Espee99 Wrote:
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> Correct me if I am wrong, but the folks running
> the Big Trees operation is regarded as a common
> carrier so the line at least to their connection
> cannot be abandoned. It might make some sense if
> they took over at least they could get some
> revenue from switching freight in Wattsonville.

I believe you're correct on SCBG retaining common carrier status to this day, even though they haven't accepted a revenue freight load in almost a decade. Regarding your Santa Cruz Branch abandonment hypothetical, I'm not sure there. The prospects of freight returning to SCBG is slim to none, at least in the near future. They served a lumber company adjacent to their yard in Felton for decades which resulted in a few hundred carloads a year. At the height of the recession, SCBG freight runs dried up and the lumber company in Felton consolidated their operations and the rest is history...

-Nick