Re: 4-4-0&2-6-0 (s.g.) Baja Calif-Me

James:
Thanks for your interest. let's start logically.
What we definitly know...
1. They were both lost close by (in time and distance) but not together (in time and distance).
2. They were lost in an unstable marshy environment prone to frequent flooding in a watery alluvian plane.
3. A few months after they were lost, that area began to dry-out and is now a hot sandy desert.
4. Their location must be just west of the Colorado River, not far south of the present RR line.
5. The area is now poor, isolated, and largely un-inhabited.
6. The first question is exactly-- where exactly are they? And so the secondary and primary research begins.
Secondary Research:
A. Level A. That can be roughly determined from SP maps now at the California RR Museum in Sacramento. I have a list of their charts and they have it! (Still waiting for a price to reproduce it and send it to me.)
B. Level B. Acquire US (other's) aerial sensory photographs of the area (drug trafficers in Mexico may use this area so there are aerial survailence charts for this region). Some research at engineering universities and DOD-DIA may turn these up and can be purchased.
Primary Research:
C. Once the above is done. Assemble a small "survey party" and, with GPS devices, and mineral detection devices (what was once called mine detectors and gold prospecting detectors), sweep the area. When we get a strong reading then
7. Dig down and see what you hit.....
more later on the next stages if anyone is still interested.
regards
pat in phoenix