From the newspiece below about "building" a "trolley", it doesn't look like many people understand what is being proposed. If it is only an RDC on extant trackage, this seems a very innocuous and not terribly costly project. Perhaps a bettr sales pitch and more explanation is needed to the public.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2004/January/12/edit/stories/01edit.htm
ryarger@rypn.org

And here's one that seems truly impossible (building a track in a street where none was before), yet it is not painted as so in the press.

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040112/NEWS/401120324/1011
ryarger@rypn.org

> From the newspiece below about
> "building" a "trolley",
> it doesn't look like many people understand
> what is being proposed. If it is only an RDC
> on extant trackage, this seems a very
> innocuous and not terribly costly project.
> Perhaps a bettr sales pitch and more
> explanation is needed to the public.

Bob, this is part of the problem. The other part is the complete lack of understanding of anything rail by the local population. At one time the proposal was for a "cog" railroad to run from Watsonville to the University of California, Santa Cruz.

ironbartom@aol.com

> And here's one that seems truly impossible
> (building a track in a street where none was
> before), yet it is not painted as so in the
> press.

Actually....there may be at least some trackage buried in the street already. I stopped by last Friday to view the station which is of interest since TVRM's Grand Junction Station is patterned after it to a certain degree. ("Tuscumbia Railway Company" has installed panel track with a caboose, boxcar, hopper, and several tankcars near the building as well.) When departing from the station location, I noticed rails receding under the asphalt in a nearby street. Like I said, maybe at least some of the rails are in place and will only need to be uncovered? Of course both the panel track and the viewable street trackage is standard gauge which could only serve to complicate things that much more.


sfreer@tvrail.com

From locaal press reports, it now seems very clear that the railroad right of way is wanted not for "trolley" use but for use as a riding and hiking trail for its entire length. The "trolley" idea is just so much window dressing to capture Proposition 116 funding to buy the line.

bakerst@best.com

Over here in New York, the Susquehanna operates a shuttle service less than 20 miles using a few Budd RDCs, and nothing else. Sounds like what you mentioned.

I have heard talk of extending the VTA light rail over the old SPC/SP right of way (what is left; the rest would be rerouted) to Santa Cruz. I personally am against light rail, they are wasting millions to run the light rail right next to SP (now UP) trackage from San Jose to Vasona Junction when they can just run a few trains a day using Caltrain equipment. There's less than 20 miles between Vasona Jct (current end of track) and Olympia (where the Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific begins), it would probably be cheaper to just put that track back than to build a new track alongside the portions from SJ to LG and Olypmia to Santa Cruz AND electrify it.

The VTA recently has had problems with its Kinki-Sharyo low-floor LRV cars because of squeeking on turns in downtown San Jose.

-Ed Kelley

gtngrr@aol.com

I personally am against light
> rail, they are wasting millions to run the
> light rail right next to SP (now UP)
> trackage from San Jose to Vasona Junction
> when they can just run a few trains a day
> using Caltrain equipment.

Ed,
Present construction (and funding) ends in Campbell (adjacent to St. Lucy's) about two miles short of Vasona Junction. This gap to Los Gatos "may" be built in someone's lifetime; nonetheless, I have always liked the railgeek dream of extending the Wildcat Railroad toward Campbell as an much cheaper alternative. ;-)
Ken

Like my fatherand and my family, I grew up next to the Santa Cruz branch line. For myself This line had a major influence in my life. It was my inspiration for my chosen career in the tourist railroad industry as a steam locomotive engineer and a steam locomotive mechanic. Unfortunatly Tom is right. The good folks of Santa Cruz County do not understand what potental they have with this line nor do they want to understand this potental. The most opposed to it would rather see the line get riped up. Those who have the authority to do the right thing are clueless as to how to make the line work. Hwy 1 and Hwy 17 i.e. automobile is what is understood and is all that matters.

So much for the branch line and its long and rich history in Santa Cruz County.

Phil Reader

readers@cruzio.com

With some creative license in painting.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/44003646/44005245BPhgkq
ryarger@rypn.org

> I have heard talk of extending the VTA light
> rail over the old SPC/SP right of way (what
> is left; the rest would be rerouted) to
> Santa Cruz. I personally am against light
> rail, they are wasting millions to run the
> light rail right next to SP (now UP)
> trackage from San Jose to Vasona Junction
> when they can just run a few trains a day
> using Caltrain equipment. There's less than
> 20 miles between Vasona Jct (current end of
> track) and Olympia (where the Santa Cruz Big
> Trees & Pacific begins), it would
> probably be cheaper to just put that track
> back than to build a new track alongside the
> portions from SJ to LG and Olypmia to Santa
> Cruz AND electrify it.

Ed
A friend of mine suggested that very idea several years ago and was promptly tromped down by;

#1 the Santa Cruz County Supervisors

#2 the home owners along Glenwood Drive (who use the old right of way as part of their driveways)

#3 the Santa Clara County Water Co. (who own the land at Wright's)


ironbartom@aol.com

I was reading Fundamentals of the Steam Locomotive and in the back of the book it mentions, "In 1804, Richard Trevithick developed the first steam locomotive in the world for transpotation on rails."
A couple of questions come to mind, the first is, is this correct, is 2004 the Bicentenial of the steam locomotive?
The second question is, anyone doing something to celebrate this event?
Thanks,
Mark


Nevada Northern Railway Museum
nnry1@mwpower.net