Western Railroad Discussion > Lompoc?

My daughter recently moved to Lompoc, and was interested in knowing about local service in the city. She encountered a short freight movement with maybe four cars and a caboose, and wondered how often they come into town (and from where...that's me wondering that). My impressionable young grandson would like nothing more than to see a train. What type of industries are in the city, and where? (She knows that the main line runs around the city by the ocean, but she's just interested in the in-town lines.)

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

There local serves the diatomaceous earth mine to the south of the city on 1st street, it turns into San Miguelito Rd. The tracks follow the road to the plant. You can not visit, but others will tell you the schedule. I think it is every Tuesday/Thursday. Tell her to take a ride out to Surf to watch the Coast line trains there.

Highly suggest any of the vineyards around, and the Hitching Post on Buellton (east on 246)

Road trip to Solvang.....

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

Yeah, it's Tuesday and Thursday. Both times I've shot them at Lompoc, they came into town in the early afternoon.

As to your own question, it's the LOL30 crew based in Guadalupe. As far as seeing more traffic, the Amtrak station in Surf is a nice place. Tuesday and Friday afternoons are probably most productive as far as seeing traffic. Aside from the daily Amtrak 790 (Surfliner), 14 (NB Starlight), & 11 (SB Starlight), the SB Guadalupe Turn (LOF66) also runs south in that time frame.

There is also a Hitching Post in Casmalia. Very good maybe a quarter mile from the coast line. Western theme with pictures of rockets from Vandenberg.

rbmn5022 Wrote:
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> Yeah, it's Tuesday and Thursday. Both times I've
> shot them at Lompoc, they came into town in the
> early afternoon.
>
> As to your own question, it's the LOL30 crew based
> in Guadalupe. As far as seeing more traffic, the
> Amtrak station in Surf is a nice place. Tuesday
> and Friday afternoons are probably most productive
> as far as seeing traffic. Aside from the daily
> Amtrak 790 (Surfliner), 14 (NB Starlight), & 11
> (SB Starlight), the SB Guadalupe Turn (LOF66) also
> runs south in that time frame.


Correct, Tuesday and Thursday into Lompoc (Lom-Poke). The Guadalupe local on duty M-F, 0700, At GDLP.



V

SLOCONDR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/19/14 16:37 by SLOCONDR.

And the "caboose" is actually a shoving platform which the crew rides on the push up the White Hills branch. It never leaves Lompoc and is then left on the bottom of the grade for the next shove up the hill. It is an ex-DRGW caboose painted white for the Southern Pacific Police. There is a lot of nice street running!

Peter Arnold

And us native heathens always called it "lom-pock".

Out

callum_out Wrote:
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> And us native heathens always called it
> "lom-pock".
>
> Out

Just like W.C. Fields! :-)

No, you can get into the old JM plant but you have to schmooze your way. I just told her I was an ex rail and used to switch the place. She gave me an "old" tag to wear and told me to only stay for about 30 minutes. They have their own switcher so I guess the GD local just goes up, leaves mtys and takes the lds. Lost some money in those "Gin" games while we were waiting to get the air in the warehouse's.

Nudge

Thanks, folks! She is familiar with the more distant area, having lived in Goleta for the last five or so years (UCSB doctoral student). The little one is an attentive toddler, but she has little time to go places solely for train-watching.

Before she got married, my daughter was my best train-watching buddy and road-trip companion. I'm hoping that the little one gets a dose of her enthusiasm, which is still there.

I'll be able to show her the thread when their family comes up for Christmas next week.

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

There was a WAVE in my old reserve outfit from there. I asked her how it was pronounced -
"LOM-poke, like COW-poke"
...Lorenzo

Lom-Poc came from a W C Fields movie. The correct way was just listed by 567chant.


Nudge



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/20/14 10:49 by spnudge.

callum_out Wrote:
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> And us native heathens always called it
> "lom-pock".
>
> Out


Native Heathen? Native from where though, Rich?


V

SLOCONDR

spnudge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No, you can get into the old JM plant but you have
> to schmooze your way. I just told her I was an ex
> rail and used to switch the place. She gave me an
> "old" tag to wear and told me to only stay for
> about 30 minutes. They have their own switcher so
> I guess the GD local just goes up, leaves mtys and
> takes the lds. Lost some money in those "Gin"
> games while we were waiting to get the air in the
> warehouse's.
>
> Nudge



Sellar,
The UP takes the mt's up, and brings back the loads. The Santa Maria Valley RR does the switching. I'm surprised the plant guard let you in with any excuse, as they are so security conscious they won't let anyone in without proper business at the plant now days.


V

SLOCONDR

That would be LA.

Out

callum_out Wrote:
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> That would be LA.
>
> Out


Ahhh, that does explain a lot....


V

LOCONDR

spnudge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lom-Poc came from a W C Fields movie. The correct
> way was just listed by 567chant.
>
>
> Nudge

Didn't Mr. Souse (that's Soo-say) frequent the New Old Lompoc House?