Nostalgia & History > The last Scheduled ATSF train in Exeter, CA

December 19, 1992 was the end of the Santa Fe Railway service in Exeter, CA.  I don't know the date that ATSF came to Exeter but it was later than  1888 when the SP arrived.  The SP was done in late December 1991 the last ATSF train was on 12/19/92.

1. ATSF GP 35 2893 led the last train as the train is parked waiting for a patch crew.
2. December 19, 1992 was a frosty morning
3. ATSF GP 30 2760 was the other loco
 

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/15 11:15 by dlbowen.

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4. ATSF 2983 and 2760
5. Roster of ATSF 2983

I was optimistic about the future of railroading in Exeter; big mistake!

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/15 11:16 by dlbowen.

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Saw a blurb the other day that they're talking about pulling out everything on the Santa Fe side
as well as the remainder on the SP side South of town. Don't know if there's enough left for a
terminal in Exeter, guess the dry foods warehouse West of town is still shipping.

Out

Callum... Can you share where you read that blurb? I'd like to read it as well. Like press everywhere in the US, a lot of stuff gets printed in this area that has little basis in fact. TIA

Posted from iPhone

The post was over on the Altamont Press site, didn't sound like one of their normal "wackadoodles"
posting it, Be interesting to see if it's true but not a lot of reason to doubt it.

Out

dlbowen Wrote:
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> 4. ATSF 2983 and 2760
> 5. Roster of ATSF 2983
>
> I was optimistic about the future of railroading
> in Exeter; big mistake!

As was I, Don. It started out well, but went south in a hurry. So many memories, thanks for sharing them.

Tom

Thanks Callum. The current SJVR management wants to keep all the current track assets intact, unless there is a compelling reason to dispose of a given segment. There's no reason right now, and nothing on the horizon. Not to say that couldn't change...

Many branches/areas of the SJVR have more traffic today than in the past several decades (or ever). Others have fallen off, based on changing shipping patterns. The area immediately around Exeter generated mostly perishables traffic, which now rides in intermodal containers, OTR truck, or on Railex. The shops and general offices are not likely to move from Exeter.

Don... Excellent series! Wish I could have seen the area in the seventies and eighties.
Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/15 01:46 by MarsLight.

dlbowen Wrote:
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> December 19, 1992 was the end of the Santa Fe
> Railway service in Exeter, CA.  I don't know the
> date that ATSF came to Exeter but it was later
> than  1888 when the SP arrived

I believe the date was right around 1900, could be a few years either side.

BNSF6400 Wrote:
> dlbowen Wrote:

> > December 19, 1992 was the end of the Santa Fe
> > Railway service in Exeter, CA.  I don't know the
> > date that ATSF came to Exeter but it was later
> > than  1888 when the SP arrived
>
> I believe the date was right around 1900, could be
> a few years either side.

The Porterville - Orosi District was actually a fairly late addition in the grand scheme of things.  According to Santa Fe Coast Line Depots - the Valley Division, construction of the line from Minkler to Exeter commenced in August 1913.  It was completed a year later, and regular operations began in October 1914.  The remainder of the district was built in fits and starts over the next few years, amid squabbles with the Visalia Electric (SP) and regulators.  The through route to the SP junction at Ducor wasn't finished until 1920.

Thanks Evan, I knew that you would know the dates if anybody would.  I gave the bulk of my railroad library away when we had to downsize dramaticly in 2013.

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA

The Santa Fe side of Exeter, particularly from Exeter to Lindsay, would seem to be the most precariously perched trackage from a survival standpoint. To my knowledge, there is
only one active shipper (NDS Drainage Systems) on the north side of Lindsay. On the SP side south of Exeter, the same situation exists, but there might be a little more potential
for future traffic development.

As for Don's photos of the last train on the ATSF, there was actually one train after this, during the final week of December, 1992. This train picked up a couple of ATSF MOW cars and two empty reefers that were "forgotten". Within 3 years, A & K obliterated the lion's share of the Visalia and Porterville-Orosi Districts. Very sad...

John Ford



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/09/15 08:02 by Lone Star.

Thanks John for the correction. 

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA

Don,

Not really a correction as much as an "addition", since ATSF didn't realize they had some stragglers until after your photos were taken!

John