Nostalgia & History > Tooling around SP's former Santa Paula Branch

In continuation with last week's amazing photo spread of SP's former Santa Paula Branch on the east end, I made my way out to some tough to reach spots to see what the former roadbed looked like.

1 & 2) Santa Clarita has an extensive network of bike paths. This one runs along the San Fancisquito Creek to the Santa Clara River where SP's old bridge still stands. Interestingly, the city is in the process of removing non-native tamarisk trees in the riverbed. These same trees were planted along SP's Sunset Route line to combat wind and blowing sand.

3) Heading further west, the line ducks under I-5 and The Old Road. Bike path ends here.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/14 03:12 by Fizzboy7.

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4) There was some grading taking place underneath The Old Road bridge.

5) Now looking back east.

6) Heading west again, the old right of way is still easy to spot.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/14 03:22 by Fizzboy7.

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7) To the west of the right of away is a water reclamation plant. I'm guessing it was there during the SP days. Note the ever-expanding Magic Mountain in the background.

8 & 9) Looking north, the right of way parallels The Old Road before curving west again along the 126. It was time for me to turn back here, as a sheriff was eyeing me from The Old Road.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/14 03:31 by Fizzboy7.

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10 & 11) Thinking back at the history of the area and significance the original SP Coast Line played, I couldn't help feel a bit moved. Today this spot is used as recreation and even some agriculture. There's little wonder those picking out pumpkins have any idea they are stepping over soil that once supported cab forwards and black widows.

Thanks for looking.

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Great series, Jason.

Kind of surprised that Metrolink never stepped in and reclaimed the ROW (although along Magic Mountain Parkway that would be extremely difficult.

erielackawanna Wrote:
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> Great series, Jason.
>
> Kind of surprised that Metrolink never stepped in
> and reclaimed the ROW (although along Magic
> Mountain Parkway that would be extremely
> difficult.

Reclaimed? You mean Metrolink owned the ROW before?

tacobell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> erielackawanna Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great series, Jason.
> >
> > Kind of surprised that Metrolink never stepped
> in
> > and reclaimed the ROW (although along Magic
> > Mountain Parkway that would be extremely
> > difficult.
>
> Reclaimed? You mean Metrolink owned the ROW
> before?



Reclaimed as in reclaimed as railroad ROW.

Was last used by Southern Pacific until the washout just west of Saugus.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/14 07:59 by erielackawanna.

The SP right of way easement (or at least large parts of it) reverted to the Newhall Land Co. when the line was abandoned.

There was, at one time, political support for a branch of Metrolink from Saugus to somewhere north of Magic Mountain as a commuter line heading to Los Angeles.

However when promoters tried to link that with the Ventura Co. part of the line as a route for port traffic (there was no good reason to do that, the Coast line is a much better connection) or rock traffic (lots of construction rock is trucked on parallel Hwy 126) the "neighborhoods" balked at freight trains on their new railroad. So it sits in retirement as you see.

Fizzboy7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 10 & 11) Thinking back at the history of the area
> and significance the original SP Coast Line
> played, I couldn't help feel a bit moved. Today
> this spot is used as recreation and even some
> agriculture. There's little wonder those picking
> out pumpkins have any idea they are stepping over
> soil that once supported cab forwards and black
> widows.


I grew up in Canyon Country. In the 70's it was full of promise and excitement for a kid. Lot's of places to hike, frog ponds to play in, old mines and railroad tunnels to explore, hilltop camp-outs within walking distance of the house, vast open fields to run around or ride you bike in. In the summer I would ride my bike down to Saugus a couple days a week and watch the Saugus switcher work, got a few rides.

These days I live just thirty miles away. Occasionally I start feeling nostalgic and I'll take a drive over there to check out the old stomping grounds. I'm always disappointed and saddened. Unbridled (and seemingly un-thought out) urban sprawl has obliterated everything good about the place. It's as if they scooped up the place I lived in, tossed it in the dumpster and dropped another town in it's place! The village in my heart lives no more.

As they say, It's all crap now.

crackerjackhoghead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fizzboy7 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 10 & 11) Thinking back at the history of the
> area
> > and significance the original SP Coast Line
> > played, I couldn't help feel a bit moved.
> Today
> > this spot is used as recreation and even some
> > agriculture. There's little wonder those
> picking
> > out pumpkins have any idea they are stepping
> over
> > soil that once supported cab forwards and black
> > widows.
>
>
> I grew up in Canyon Country. In the 70's it was
> full of promise and excitement for a kid. Lot's of
> places to hike, frog ponds to play in, old mines
> and railroad tunnels to explore, hilltop camp-outs
> within walking distance of the house, vast open
> fields to run around or ride you bike in. In the
> summer I would ride my bike down to Saugus a
> couple days a week and watch the Saugus switcher
> work, got a few rides.
>
> These days I live just thirty miles away.
> Occasionally I start feeling nostalgic and I'll
> take a drive over there to check out the old
> stomping grounds. I'm always disappointed and
> saddened. Unbridled (and seemingly un-thought out)
> urban sprawl has obliterated everything good about
> the place. It's as if they scooped up the place I
> lived in, tossed it in the dumpster and dropped
> another town in it's place! The village in my
> heart lives no more.
>
> As they say, It's all crap now.

I can see your point of view for someone who lived there in the early days. However, for those making a life there today or raising a family, Santa Clarita is tops and award-winning. My family recently relocated there after 70 years of San Fernando Valley living, and the differences are exponential. Quality of life is 100 times better, safer, cleaner, things are far better planned out, city services are fantastic, there is a huge sense of community, and the opportunities for a healthy lifestyle (biking, jogging, hiking, etc) are greater thanks to the vast paseo and bike path network. I can't say enough nice things about today's Santa Clarita.

Fizzboy7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Fizzboy7 Wrote:

> I can see your point of view for someone who lived
> there in the early days. However, for those
> making a life there today or raising a family,
> Santa Clarita is tops and award-winning. My
> family recently relocated there after 70 years of
> San Fernando Valley living, and the differences
> are exponential. Quality of life is 100 times
> better, safer, cleaner, things are far better
> planned out, city services are fantastic, there is
> a huge sense of community, and the opportunities
> for a healthy lifestyle (biking, jogging, hiking,
> etc) are greater thanks to the vast paseo and bike
> path network. I can't say enough nice things
> about today's Santa Clarita.

Now imagine, while you're enjoying life so much there, that I come in and remove everything that makes life in Santa Clarita so good for you, and replace it with a bunch of crap that you deem useless. I don't know how old you are but, if you stay there long enough, it will happen. It happened to the people of San Fernando who moved out to the country to get away from the city.

crackerjackhoghead Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fizzboy7 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > Fizzboy7 Wrote:
>
> > I can see your point of view for someone who
> lived
> > there in the early days. However, for those
> > making a life there today or raising a family,
> > Santa Clarita is tops and award-winning. My
> > family recently relocated there after 70 years
> of
> > San Fernando Valley living, and the differences
> > are exponential. Quality of life is 100 times
> > better, safer, cleaner, things are far better
> > planned out, city services are fantastic, there
> is
> > a huge sense of community, and the
> opportunities
> > for a healthy lifestyle (biking, jogging,
> hiking,
> > etc) are greater thanks to the vast paseo and
> bike
> > path network. I can't say enough nice things
> > about today's Santa Clarita.
>
> Now imagine, while you're enjoying life so much
> there, that I come in and remove everything that
> makes life in Santa Clarita so good for you, and
> replace it with a bunch of crap that you deem
> useless. I don't know how old you are but, if you
> stay there long enough, it will happen. It
> happened to the people of San Fernando who moved
> out to the country to get away from the city.

All true. That's the evolution of any city I suppose over time. One can seek out what suites he/she best as these changes take place.

Wow, all this talk about Santa Clarita. I bought a house out here in 2000 in one of those places you probably use to play at. My house sits atop a former pig farm off the 14 Freeway and Via Princessa.

Santa Clarita is now the third largest city in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles is #1, Long Beach #2, and Santa Clarita #3. While we have auto induced sprawl like other areas, our communities are a bit more livable. We have bicycle trails throughout the city for getting around. We have an open spaces property tax that the city uses to purchase land around the outskirts to ensure that development is maintained within the boundary. We also have a center divider tax that is used for landscaping the center medians around town. While I hate taxes as much as everyone, it does beautify the city and keeps our property values up.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com