Western Railroad Discussion > Summerland, CA (It's on The Coast Line)

#14 rounding the point just (RR) West of Summerland on the shelf below Ortega Hill and over Sharks Cove.
SR

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Really nice, thank you!

How stable is that roadbed?   Did the rip rap come after a portion of the retaining wall collapsed? 

sphogger. 

Only a casual observation, but I’m fairly sure that rip-rap has been there quite a long time. I’ve never heard any stories about problems right here, but there was a siding about a mile East of here (Ortega) that was compromised by slides and was out of service for years- maybe the 70’s? I think some of that siding is still there, but it doesn’t go through any more.
SR

That is an excellent photo of coastal engineering.
I hope the people involved with the Del Mar Bluffs portion of the old Santa Fe understand what they are up against.
The SP built seawalls, not as retaining walls (the bluffs are comparatively solid) but to resist wave erosion that continually erodes the base of the bluffs.
Most were built in the 1920s and most are still functional.  But some have been damaged by erosion.
Also there were gaps in the original walls where the bluffs were extending out into the ocean and were thought to be stable: true many decades ago but erosion eventually cut them back to the line of the seawalls or beyond.
Rip-rap is the second choice to resist waves because it too will erode and shift, but it is quick, cheap, and generally tolerated by the environmentalists.
The sea walls are an excellent solution but the environmentalists resist them without blinking.
The SP once placed broken concrete as ocean rip-rap but the waves attack the concrete, leaving a lot of rusty reinforcing steel that is hazardous to anyone walking along the shore.
(The public has beach access rights throughout the state.)  (Well maybe the USAF hasn't heard that yet.)  (Joke)

Plans are to put back the Ortega siding.

Thanks for making the distinction between sea wall and retaining wall RTB.  Looking at Google Earth at that spot it's appears there is an example of a retaining wall around the tree by the second passenger car near the roadbed.  Typical of patchwork in the mountains.  Quite a few drainage features along there too.  SP was better at keeping those clear. Sphogger

There is some beautiful original sandstone masonry along the beach, but behind the camera in my shot. I’ll be back out there later this Summer and I’ll maybe do a photo story about these seawalls etc.
SR

And if you bought a High School ring sometime in your past Josten's Jewelry
was on top of that hill on the other side of the freeway.  They made most if not
all of those things. Was a pain in the ass to service them as a customer if you
needed to get into the manufacturing area. I think * someone else is in that
building now.

Yes, Josten’s moved to Maine (!!) I think, quite some time ago. A close friend’s Dad worked there for 25yrs.
SR

Nice shot!

QAD, a computer company now occupies the Josten Ring Company buildings.

Nice pic!!