Passenger Trains > Boardwalk Empire: SC&MB on the Streets

Iowa Pacific's Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay Ry. has two days of revenue service on the books with their new "Train to Christmas Town" excursion runs out of Santa Cruz, CA. Alas, big dome SL&RG 554 has not yet seen revenue service but the five car consist bracketed by the F's still makes for a fine sight.

Yesterday's 1:00 p.m. run is seen trying to impress the tourists as it creeps down Beach Street on the Boardwalk. BTW, temps in the high 60's yesterday with 10 m.p.h. winds and 5' WNW ground swells for the surfers.

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Yes, the SC&MB has operating rights on the wye at Santa Cruz and yesterday's train is seen on the Felton leg taking on water for some of the passenger cars from a city parks source. The 84 has now joined the 82 with a nose logo and fully lettered for the Iowa Pacific.

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Does that other rail line still run in the area?

These are great photos - thanks for sharing them!

How did ridership / load factors look to you?

I wonder why the big-dome didn't make the trip - it would have made a great addition to the train.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/12 07:35 by rrhistorian.

Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific runs during the summer with additional evening trains in the Christmas holiday season. The two roads now share the Boardwalk and wye trackage in Santa Cuz--I believe it is all considered yard limits.

Ridership appeared light on yesterday's 1:00 p.m. run but it was the first train of the day. The big dome is expected to enter service soon but don't know the reason for its delay.

Great photos, Shed. I'll have to check it when I'm in the area at the end of December.

Rich



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/12 08:43 by PasadenaSub.

Awesome pics dude...fur sure!

a/c can be challenging

I would have never imagined seeing F units on Beach Street! It seems many of the pedestrians aren't appreciating that fact in your great series of photos. Thanks for the report!

Any idea how far they run? From the photos, it looks like they run from the Boardwalk and turn at the wye-a distance of only about 1/4 mile. I'd be interested in riding this line but the real scenery is all north of this location.

Both engines look like they have a single note horn up top.

That street running reminds me of the old CA Zephyr "station" at its terminus in Oakland.

jbaker Wrote:
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> That street running reminds me of the old CA
> Zephyr "station" at its terminus in Oakland.


As a kid I remember riding the New York Central through Rochester or Syracuse on double track down a city street. (Senior Moment on that city!!)

stone23 Wrote:
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> jbaker Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> As a kid I remember riding the New York Central
> through Rochester or Syracuse on double track down
> a city street. (Senior Moment on that city!!)

Seems it was not too awful long ago, I believe it was the Cardinal that did some
street running through a town. Lafayette, Indiana?

daylightdon Wrote:
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> Any idea how far they run? From the photos, it
> looks like they run from the Boardwalk and turn at
> the wye-a distance of only about 1/4 mile. I'd be
> interested in riding this line but the real
> scenery is all north of this location.

They run 4 to 5 miles north(west) on the line toward Davenport and return with passengers remaining aboard for the roundtrip. Total trip time about one hour.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/12 13:13 by shed47.

I'm trying to imagine how that equipment was brought down to Santa Cruz? Does it come in off of the UP line at Watsonville, and then head over to Santa Cruz that way? Or is there some other way in?

coaststarlight99 Wrote:
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> I'm trying to imagine how that equipment was
> brought down to Santa Cruz? Does it come in off of
> the UP line at Watsonville, and then head over to
> Santa Cruz that way? Or is there some other way
> in?


http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2920749

Dave

It's been a while since I was in Santa Cruz. I would never have imagined a scene like this.

When I lived in southern California people sometimes referred to Long Beach as "Iowa by the sea." These photos give a new meaning to the phrase!

Hmmm. Very nice. With that Illinois Central inspired paint scheme, I was thinking I was looking at an E unit. <G>

GREAT pictures!, especially the one with the beach in the background......Santa Cruz is heading toward
a destination on my bucket list. Also GREAt to see the former Spirit of Washington dinner train
locomotives back in action. Arlen