Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway
Encyclopedia
The Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway is a freight and heritage railroad
in Northern California
.
It uses diesel locomotives to haul excursion train
s over an 8 miles (12.9 km) route between Olympia, California and an interchange with the Union Pacific Railroad
(formerly the Southern Pacific Railroad
) at the Santa Cruz Wye, though the line is now owned by Sierra Northern Railway
. From there, trains continue on to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
on the SERA Watsonville-Davenport branchline. The SCBT&P is one of very few railroads in North America with extensive operating trackage down the middle of city streets
.
and Felton
in 1875 to send lumber down from the Santa Cruz mountains to Monterey Bay
. The South Pacific Coast narrow-gauge network absorbed the Santa Cruz & Felton, utilizing its Felton Junction to Santa Cruz trackage as their mainline. The Southern Pacific purchased the South Pacific Coast and standard-gauged
it over the course of more than a decade, after the project was stalled by the great 1906 Earthquake
. Washouts closed the majority of the line in 1940, and the Santa Cruz-Olympia section remained in operation to serve the timber and sand industries. In 1981, further washouts brought closure of the line from Eblis to Olympia, until the line was purchased by Norman Clark, operator of the narrow gauge Roaring Camp & Big Trees tourist railroad
and adjacent 1880s-themed park in Felton. The name "Roaring Camp" is historical too, coming from the moniker that Mexican authorities gave to what was then, in the 1830s, the wild settlement of mountain man Isaac Graham
. The first train from Felton to Rincon
ran in 1985 (the year after Clark's death from pneumonia that he acquired in his work to reopen this line) and the entire line to Santa Cruz was once again reopened to traffic some time later. As of 2006, Clark's widow Georgiana continues to serve as the railway's Vice President of Operations.
Trains originate at the Roaring Camp depot in Felton, but the original South Pacific Coast depot at New Felton (built in 1880) still stands and serves as administrative offices for the company. The freight shed, constructed from boards salvaged from the Boulder Creek to Felton log flume, is still used by the SCBT&P as a workshop. The original Santa Cruz & Felton never crossed the San Lorenzo River and continued through the middle of the town of Felton.
Roaring Camp and its two railroads host numerous events throughout the year, and is also home to a Chuckwagon Bar-B-Q and events facilities.
locomotives as its current motive power. These former F7 units were rebuilt by the Santa Fe at their Cleburne, Texas
shops to their current, more practical arrangement following the end of passenger service. Both still carry their original ATSF numbers. A third locomotive, a Whitcomb 45-ton diesel switcher which was in service until 1996, is currently out of service.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
.
It uses diesel locomotives to haul excursion train
Excursion train
An excursion train is a chartered train run for a special event or purpose.Examples of excursion trains:* A train to a major sporting event* A train run for railfans or tourism...
s over an 8 miles (12.9 km) route between Olympia, California and an interchange with the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
(formerly the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
) at the Santa Cruz Wye, though the line is now owned by Sierra Northern Railway
Sierra Northern Railway
The Sierra Northern Railway originates from the Sacramento Northern Railway, the Northern Electric Railway, the Sierra Railroad, Western Pacific Railroad, and Yolo Shortline Railroad. It handles all freight operations and track maintenance for its parent company, the Sierra Railroad Company...
. From there, trains continue on to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California. Founded in 1907, it is California's oldest surviving amusement park and one of the few seaside parks on the West Coast of the United States.- Overview :...
on the SERA Watsonville-Davenport branchline. The SCBT&P is one of very few railroads in North America with extensive operating trackage down the middle of city streets
Street running
On-street running or street running is when a railroad track or tramway track runs directly along city streets, without any separation. The rails are embedded in the road....
.
History
The railway began life as the narrow-gauge Santa Cruz and Felton Railroad, built between its namesake cities of Santa CruzSanta Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
and Felton
Felton, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Felton had a population of 4,057. The population density was 891.2 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Felton was 3,691 White, 25 African American, 29 Native American, 69 Asian, 11 Pacific Islander, 60 from other races, and 172 from...
in 1875 to send lumber down from the Santa Cruz mountains to Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
. The South Pacific Coast narrow-gauge network absorbed the Santa Cruz & Felton, utilizing its Felton Junction to Santa Cruz trackage as their mainline. The Southern Pacific purchased the South Pacific Coast and standard-gauged
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
it over the course of more than a decade, after the project was stalled by the great 1906 Earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
. Washouts closed the majority of the line in 1940, and the Santa Cruz-Olympia section remained in operation to serve the timber and sand industries. In 1981, further washouts brought closure of the line from Eblis to Olympia, until the line was purchased by Norman Clark, operator of the narrow gauge Roaring Camp & Big Trees tourist railroad
Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad is a narrow gauge tourist railroad in California that starts from the Roaring Camp depot in Felton, California and runs up steep grades to the top of nearby Bear Mountain, a distance of 3.25 miles The travel is through a redwood forest.The steam engines date...
and adjacent 1880s-themed park in Felton. The name "Roaring Camp" is historical too, coming from the moniker that Mexican authorities gave to what was then, in the 1830s, the wild settlement of mountain man Isaac Graham
Isaac Graham
Isaac Graham was a fur trader and mountain man. In 1830, he joined a hunting and trapping party at Fort Smith, Arkansas that included George Nidever. Graham attended the rendezvous of 1832 and took part in the battle of Pierre's Hole. From there, Graham joined Joseph R. Walker's party headed for...
. The first train from Felton to Rincon
Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo
Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Cruz County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena, and confirmed in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico, to Pedro Sainsevain. The name means "valley on a corner on the San Lorenzo River"...
ran in 1985 (the year after Clark's death from pneumonia that he acquired in his work to reopen this line) and the entire line to Santa Cruz was once again reopened to traffic some time later. As of 2006, Clark's widow Georgiana continues to serve as the railway's Vice President of Operations.
Trains originate at the Roaring Camp depot in Felton, but the original South Pacific Coast depot at New Felton (built in 1880) still stands and serves as administrative offices for the company. The freight shed, constructed from boards salvaged from the Boulder Creek to Felton log flume, is still used by the SCBT&P as a workshop. The original Santa Cruz & Felton never crossed the San Lorenzo River and continued through the middle of the town of Felton.
Roaring Camp and its two railroads host numerous events throughout the year, and is also home to a Chuckwagon Bar-B-Q and events facilities.
Locomotives
The SCBT&P utilizes two former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe CF7CF7
A CF7 is an EMD F-unit railroad locomotive that has had its streamlined carbody removed and replaced with a custom-made, "general purpose" body in order to adapt the unit for road switching duty. All of the conversions were performed by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway in their Cleburne,...
locomotives as its current motive power. These former F7 units were rebuilt by the Santa Fe at their Cleburne, Texas
Cleburne, Texas
Cleburne is a city in Johnson County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Fort Worth. According to 2007 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population is 29,050. It is the county seat of Johnson County. Cleburne is named for a Confederate General, Patrick Cleburne...
shops to their current, more practical arrangement following the end of passenger service. Both still carry their original ATSF numbers. A third locomotive, a Whitcomb 45-ton diesel switcher which was in service until 1996, is currently out of service.
See also
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow-Gauge Railroad