I think I've asked this before, but can someone explain to me what kind of "trolley" is/was planned to run on this line if it should be purchased from UP? Is it a regular electric trolley, one powered by diesel, or just a regular tourist train? It sure has people stirred up out there, over seemingly nothing. Whatever it is, I suspect it will not get past the Terminator's budget whacking.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2004/January/09/local/stories/01local.htm
ryarger@rypn.org

While there has been a lot of heated talk about it, no one has defined or described what the so-called "trolley" is or will be. Just as curious is the part of the line that will be used for the service - Aptos and Capitola. There's not much of anything except expensive homes, a lot of marginal trailer parks along the rail line, and a state beach. At the Capitola end, the rail line crosses over the beach town on a very high trestle - very photogenic but not pedestrian friendly. As to funding, supporters for public acquisition of the rail line report that Proposition 116 funds are available.


bakerst@best.com

Its a Budd RDC
look at this, http://www.sccrtc.org/packet/2003/0309/w0309-05a.pdf
The NIMBTY page, http://www.sccarred.org/


http://www.sccrtc.org/packet/2003/0309/w0309-05a.p
cliffwalters@comcast.net

As I posted before... the current proposal has the County purchasing the so-called Santa Cruz branch, which runs from Watsonville (and a connection with the former SP now UP) through the city of Santa Cruz then north to Davenport, home of a large cement plant, and major freight shipper. This line connects in Santa Cruz with the Santa Cruz and Big Trees, a former SP branch, once the mainline of the narrow gauge South Pacific Coast.

The county plans to use railroad transportation bond funds (Proposition 118, not effected by the current Govenators budget cutting effors) to purchase the line, and those bonds require some rail service. They are proposing a shuttle (called recreational rail) using a RDC or similar self-propelled car over a short portion of the line (called a trolley), in a tourist/beach area. Other proposed (concurrent) uses include continued freight service, a possible tourist train or dinner train, and maybe (but not likely) a commuter rail connection to the Caltrain system which serves the San Francisco Peninsula.

The line runs though an area along the California coast, known for its scenic beauty, and for its expensive homes, some of which abut the track. The locals are also known for their political activism, usually towards the liberal end of the spectrum. These people are very good at establishing political committees to advocate for their interests.

There is both support for the purchase and the trolley, as well as groups which want to convert the right of way to a bike path (the same anti trolley folks are anti bike path) and transit advocates who don't care about the trolley, but just want commuter rail. Of course there is the very organized opposition as well. They are more than a few, but less than a mob, but they have significant influence due to their well-organized nature.

Randy Hees

> I think I've asked this before, but can
> someone explain to me what kind of
> "trolley" is/was planned to run on
> this line if it should be purchased from UP?
> Is it a regular electric trolley, one
> powered by diesel, or just a regular tourist
> train? It sure has people stirred up out
> there, over seemingly nothing. Whatever it
> is, I suspect it will not get past the
> Terminator's budget whacking.


http://www.spcrr.org
hees@ix.netcom.com

Fixed Link
Its a Budd RDC
look at this, http://www.sccrtc.org/packet/2003/0309/w0309-05a.pdf
The NIMBTY page, http://www.sccarred.org/


http://sccrtc.org/packet/2003/0309/w0309-05a.pdf
cliffwalters@comcast.net