It would be wonderful if passenger rail service for the Wharf-to-Wharf race participants could be provided this summer. Participants could park in Capitola and ride the train to the starting line before the race started or they could park in Santa Cruz and return to the starting line after the race was over.

Since Progressive Rail will not be able to operate from Santa Cruz before the Wharf-to-Wharf race is held due to the washout at milepost 5, the logical choice to provide the passenger service for the Wharf-to-Wharf race would be Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific.

The tracks along the route were brought up to class 1 13 months ago and should need minimal work. The grade crossing signals and gates along the route would also need to be activated and inspected. This would be an excellent opportunity for Santa Cruz residents to experience passenger rail in a popular community event setting. I believe this would be a big win for the RTC and the future of rail in the county. I hope this is something Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific and the RTC will consider this year.

The locomotives would get their own runner’s number, obviously 2600 and 2641, and depart the Boardwalk with the runners.

Ever since Pam and I participated in the Yreka Western Great Wild Goose Chase run/walk back in 2007 I have wondered if something similar could be done on the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line. The following is from an e-mail I sent to friends back in 2007 describing the Great Wild Goose Chase.


Old Number 19 is fired up, watered and moved to the station to be coupled with the passenger cars.













Of course the steam locomotive was runner Number 19.




It was time for the runners to form up at the starting line.




And the race began. I looked over my shoulder and saw Number 19 rounding the first turn behind me.




Due to knee and back pain I could not run the 10K with Pam, but I did the 2K walk. As I crested the hill above the 2K-walk finish line, below a splendid scene greeted me. At the bottom of the hill the train was waiting for the walkers with horses in the foreground and Mount Shasta in the background.

I loved this scene and wished I could have captured everything. I wished the horses would have come back over towards the fence again.




I was so distracted by the splendor of the scene I stopped to take more photographs and the train departed without me. Oh No !!!…. Come Back !!!… Come Back !!!




When I arrived at the 2K finish line the person manning this post radioed a service vehicle to come pick me up. We chased the train through several crossings and he was finally able to get them to stop by the mill and let me board. The view out the window of the coach was magnificent.




At Montague we enjoyed refreshments and checked out the open air market and stores until it was time to board the train back to Yreka. The train was backed over the crossing and we boarded for the return trip.








We had such a good time we planned to return in 2008 to participate in the Great Wild Goose Chase again, but it was cancelled. I heard the 2007 event was the best attendance ever, but the collapse of the economy in 2008 shut down operations on the Yreka Western.