Nostalgia & History > Some Boring Monterey Local

The Monterey Branch was just about finished off in October of 1996. Lone Star sand of Lapis on the branch would rarely ship a hopper. Fort Ord was closed up, and Dole packing near Marina went exclusively to trucks. The Monterey Local's day grew very short. Their daily run was up to Watsonville in the morning for switching, and quick trip to National refractory at Moss Landing after lunch. Here is Rio Grande 3096 running light eastbound at Elkhorn.

With a hopper and tank car in tow, the Monterey Local departs Moss Landing with the former PG&E power plant in the background. The spur off Moss Landing is rarely used at all today since National refractory closed its doors. Cal-Am water company claims they will build a desalinization plant on the site soon. However its been mostly smoke and mirrors as the Monterey Peninsula is shafted for water.

A small sentinel of the past at Watsonville Jct. A real honest to goodness block indicator. This one has been removed for quite some time. It indicates a clear approach in anticiaption of the Monterey Local.

A SP hi-rail gets off the track very quickly as the Monterey Local approaches Watsonville Jct. Remember when SP trackmen only drove Fords and UP trackmen drove Chevys?

The conductor of the Monterey Local has thrown the spring switch as they go on the #2 track to reach the drill.

The drill switch has been thrown, and the day's end is in sight for the Monterey Local. The Monterey Local has dissapeared along with the dwindling carloads that the Coast Line generates these days. It was fun while it lasted.

Yawn!

Hey, I'm kidding, just kidding!! Jeese, I can feel your anger all the way over here, yikes!

Sam:
A great sequence. In the years I lived up there and chased the locals, I only once caught a run into Moss Landing and then had no camera with me that day. Thanks for sharing yours.
–Mac

So where's the color images to compare and contrast?

NH2006 (ducking out of the way now)

Thanks for the memories Sam. I didn't know the refractory shut down and the Monterey Branch closed for good after I retired and moved to Oregon. However, I do have some fond memories on the branch starting about 1961. One of my favorite video clips was filming GP9E SP3771 with a lone boxcar as it flew down the branch, ducked under Hwy 1 near Seaside, and raised the dust burried on the road crossing. Some of the branch trackage looked almost as bad as the stuff we have up here. - Tony J.

I definitely know what you're talking about Tony. It looks like a roller coaster near Fort Ord!

Sam,

You can post all the "boring" Monterey Branch photos you have. This ol' PG boy won't mind a bit!

Roger
MSVRR @ MP115 UP Coast Sub

Sam, you still goy that picture (at ML Spur) to add back to this thread?

Steve Donaldson
Pacific Grove, CA