Nostalgia & History > A Little Ojai Branch

Moving private cars off the Ojai Branch. PX320 can fill in the details of the cars,of which the baggage became his Pony Express.

---

---

---

I'm more curious about the last car with Lionel on it.

BNModeler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm more curious about the last car with Lionel on
> it.


IIRC it's an early Autotrain bilevel autorack

The San Marino (ex-SP Del Monte), Pony Express and the Lionel car (ex-Auto Train Car Carrier/Caboose) were owned by Mark Dees. When my then Partner Jim Clark and I first met Mark we were operating the Newhall Ranch Movie Train at Castaic Jct. Mark had the cars spotted on a spur in Moorpark. When the shipper stopped moving cars in and out Mark moved the cars to a Refinery at the end of the shortened Ojai Branch. This would have been 1989 or 90. When the Refinery shut down Mark had to move the cars again. This time they moved to our new operation at Fillmore.

I purchased the Pony from the Dees estate after Mark was killed in a car crash on Hwy 126 near Camulos.

The San Marino was purchased by a gentleman in Birmingham. It now lives in New Orleans under another owner.

The Lionel car is still in Fillmore. It was equipped with Express Reefer trucks and D-22 brakes for Auto Train service.

I have pics of the three car at the refinery, but haven't scanned them.

Stan Garner

Mr Dees was an interesting guy…some how he found out that I owned a 1941 Cadillac 4 door convertable…a fairly rare car . He called and asked if he could come up and take a look at it.
After his visit he invited me and a friend to ride his San Marino on a return trip from San Diego to Los Angeles. Enjoyed talking to him as he was a train and car guy…
I believe he plublished a history of Offenhauser racing engines.

Chris

Yeah, whatever about the cars... The Ojai Branch!? Cool! When was this?

BoilingMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yeah, whatever about the cars... The Ojai
> Branch!? Cool! When was this?


I think around 1990. The dates are faded off the back of the prints

Mark's book is called the Miller Dynasty. A rare catch if you can find one.

I saw Ojai Branch and was reminded of the fan trip that went all the way to Ojai back in 1968. It was sponsored by what was then Orange Empire Trolley Museum and was powered by an ABA set of SP F-units. It was only a year or so later that most of the branch was abandoned after washout north of the oil refinery.

DNRY122 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I saw Ojai Branch and was reminded of the fan trip
> that went all the way to Ojai back in 1968. It
> was sponsored by what was then Orange Empire
> Trolley Museum and was powered by an ABA set of SP
> F-units. It was only a year or so later that most
> of the branch was abandoned after washout north of
> the oil refinery.

I'd love to see photos of THAT!
I grew up in Santa Barbara. Our High School used to play Villanova Prep in Ojai, so several times a year we'd go up there. I think the track ended just short of town in those days (later 60's). I never saw a train on the branch much beyond Ventura.
10-12 years later we got involved in motor cars.. Dale- wouldn't the Ojai Branch have been a great run?!! (although we'd have had a time of it with your M-9 or my M-19 on the grade near Casitas Springs- that had to be a belt burner!)
SR

BoilingMan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> 10-12 years later we got involved in motor cars..
> Dale- wouldn't the Ojai Branch have been a great
> run?!! (although we'd have had a time of it with
> your M-9 or my M-19 on the grade near Casitas
> Springs- that had to be a belt burner!)
> SR


SR-thought about doing it, but I focused on the Lone Pine Branch. Did a solo run from Little Lake to Lone Pine. Gave the Agent/caretaker a ride around the wye. That was a long run on a newly rebuilt car. The tracks still crossed the highway at that time.

I was along on one of those- but we couldn't get beyond that talc plant (missing rail?). Those highway crossings were a rush- my kingdom for a shunt!

For those folks not from California, Ojai is pronounced Oh-Hi. Imagine my surprise back in the early 1970s when I realized Cajon Pass wasn't pronounced "Cajun" Pass. :-)

Thanks for the look at the Ojai Branch...relegated to bike-path duty now.

CrudPunko Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For those folks not from California, Ojai is
> pronounced Oh-Hi. Imagine my surprise back in the
> early 1970s when I realized Cajon Pass wasn't
> pronounced "Cajun" Pass. :-)


Same as Lompoc, Ken. It is not pronounced as it appears, it is pronounced Lom-Poke.


V

SLOCONDR


Posted from my Droid

SLOCONDR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CrudPunko Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > For those folks not from California, Ojai is
> > pronounced Oh-Hi. Imagine my surprise back in
> the
> > early 1970s when I realized Cajon Pass wasn't
> > pronounced "Cajun" Pass. :-)
>
>
> Same as Lompoc, Ken. It is not pronounced as it
> appears, it is pronounced Lom-Poke.
>
>
> V
>
> SLOCONDR
>
>
> Posted from my Droid


Always thought it was Lom-Pox

px320 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mark's book is called the Miller Dynasty. A rare
> catch if you can find one.


Yup, found it on Amazon 200+

SLOCONDR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CrudPunko Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > For those folks not from California, Ojai is
> > pronounced Oh-Hi. Imagine my surprise back in
> the
> > early 1970s when I realized Cajon Pass wasn't
> > pronounced "Cajun" Pass. :-)
>
>
> Same as Lompoc, Ken. It is not pronounced as it
> appears, it is pronounced Lom-Poke.
>
> V
>
> SLOCONDR

As a native southern Californian and WC Fields fan, I always pronounce it "Lom-poc" : )
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/458735/Bank-Dick-The-Movie-Clip-New-Old-Lompoc-House.html

Geodyssey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SLOCONDR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > CrudPunko Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > For those folks not from California, Ojai is
> > > pronounced Oh-Hi. Imagine my surprise back in
> > the
> > > early 1970s when I realized Cajon Pass wasn't
> > > pronounced "Cajun" Pass. :-)
> >
> >
> > Same as Lompoc, Ken. It is not pronounced as it
> > appears, it is pronounced Lom-Poke.
> >
> > V
> >
> > SLOCONDR
>
> As a native southern Californian and WC Fields
> fan, I always pronounce it "Lom-poc" : )
> http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/458735/Bank-Dic
> k-The-Movie-Clip-New-Old-Lompoc-House.html


Like I told Wes (WAF), you may call it whatever you like, it's pronunciation is still Lom-Poke. :)

Godfrey Daniel! The splendid conurbation of Lompoc, made famous by W. C. Fields in "The Bank Dick".