed

Information
and photographs

L X W

Alamos

62.30

Alamos, Son

SPdeM

 

 

 

Guaymas

8.40

Guaymas, Son

SPdeM

standing

built of stone

 

Del Rio

124.90

Del Rio, Son

SPdeM

 

 

 

El Dorado

23

El Dorado, Sin

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

Hermosillo

3.80

Union, Son

SPdeM

 

 

 

Naco

0.00

Naco, Son

SPdeM

standing, *

photo p. 27

 

Naco

47.30

Del Rio, Son

SPdeM

 

 

 

Naco

61.50

Cananea, Son

SPdeM

standing, *

 

 

Tonichi

155.50

Tonichi, Son

SPdeM