Colton Crossing

Colton Crossing is a railway crossing situated in Colton, California, directly south of Interstate 10. First built in 1883, it was the site of one of the most intense frog wars in railroad construction history, leading to a personal confrontation between famed lawman Virgil Earp and California Governor Robert Waterman. The crossing was the intersection of the tracks for the former ATSF and former Southern Pacific (SP) railroads. Southern Pacific is now Union Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway is now BNSF. Union Pacific track runs east-west at the crossing while the BNSF tracks operate north-south. Metrolink trains and Amtrak's Southwest Chief also used the BNSF track through the crossing while Amtrak's Sunset Limited used the UP tracks. The Union Pacific track comes from the east through the Coachella Valley and into the yard in West Colton. The BNSF track from the south continues through the yard in San Bernardino and north to Cajon Pass.

Construction of the California Southern Railroad, a subsidiary of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (now BNSF Railway), was repeatedly interrupted by Santa Fe's rival, Southern Pacific Railroad (SP). In one instance, California Southern was set to build a level junction across SP tracks in Colton. California Southern engineer Fred T. Perris ordered the crossing built and acquired the track section for the railroad. When the track was delivered to National City in July 1883, SP officials hired the sheriff there to seize the track section and prevent its installation. The sheriff kept the track under 24-hour guard, but Perris's men were able to retake the track while the sheriff napped, loaded the track on a flatcar and started northward with it toward Colton, where it was to be installed.

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