Colton Crossing

The Colton Crossing is an "at grade" Railway Crossing situated in Colton, California, directly south of the Interstate 10 freeway. 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 is the intersection of the tracks of the BNSF and Union Pacific (UP) railroads. Union Pacific track runs east-west at the crossing while the BNSF track runs north-south. The Metrolink trains and Amtrak's Southwest Chief also use the BNSF track through the crossing while Amtrak's Sunset Limited uses 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 up Cajon Pass.