Nostalgia & History > When I was a Barbarian #7

Two separate and unrelated SB subjects today:
It's long gone (quit in 1929) but at one time SB had a street car system, the Santa Barbara & Suburban Railway. The main trunk line was, as you'd expect, up State St to the Old Mission, and later extended a bit beyond to the Normal School on the Riviera. There were also branch lines: along West (car barn) & East beaches, out Haley St (to the later car barn), and out to Oak Park near the hospital.
Okay.
Every now and then street repaving would reveal the abandoned track. I think the rail was pulled before they repaved, so it's all truly gone now.

Photo 1. Rail in front of the SB Mission in 1975.

Photos 2&3. Rail on Haley street in 1979.

Changing subjects, and locals- The Santa Paula Branch.
The Santa Paula Branch was actually the original LA to Santa Barbara main line in 1887. (Todays "Montalvo Cutoff" came in 1904) I don't know how often trains were out on the Santa Paula, but I happened onto this one in May of '75 crossing the Santa Clara River in it's way to Saugus. The line was finally severed in 1978 when a flood took out this same bridge. It was never rebuilt and the line was cut back, piece by piece. The Fillmore & Western operates on what's left.

Photos 4&5. An EB local crossing the Santa Clara.

Photo 6. Well, THAT'LL never happen again!

SR Bush
Dutch Flat



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/14 21:19 by BoilingMan.

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Wow, this is really rare stuff. Keep it coming!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/14 19:08 by spsniper.

Cool stuff, never knew Santa Barbara had a streetcar system. Did know that the original LA coast line went north through Fillmore before they built the line through Simi Valley - learned that little tidbit at the nice depot museum.

Nathan

Thanks for the fascinating info and photos.
I like the [photos of the local.
I, too, never knew S.B. had a streetcar system.
Too bad things like that are gone.

Looking forward to your next installment! :)

If you know where to look, there are still a few signs of the system to see- some obvious, some quite subtle. I'm going to be home for Christmas next week (an annual family event), perhaps I'll hang back and necrophoam the SB&SR for a day...
SR

I remember back around 1985 the City of SB removed all of the asphalt on Bath Street and there were street car tracks still in place. They still are but were recovered again. They even had turnouts and passing tracks too. I took a lot of pictures but I do not know where they are at this time. They could resurrect that line to Oak Park if they wanted too. Would not be that difficult.

Very cool!
I used to have a map of the system, but haven't seen it in years, but fairly sure of most of it. I think the Bath St line jogged back to State on Sola St?
Like I said, I'm going to be in SB next week and I'll spend a day on this and put something together I can post.
SR.

Necrophoaming the SB&SR
Coming soon!