Nostalgia & History > AT&SF's Irvine (Venta) Spur

During the citrus boom in Southern California in the early part of the twentith century, the railroads build spurs into the growing areas to serve packinghouses. The SP had lines near Santa Paula and Santa Susana, the UP's Anaheim branch into Orange County was largely to tap the citrus market. The Santa Fe had several spurs including the Upland foothill spur, Cucamonga Foothill spur, Rialto Citrus Spur, the Prenda Spur, the Sunny Hills Spur, La Habra Valley Spur and some un-named line around Corona. The last to serve the citrus was the Irvine Spur (Venta Spur prior to 1965). Many of the lines were served at night and few photo have been seen of trains on these lines. Here is a Saturday run of one of the Santa Ana Roadswitchers on June 28, 1970. It is seen at Frances California.

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MyfordBrowning Wrote:
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> SP had lines near Santa Paula and Santa Susana

Are you referring to the Limoneira spur and another up Tapo St., respectively?

this line was known as the Tapo spur.. that went off the old Santa Susana siding.. in Simi Valley ..The Caost Main Line

Sounds like a good book title.
I became exactly 25 years old on that date, wish I was the guy on the platform. Tnx for sharing another of your O.C. pix, Clifford.

Myfords picture was taken on the Venta Spur of the Santa Fe
in Orange County. Houses rule the area today. When I was a kid a Santa Ana crew once took me and my bicycle for a ride in the caboose to the end of the line. It was quite the experience for a young railfan.

Chris

More of Cliff's pix along this Spur were featured in an article about it in Pacific Rail News No.261 of Aug. 1985

http://www.trainweb.org/chris/Venta.html


Enjoy.


Chris