Nostalgia & History > More SP Suntan Santa Cruz CA

# 1 Arriving Station Casino -Board walk.
# 2 2785 with Suntan in SC yard.
# 3 Loading up at Casino returning to SF.
FM Photos circa 1948

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Great stuff here...I'm another one who rode this train a few times.....and here it looks like I can see my Mom and my Aunt, but not me or my Dad. I loved those trips, but, sadly, was way too young to go girl hunting, like some of the "older" members here have reported. My special amusement while in Santa Cruz was to visit the wonderful model train layout in the Casino...I think it was called. For a quarter, or maybe a dime, one could step up to the transformer and run a train. It was a huge layout and could accomodate a number of customers at one time. On the train, I always headed for the observation car, or the "other" end, the first car, to watch the tender bounce around. I learned that trick from my Dad on the commuter trains. AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

What an interesting series! Thanks for doing the work to post it.

Marty Bernard

Thank you Frank!

As a small child playing in the sand, splashing in the waves, or just soaking the sunshine (fog?) it was always amusing to watch the Suntan unload great masses of over dressed and rather pale passengers from "Frisco" as my hometown was known in those days. I never got the chance to ride this iconic SP train. Did get a chance to ride a chartered special once over the route. Was my first time on an observation car platform. Thanks for posting this great series.

In that second photo, about the third car from the rear, it appears that the car is painted white for some special purpose, as SP did from time-to-time. War Bond, that kind of stuff.

Any idea of what it was, in this case?

-E.O.

hogheaded asked "one of the cars was painted white"

Yes, to buy War bonds or to give blood or
something to that effect.
FM

fmaffei Wrote:
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> hogheaded asked "one of the cars was painted
> white"
>
> Yes, to buy War bonds or to give blood or
> something to that effect.
> FM

I found the answer on page 151 of the SPH&TS's coach book: rolling Army and Marine recruiting posters.

In my coffee-induced morning mania, I forgot that I'm back on the mainland and have my reference library downstairs.

Regards,
E.O.