Western Railroad Discussion > It's Official: UP to Return to Santa Cruz

Sierra Northern's threat to not renew their lease to operate the Watsonville Jct., CA to Davenport line was not an idle one and UP will assume operations upon completing an inspection, possibly as soon as Monday(UP hi-railers were on the line today). From todays Santa Cruz Sentinel:
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_19635111

In a timely developement, an engineers eye-view video of all 32 miles of the branch taped this past Dec. 1 is now available at the following site:
http://santacruztrail.org/railtrail/?page_id=255

Attached photo is from Sept. 2009(three months before SERA took over) but does reflect about the only traffic we'll see passing through the Boardwalk anytime soon: lumber loads for ProBuild Lumber in Felton.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/11 23:15 by shed47.

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Happy to hear of this news, as branchlines are falling off rather than being picked up by Class 1's.
Now I wonder if UP lost money selling this and having to dig back into it in such a short time.

I just watched the videos. That is one long branchline with very little traffic. Can't believe the local passed 5 spurs near Watsonville with only 1 of them having business. That just sucks.

Fizzboy7 Wrote:
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> Happy to hear of this news, as branchlines are
> falling off rather than being picked up by Class 1's.

Don't expect UP to hang onto the branch. They're not "picking it up" by choice. This piece of railroad is not a money maker.

Posted from iPhone

Responding to Fizzboy7, natemuhl Wrote:
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>
> Don't expect UP to hang onto the branch. They're
> not "picking it up" by choice. This piece of
> railroad is not a money maker.
>
Tend to agree. If traffic to Devenport doesn't pick up real fast, one would expect a filing of notice to abandon in short order.

What an awesome photo........

Cabin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prr_cabin/

There is no potential of freight traffic at all here? I would think that the county would want figure out any way to come up with employment, besides tourism. Of course, the pot smoking leaders will want UP to rip it all out.

I thought they stopped shipping lumber to Felton in favor of the ProBuild yard in Santa Cruz?

Trucking is probably the better way to go in this area.

billio Wrote:
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> Responding to Fizzboy7, natemuhl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Don't expect UP to hang onto the branch.
> They're
> > not "picking it up" by choice. This piece of
> > railroad is not a money maker.
> >
> Tend to agree. If traffic to Devenport doesn't
> pick up real fast, one would expect a filing of
> notice to abandon in short order.

It'll depend on whether Santa Cruz County decides to go on with the deal to purchase the branch - shed47's previous report says they've been cleared to do that. If the county doesn't buy it, then yeah, good chance UP will do just that.

shed47 Wrote:
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> Attached photo is from Sept. 2009(three months
> before SERA took over) but does reflect about the
> only traffic we'll see passing through the
> Boardwalk anytime soon: lumber loads for ProBuild
> Lumber in Felton.

chrisbutts Wrote:
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> I thought they stopped shipping lumber to Felton
> in favor of the ProBuild yard in Santa Cruz?

The SERA GP20 used on the line is usually parked at the ProBuild yard in Capitola. That spur can really only hold 2 cars. The GP20 usually has a bulkhead flat coupled with it (at least when I have seen it). There is more room at Santa Cruz or Felton to unload multiple cars, but they were still using Felton back this time last year. Has it changed this year?

Attached photo is from Sept. 2009(three months before SERA took over) but does reflect about the only traffic we'll see passing through the Boardwalk anytime soon: lumber loads for ProBuild Lumber in Felton.

Looking at the videos, the picture above would appear to be found at minute 5:45 on the Milepost 19-20 video.

Part of the deal to sell the line to Santa Cruz is that there is a freight operator in place. With the SN pulling out, complicated the deal. I suppose UP could be an operator in order to sell the line and it could be worth it. But the only other possible operator I could imagine would be the SCBT. I doubt the revenue of the ProBuild traffic will entice any shortline operators. The perishable traffic in Watsonville is probably the only break-even potential on the line.

And as far as I know, both ProBuild in Felton and Capitola are still receiving the occasional lumber load. Capitola was new business a couple years ago.

Posted from iPhone

Don't know why anyone would cheer UP operating the line.

Lets see...

1. Motive power..2 GP40's with 2 lumber flats vs an ugly GP-20 with 2 lumber flats...I'll take the latter

2. New customers....Any shortline would do a better job at soliciting carload freight than the UP.

3. Attention to customer needs...see #2 above

4. Friendliness to railfans...any question here?

5. Wear and tear on track...let's see...2 or 3 GP40's or 60's vs 1 GP-20.

Rumor is that the SCBT&P was interested in running the line.
They wouls be the best choice...seeing as this is their connection to the outside world, and they are based there anyway. And if any one was ever to run a tourist train out towards davenport, well, they have the pass equipment there too. (stop laughing.."It could happen", as Judy Tenuda used to joke)

As for pot smokers. I've smoked pot, and I can still make a sound business decision.
I think it's the salt air.

After viewing the You Tube video, I would be hard pressed to see what revenue could be profitably generated all the way to Davenport. You would have to do some super marketing. A Dinner train might work!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/11 16:56 by TomPlatten.

pdt Wrote:
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> Don't know why anyone would cheer UP operating the
> line.

Who said anybody was cheering?? I'm not. But a crappy looking GP20 doesn't do anything for me either...


Allen

This line is coming up quick, rails, ties, ballast and all. They want their pretty breeze blowing through their pot fields, no nasty exhaust smelly stuff and hurry up and get their guv'ment check here fast. :)

Not many pot fields in SC. It's hydroponics in closets and dens. Doubt the rail will be torn up for a while, but very doubtful for any type of rail renaissance in Santa Cruz county. Much like San Diego, the propert is too valuable to support industry. Industry has been pushed out of the area for years and it's not really needed for tax base in the region. Insure the county makes more from a new residential subdivision, shopping center or office building than say... The Wrigley Gum plant.

Posted from iPhone

bradleymckay Wrote:
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> pdt Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Don't know why anyone would cheer UP operating
> the
> > line.
>
> Who said anybody was cheering?? I'm not. But a
> crappy looking GP20 doesn't do anything for me
> either...
>
>
> Allen

I haven't seen the #50 but #48 was quite charming for me, I was happy to see it last year:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2237767

UP was known to throw in some D&RGW and SP painted Geeps on the Davenport run before. There'd be less jeering if they came back on the job. Too bad many of them have been repainted Armour Yellow.

natemuhl Wrote:
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> Not many pot fields in SC. It's hydroponics in
> closets and dens. Doubt the rail will be torn up
> for a while, but very doubtful for any type of
> rail renaissance in Santa Cruz county. Much like
> San Diego, the propert is too valuable to support
> industry. Industry has been pushed out of the
> area for years and it's not really needed for tax
> base in the region. Insure the county makes more
> from a new residential subdivision, shopping
> center or office building than say... The Wrigley
> Gum plant.
>
> Posted from iPhone


I totally agree and would like to see what Brian has to say about this as he and his family are long time residents of the area. This ain't gonna be a thriving industrial job producing area. No way.
C.

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA