Western Railroad Discussion > Old SP Morro Bay Prison Line

I have been traveling from San Luis to Morro bay and I noticed that the old SP Line that went to the Men's Colony Prison is no longer there.I believe this used to serve the old Army base but now is completely gone. My question is when were these tracks torn up? And where did they connect to the SP mainline? Is there still any tracks that go to the California National Guard camp that is still there? How far did the tracks go past where you can see the roadbed near the Highway? Anyone who can fill me in on this spur line would be appreciated. Charles

There has been some discussion several years ago about the spur to the 'Men's Colony'.
But this is all I could come up with on a search for "San Luis Obispo Men's Colony".

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1069897,1070280#msg-1070280

Jim Baker, Whittier, CA

The tracks that you used to see along Highway 1 at the California Mens Colony originally joined the SP near the Horseshoe Curve at the Goldtree Wye. The purpose was to serve the Army at Camp San Luis Obispo. The connection to the SP was torn up many years ago. The track near the highway was removed a couple of years ago and donated to the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum. For more informaton about the Museum go to www.slorrm.com

Bill Pyper in slo

The line went to Camp San Luis Obispo (on the south side of Hwy 1; the Men's Colony is on the north side), and connected to the SP main with a wye at Goldtree. I think the track was still in place, but disconnected from the main, in the mid 70's.

Find Horseshoe Curve on Google Maps. Follow the line east until it passes the water filtration plant just west of Stenner Creek. (Theres a blue circular pond at the plant.) The scar of the Goldtree wye is visible just west of the blue pond. You'll notice that it doesn't align with the remaining track; it aligns instead with the siding at Goldtree. The siding wasn't of much use after the spur was abandoned, as it wasn't very long.

Here's what was left of Goldtree in 1977, looking west. I guess the siding was long enough to hold a Starlight, as 11 (the far train) seems to be past Chorro, the next siding to the (railroad) west. The switchstand from the west (I think) leg of the wye is visible.

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Incidentally, a web search for Goldtree California turns up this howler of a web page: http://www.roadsidethoughts.com/03/c03_1262400.htm. Bed and Breakfast in Goldtree? Yeah, right. Unless they mean the Men's Colony. Hunting? You hunt the cows, and the ranchers will come hunting you.

Goldtree siding had to be the smallest CTC siding on the SP, only 1700 feet plus long, long enough for helpers, Amtrak, MOW trains or small peddlers to meet. It was pulled up by the mid eighties

I recall the Wye being removed about 1989.

The siding was off the ETT, but the Y and name remained in 1984 and Y and Goldtree name was off the ETT in 1985

Thanks for all of the great information. I looked it up on the Google Map and sure enough you can see the wye and the roadbed. I was wondering on the south side of the freeway, how far did the tracks go into the army base there? was there a small yard? How long has it been since the Army moved freight out of the base? Thanks again for all of your help. You guys are great! Charles

When I was working at Salinas in the early 70's I seem to remember the tail of the wye was a handy place to hide foreign cars in the SLO yard from inspection specials (it looped behind a hill and was not visible from the mainline). There was always a balancing act betweeen holding on to enough foreign cars for loading, and incurring excessive per diem expense. And of course our opinion of what was needed did not always concur with the bosses judgement (he was paying the bills). Games we played. Now days you just check the computer printout.

JBW

The tracks went all the way to the far side of the Army base to serve the warehouses there. There are still several rail cars on the base which are used by the California Office of Emergency Services for Haz-Mat training out behind Cuesta College.

unless things have changed in the last few weeks, there are still rails in place from just south of the prison access road southward for a few hundred feet. They are then removed down to where the "interim" stock loading platforms are rusting away. Abandoned from there south long ago - ROW went under Freeway alongside the road (original hyw 1) from the base to the prison. I was there in 1956 and rails still went to the warehouses. If you go to the warehouses now, it's still obvious to a railfan where the tracks ran between the warehouses for loading purposes.