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Re: Santa Cruz Branch Line Video: Watsonville to Davenport
Author: Tony Johnson
Date: 12-26-2011 - 15:42
What a thrill for me to see the branch again, Having lived in Santa Cruz from 1983-1994 I've walked the entire branch from Capitola to Orby so it was fun seeing what changes have occured. One place I couldn't reach to photograph trains was on Ellicott Hill. Watching the train climb the grade from Watsonville to San Andreas Road was new to me.
I did see many of my old photo locations. I was surprised to see the short spur at Cristo still in place. The spur at Capitola is now gone, plus the swtich to the spur for the Coors Beer warehouse. In Espee days there almost always was a BN car full of beer to drop off there. I see the crew has to flag many of the crossings. The one at Seabright was a thrill as the wigwag was still there. After the flagman gives the highball and the train starts across the road, the wigwag begins to work.
I correctly assumed than any unused spurs on Walker Street in Watsonville would be gone, but I thought one special spur at Orby still might be there, but it wasn't. That's where a bunch of us worked on SP 2-8-0 #2706 back in the early 1990s.
I'm happy I listened to my wife and bought our first camcorder in January 1986. I videotaped hours and hours of Santa Cruz Local action between Watsonville Junction and Davenport.
I did see many of my old photo locations. I was surprised to see the short spur at Cristo still in place. The spur at Capitola is now gone, plus the swtich to the spur for the Coors Beer warehouse. In Espee days there almost always was a BN car full of beer to drop off there. I see the crew has to flag many of the crossings. The one at Seabright was a thrill as the wigwag was still there. After the flagman gives the highball and the train starts across the road, the wigwag begins to work.
I correctly assumed than any unused spurs on Walker Street in Watsonville would be gone, but I thought one special spur at Orby still might be there, but it wasn't. That's where a bunch of us worked on SP 2-8-0 #2706 back in the early 1990s.
I'm happy I listened to my wife and bought our first camcorder in January 1986. I videotaped hours and hours of Santa Cruz Local action between Watsonville Junction and Davenport.
