Nostalgia & History > The Only PA-1 that made it into Amtrak Colors (Pretty Sure)

Way back when, this beauty ran in a loop around what we kids called "Santa Claus Land".  It was a, typical for it's time, roadside attraction on US 101 between Santa Barbara and Carpinteria, CA.  When new, the train was painted to match the SP's Coast Daylight which passed daily only a couple hundred feet away.  I guess after Amtrak took over things in the 70's, the little train was repainted into Amtrak's Phase I colors to stay, um, "relevant".
I only ever saw the train in Daylight colors.  I was unaware of the update until I took this photo in about 1984.  By then the train had long since stopped running and I had assumed been scrapped. 
Nope.
In the Summer of '84 I hired out with Amtrak in Los Angeles.  To establish an On Board seniority date, new hires rode #14 up to Santa Barbara and #11 back to LA.  On this quick round trip I spotted the old Santa Train abandoned behind the place as we flew past-  I couldn't believe it!   So, next time I was up in SB I stopped by Santa Claus Land and asked to see the train..
SR

Not long after this, most of Santa Claus was dismantled.  I believe the "Santa's Kitchen" restaurant survived for a bit longer, but I think maybe it"s gone now.  I don't know what became of the PA and it's train.

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The giant Santa statue was moved to Oxnard in 2000 and is the starting point of the Santa to the Sea half marathon.

Yowza! Almost spewed my coffee all over my phone when I saw this. I lived in Carpinteria and commuted to Santa Barbara for High School then University. Passed by twice daily on the freeway looking over to see if it was "in the station" out front.
I met the owner once but memories are dim.
Someone here has got to know more about this - please write in!
Whatever happened to the PA and the train?

Posted from iPhone

I went back later with the idea to better document it, but the train was gone! I was told it had been sold and taken away- but where? I’d hoped it was someone local and that rumor of it might surface around town, but I never heard a peep. I thought maybe the Goleta Valley RR crowd up in Toro Canyon (Montecito) might be suspect, but I think Mr. Johnson had passed away by then and the group dispersed.
Dunno.
SR

Great story SR. I'd always wondered about the Santa Claus exit down there from Hwy. 101.

Regards, Jim Evans

Thanks for bringing back some great kid memories. The first year I saw and rode this train was in 1955 in Daylight colors. Santa Claus, CA was always a fun stop on our way up to the Russian River every summer on US101. Those were fun traveling days.

Larry

Never stopped, remember the funky front gate area, place always looked like a site for a
"B" horror film.

Out 

callum_out Wrote:
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> Never stopped, remember the funky front gate area,
> place always looked like a site for a
> "B" horror film.
>
> Out 

The huge tin snowman with the Model T headlight eyes was kinda worrysome-  he'd probably give the Stay Puft guy a run for his money.  I can see them tumbling through downtown Carp, Godzilla style!
SR