Western Railroad Discussion > Likely last Santa Cruz (CA) Local Photos

Photo One: Sierra 48 was in Watsonville Junction, CA. But the ex-ATSF GP20 sat out this run.

Photo Two: The Santa Cruz Local: UP Geeps head north light on Walker Street in Watsonville, CA on December 28, 2009.

Photo Three: The Santa Cruz Local, after stopping for breakfast in Aptos, heading north over the long trestle in Capitola.

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Photo Four: The local passes the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on its northbound journey.

Photo Five: After picking up cars and going around the wye the train now heads south back towards home.

Photo Six: At MP 6.87 is the San Andreas Crossing where the UP line actually crosses Spring Valley Road. It was raining pretty good at this point.

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Photo Seven: Finally back in Watsonville. The local does its last street running on Walker Street at 3:05 p.m. The journey for UP's last Santa Cruz Local and the story of big time railroads running to Santa Cruz is likely drawing to a close.

Hope you like these photos.

~Steve Sloan
San Jose, CA

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That shot at Capitola is simply gorgeous! Great catch for the last class one run through there.

Jamie

Very nice series. Thanks for posting!

Steve,

While all are very good, the general lighting, the sky, and the emptiness on Walker Street (in your first shot of the local), conveys the deeper meaning of loss, moreso than any other. It so reminds me of the last day of through operations on BNSF's Harbor Sub, with the weather playing a part that day too.

You immersed yourself in the moment, and it shows vividly.

Excellent in every sense of the word.

Thanks for sharing history with us,

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

Great images, Steve. I chased that local often for eleven years (1983-1994) and I alwasy enjoyed it. - Tony J.

UP 2586 was once DRGW 3169, that (I think) was the only ex-CR GP40 that went to the Rio Grande still in Penn Central black.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=354487

ssloansjca Wrote:
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> Photo Seven: Finally back in Watsonville. The
> local does its last street running on Walker
> Street at 3:05 p.m. The journey for UP's last
> Santa Cruz Local and the story of big time
> railroads running to Santa Cruz is likely drawing
> to a close.
>
> Hope you like these photos.
>
> ~Steve Sloan
> San Jose, CA

Yes I do like them. Thanks for the great report!

Great series of photos.

Not being familiar with this line myself, will it now be run by a shortline operation, or go away completely?

PC/CR 3169 to DRGW 3169 (temporary number) repainted to DRGW 3153:2 to UP 2586. Planned to UP 1086 obviously not yet done.

soundman Wrote:
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> Great series of photos.
>
> Not being familiar with this line myself, will it
> now be run by a shortline operation, or go away
> completely?


See yesterday's thread!
Peter Arnold
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2087771

Excellent shots Steve! I should've been out there yesterday, I've been in Aptos all week. Hopefully I'll get to see the 48 run it for the first time.

Don't quite understand all the nostalgia over missing UP yellow GP-38's and
GP-40's run incredibly overpowered trains out on the Cruz.
Scarlet and grime SD-9's and GP-9's...now you're talking. But the UP...
Puuulllllleeeeeze. Admittedly, 48 could use a better paint job, but
as I'm pretty excited about getting to photograph and listen to a classic
567 in a classic rounded carbody c 1962.

Very nice work Steve, definitely a keeper set. Hopefully we won't have a set of
SERA last run shots for a while.

ssloansjca sums up:
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> ...The local does its last street running on
> Walker Street at 3:05 p.m. The journey for UP's
> last Santa Cruz Local and the story of big time
> railroads running to Santa Cruz is likely
> drawing to a close.
>
> Hope you like these photos.

Nice pics. Reminds me of my only time at the amusement park on the Boardwalk, when a buddy tossed his cookies on the mouse ride. Bet UP is DELIGHTED to get out of direct service to the branch. For those who lament the change in service and want to blame the big, bad gorilla from Omaha, think of this as the "late, great SP" saying sayonara to Santa Cruz.

My first big train scare not believing that a train would run down a street in Santa Cruz 1970. My GF at the time and friends got the biggest kick out how far I jumped out of the way and the train was still many car lengths away. Thanks for the memory it's been 36 years since I have been any where close to those tracks and the boardwalk.

I am really glad so many folks liked the photos. Thank you for the comments. They are appreciated.

~Steve Sloan

pdt Wrote:
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> Don't quite understand all the nostalgia over
> missing UP yellow GP-38's and
> GP-40's run incredibly overpowered trains out on
> the Cruz.
> Scarlet and grime SD-9's and GP-9's...now you're
> talking. But the UP...
> Puuulllllleeeeeze. Admittedly, 48 could use a
> better paint job, but
> as I'm pretty excited about getting to photograph
> and listen to a classic
> 567 in a classic rounded carbody c 1962.

UP yellow leaving us? Those are pretty much my thoughts exactly. I remember as a little kid in the 1950s on the crowded street being permanently imprinted with two big GP9s in black widow paint.

Best wished to the Sierra RR!

Stan Praisewater