Nostalgia & History > Fallbrook California Santa Fe station

Taken some time in the 60s on the Fallbrook branch of the Santa Fe in southern California east of Oceanside. Photographer unknown.

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This was the station sign in 1980. Dosn't look like much compared to the first photo.

Anybody know when the last train traveled by the Station ? Any excursion train for the first photo ? Lots pf folks walking around !

Jay Roberts
Sumner, WA.

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lamta_jay wrote:

> Anybody know when the last train traveled by the Station ?

According to Santa Fe Coast Line Depots - the Los Angeles Division, the Fallbrook depot was torn down in February 1971.  The line suffered flood damage in February 1980, after which Santa Fe filed for its abandonment. 

> Any excursion train for the first photo ? Lots pf folks walking around !

There was a "Fallbrook Chief" excursion sponsored by the Pacific Southwest Railroad Museum that ran out of National City to Fallbrook, CA on May 16, 1964.  Whether or not the above photo was taken on that date, I don't know, but it's probably not an exaggeration to say that a majority of the existing of photos of the Fallbrook depot were taken on that day.

Some description of the planned excursion is here: http://sdrm.info/history/reports/report10/report10pg1.html
A few photos are at the bottom of this page: http://www.craigsrailroadpages.com/atsf/depot.htm

OETM ran at least one excursion also.  The one I remember ran over the Venta spur(s) including Kathryn, Myford and Browning stations.  It then went to Fallbrook Jct and up to Fallbrook (Miss Avocado Festival posed in the locomotive).  This was either 1967 or 8 as I recall.

I believe that the OETM trip was around November 1966.  I rode it and met Lee Hower on it.  A few years ago, I posted some video of the trip including at the Fallbrook station.  

Steve

SGillings Wrote:

> I believe that the OETM trip was around November
> 1966.  I rode it and met Lee Hower on it.  A few
> years ago, I posted some video of the trip
> including at the Fallbrook station.  

Here it is: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2329703

The trip ran on November 5, 1966 and was extensively discussed in this old thread:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,935467

Looks like there were more flowers blooming in the station garden at that time than when the photo above was taken.

"This was the station sign in 1980. Dosn't look like much compared to the first photo. "

Having lived in Fallbrook, I can't place the location of this photo.  Do you have any additional information about it?

cbassweb Wrote:
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> "This was the station sign in 1980. Dosn't look
> like much compared to the first photo. "
>
> Having lived in Fallbrook, I can't place the
> location of this photo.  Do you have any
> additional information about it?

The track ran parallel to Alvarado St and the depot was located about where the sheriff's office is presently.