Nostalgia & History > SP Santa Cruz MTS CA

# 1 Zayante 1936
Up the Los Gatos canyon few miles

# 2 Wright MP 61.1 1939 [summit]

Will Whittaker, A. Menke collection

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Wow. Now those are places you don't hear of every day! You look at that tiny station building in the first image and wonder why they even bothered to build that. But then you think that maybe there were 5-10 houses within a mile or two, and in those days it might have been the only road. (But if so, how did the people get there before the railroad?)

Cool shots! Don't see much of the Santa Cruz Mountain line.

Thanks!

Z

Wish that it was all still there....b

Great photos of a wonderful line.

That Zayante station looks quite busy in this photo--lots of baggage going somewhere. Resorts? Nearby camps??

Where would these stations be nowadays relative to Lexington Reservoir (which inundated part of the line), and Hwy. 17?

Just gotta love the signaling, too, on this line. Really wish this line was still intact. Parts of it still are, or the ROW exists, but is unused.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/14 23:56 by coach.

In photo #2 the semaphore glass appears to be missing.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That Zayante station looks quite busy in this
> photo--lots of baggage going somewhere. Resorts?
> Nearby camps??
>
> Where would these stations be nowadays relative to
> Lexington Reservoir (which inundated part of the
> line), and Hwy. 17?
>
> Just gotta love the signaling, too, on this line.
> Really wish this line was still intact. Parts of
> it still are, or the ROW exists, but is unused.

Both locations are west of Lexington Reservoir. I've been to both places. If the camerman turned 180 degrees, the second photo at Wrights would be pointing at the summit tunnel.

There were Christian camps in the area between Rincon and Big Trees. I assume there must have been others east of Felton towards Zayante.

TonyJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> coach Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That Zayante station looks quite busy in this
> > photo--lots of baggage going somewhere.
> Resorts?
> > Nearby camps??
> >
> > Where would these stations be nowadays relative
> to
> > Lexington Reservoir (which inundated part of
> the
> > line), and Hwy. 17?
> >
> > Just gotta love the signaling, too, on this
> line.
> > Really wish this line was still intact. Parts
> of
> > it still are, or the ROW exists, but is unused.
>
> Both locations are west of Lexington Reservoir.
> I've been to both places. If the camerman turned
> 180 degrees, the second photo at Wrights would be
> pointing at the summit tunnel.
>
> There were Christian camps in the area between
> Rincon and Big Trees. I assume there must have
> been others east of Felton towards Zayante.


Isn't this on what they used to call the "narrow gauge" line? Standard gauge in these pics, but Wrights and summit tunnel sound familiar. If so, I believe the line was abandoned after a washout in 1940-41? Sorry if I'm way off...

Walter
Sanfranciscotrains.org



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/14 06:59 by drumwrencher.

Sharp, outstanding photos I've never seen of a line I have great interest in. Photo quality is superb. Thanks for posting!

Stan Praisewater

drumwrencher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TonyJ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > coach Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > That Zayante station looks quite busy in this
> > > photo--lots of baggage going somewhere.
> > Resorts?
> > > Nearby camps??
> > >
> > > Where would these stations be nowadays
> relative
> > to
> > > Lexington Reservoir (which inundated part of
> > the
> > > line), and Hwy. 17?
> > >
> > > Just gotta love the signaling, too, on this
> > line.
> > > Really wish this line was still intact.
> Parts
> > of
> > > it still are, or the ROW exists, but is
> unused.
> >
> > Both locations are west of Lexington Reservoir.
> > I've been to both places. If the camerman
> turned
> > 180 degrees, the second photo at Wrights would
> be
> > pointing at the summit tunnel.
> >
> > There were Christian camps in the area between
> > Rincon and Big Trees. I assume there must have
> > been others east of Felton towards Zayante.
>
>
> Isn't this on what they used to call the "narrow
> gauge" line? Standard gauge in these pics, but
> Wrights and summit tunnel sound familiar. If so, I
> believe the line was abandoned after a washout in
> 1940-41? Sorry if I'm way off...
>
> Walter
> Sanfranciscotrains.org

Yes, the old South Pacific Coast. Later bought by the SP and standard gauged.

I dont think the second photo is of the Wrights bridge. If I remember correctly, it was curved.

Yes, abandoned right around then -- and just think how much it would be used for commuting if it was still in place....B

Wright Bridge was featured yesterday:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3564048


Dave

gonx Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In photo #2 the semaphore glass appears to be
> missing.


They're there.

Photo #1 shows what appears to be switch indicators (or block indicators).

Also notice that lamps are kerosene. Must have been completely primary battery through the canyon. Not too surprising due to the remoteness and sparse traffic.

Would have been cool to see this area at night, under a full moon, with the kerosene lamps burning.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/14 18:47 by BCHellman.

BCHellman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Must have
> been completely primary battery through the
> canyon. Not too surprising due to the remoteness
> and sparse traffic.

I think you are probably right. That first photo shows what looks like a battery box in the ground below the signal base, with what may be a vent pipe.

There is the possibility that it could be secondary batteries. It was not uncommon for the RR to run a pair of power wires with the signal wires, and tap off at each signal location to put in a battery charger to keep rechargeable batteries alive. That tended to come after primary batteries on the line, generally just adding the charger once power was available and changing the battery type.

lwilton Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BCHellman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Must have
> > been completely primary battery through the
> > canyon. Not too surprising due to the
> remoteness
> > and sparse traffic.
>

> It was not uncommon for the
> RR to run a pair of power wires with the signal
> wires, and tap off at each signal location to put
> in a battery charger to keep rechargeable
> batteries alive.

That would be known as an A.C. Floating system. During the period when most signals were installed, from about 1915 to 1930, one of the big issues was how to power the system, particularly in the west where commercial power was not readily available (or power from the railroad shops). Since commercial (or railroad power) was not available, wet cell batteries were the source. There were two systems, line and track. Line was generally 8 volts and powered the line relays, mechanisms (be it semaphore or searchlight) and lamps, if present. The other system would be track, which would be about 1.5 volts, but often depended on condition and character of the track (block length, conductivity of the ballast, etc). Both required battery renewal, but the line system represented the most frequent and most costly. Line renewal depended on the frequency of trains and the number of relays within the system (the more complicated, the more relays). The railroads experimented with various methods to reduce power and thus preserve battery life. The SP used a method they called "slot-on-line" where the holding coil was part of the line system (as opposed to being isolated), this in theory saved a relay being energized. The problem was that the coils were more susceptible todamage, particularly in areas frequented by thunderstorms. The system was gradually replaced in the 50s.

The system pictured was probably primary battery (the term used where the system is powered by battery).