Large Scale Central

Enough lovers of train rides to warrant use of city rail?

General Discussion
#1

The recent post re: Santa Cruz’s “Big Trees” rail lines makes a point - at least in northern California there are enough people who love to ride trains making those lines profitable. We have ridden the Shay’s line through the big redwood trees – we had to get reservations because of the summer demand.

Examples of potential recreational rail use here in Southern California:
1 - In the Whittier area - east of Los Angeles, there is a 10 mile stretch of line that is used to shuttle tank cars once a day during the week. No use on the weekend. It travels past homes, parks, and open space.

2 - In the LaHabra/Fullerton area - further east of LA, in Orange County, an 8 mile line serpentines among houses, businesses, past horse stables, under overpasses, just maybe once a day, and not on the weekend.

MY GUESS:
If given an OK in liability insurance, an SW switcher could pull four gons stuffed with standing rail fans, train enthusiasts, and parents with previously bored children, on an up-'n-back Sunday afternoon run on either line.

Evidence of interest? The 7.5" gauge gigantic live steam layout, with over five trains running, packs in the families on weekends down in Orange County. This would be the real thing with a REAL blasting diesel horn.

Okay, I’m the first customer in this fantasy.

Agreed, the idea is still just a guess – What is your experience where you live?

Wendell

#2

I would think 8-10 miles would be to short. But then I’m a train guy.
The general public might like the shorter ride better.
Ralph

#3

Ralph-
Agreed, an 8-10 mile trip (18 miles of travel up and back) would be too short for many of us enthusiasts.
However, when there is NUTHIN’ around here, it may equally appealing as driving the family to the 7.5" guage live steamer clubs in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park or to Orange County’s outdoor model rr club for their public run times.

I’m curious as to what others know of the use of rail for simply public short-tour travel.
My guess is there are readers who vounteer on the public recreation railroad uses.
What’s their take?
Wendell

#4
Wendell Hanks said:
The recent post re: Santa Cruz's "Big Trees" rail lines makes a point - at least in northern California there are enough people who love to ride trains making those lines profitable. We have ridden the Shay's line through the big redwood trees -- we had to get reservations because of the summer demand.

Examples of potential recreational rail use here in Southern California:
1 - In the Whittier area - east of Los Angeles, there is a 10 mile stretch of line that is used to shuttle tank cars once a day during the week. No use on the weekend. It travels past homes, parks, and open space.

2 - In the LaHabra/Fullerton area - further east of LA, in Orange County, an 8 mile line serpentines among houses, businesses, past horse stables, under overpasses, just maybe once a day, and not on the weekend.

MY GUESS:
If given an OK in liability insurance, an SW switcher could pull four gons stuffed with standing rail fans, train enthusiasts, and parents with previously bored children, on an up-'n-back Sunday afternoon run on either line.

Evidence of interest? The 7.5" gauge gigantic live steam layout, with over five trains running, packs in the families on weekends down in Orange County. This would be the real thing with a REAL blasting diesel horn.

Okay, I’m the first customer in this fantasy.

Agreed, the idea is still just a guess – What is your experience where you live?

Wendell


There was rail all the way from Castroville through Marina, Fort Ord, Seaside, Monterey and Pacific Grove to a sand plant at the end of line in Pacific Grove. This line ran right through a mobile home park at Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove and that used to fascinate me as I’d say look at those lucky people with a train running through their yards. The line has been abandoned and mostly ripped up and converted into bike paths and hiking trails along the beach. Back in the late ninties they had a little tourist train come in for a test run on a weekend but it died for lack of interest at that time. What a waste. This would have been the ideal tourist run.

#5
Wendell Hanks said:
The recent post re: Santa Cruz's "Big Trees" rail lines makes a point - at least in northern California there are enough people who love to ride trains making those lines profitable. We have ridden the Shay's line through the big redwood trees -- we had to get reservations because of the summer demand.

Examples of potential recreational rail use here in Southern California:
1 - In the Whittier area - east of Los Angeles, there is a 10 mile stretch of line that is used to shuttle tank cars once a day during the week. No use on the weekend. It travels past homes, parks, and open space.

2 - In the LaHabra/Fullerton area - further east of LA, in Orange County, an 8 mile line serpentines among houses, businesses, past horse stables, under overpasses, just maybe once a day, and not on the weekend.

MY GUESS:
If given an OK in liability insurance, an SW switcher could pull four gons stuffed with standing rail fans, train enthusiasts, and parents with previously bored children, on an up-'n-back Sunday afternoon run on either line.

Evidence of interest? The 7.5" gauge gigantic live steam layout, with over five trains running, packs in the families on weekends down in Orange County. This would be the real thing with a REAL blasting diesel horn.

Okay, I’m the first customer in this fantasy.

Agreed, the idea is still just a guess – What is your experience where you live?

Wendell


There was rail all the way from Castroville through Marina, Fort Ord, Seaside, Monterey and Pacific Grove to a sand plant at the end of line in Pacific Grove. This line ran right through a mobile home park at Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove and that used to fascinate me as I’d say look at those lucky people with a train running through their yards. The line has been abandoned and mostly ripped up and converted into bike paths and hiking trails along the beach. Back in the late ninties they had a little tourist train come in for a test run on a weekend but it died for lack of interest at that time. What a waste. This would have been the ideal tourist run. I’M AT A LOSS AS TO HOW THIS MESSAGE OF MINE GOT POSTED TWICE AND A BIGGER LOSS AS TO WHY I CAN’T DELETE THE DUPLICATE.

#6

Rudolf-
You rode the Beach Train from Felton to the beach in Santa Cruz – was it filled? Partially? My guess is the success of non-success of such a ride makes a point that people, IF they know of the opportunity, would ride a train through a locality such as Santa Cruz or even the other instance, Castroville to Pacific Grove, that “failed” on one run. Who knows how much advertising it was given???

Any further information on the Santa Cruz ride?

Thanks,
Wendell

#7
Wendell Hanks said:
Rudolf- You rode the Beach Train from Felton to the beach in Santa Cruz -- was it filled? Partially? My guess is the success of non-success of such a ride makes a point that people, IF they know of the opportunity, would ride a train through a locality such as Santa Cruz or even the other instance, Castroville to Pacific Grove, that "failed" on one run. Who knows how much advertising it was given???

Any further information on the Santa Cruz ride?

Thanks,
Wendell


Wendell:

The train from Felton to Santa Cruz and vise versa was about half full. This was also the last regular run scheduled before winter. According to the conductor the train is never full. It had I beleive two circa 1902 coach cars and two open cars.

The test run of the little train in the 90’s was advertised in the local paper for a couple of days and I beleive it had a couple of spots on the tv news.

Perhaps us that are into this type of thing along with our hobby takes it to the max where other non train people take it when they want or if they want.

Right now I’m thinking of taking my wife up to Los Gatos where there is a little narrow gauge train running through the orchards on the weekends
and this little train goes back many many years just recently having put back in service.

I guess also the demand for certain things in a locality depends on how people in that locality are into something. Case in point–there are now four or five us us in the Monterey Peninsula Area that do G Gauge. I’ve been at two of the layouts with a trip pending to number three. Number four and number five don’t seem to want to share. BAGRS does not want to set up a chapter in our area because the body count isn’t high enough and I’m not about to join BAGRS and get put into a chapter 100 miles or so away.

#8
Rudolf Jager said:
BAGRS does not want to set up a chapter in our area because the body count isn't high enough and I'm not about to join BAGRS and get put into a chapter 100 miles or so away.
Which kind of infers that the hobby organization has no real interest in promoting their hobby.

Which then could ultimately lead to Death of the Hobby by apathy.
Or . . .
Which then could ultimately lead to Death of the Hobby by exclusivity.

#9

Interesting presumption that the total number of garden railroads is absolute and Rudolf would not be able, along with those willing to open their homes for visitors, to generate more RR owners to join a regional group.
What precisely is lost or gained by NOT giving any endoresment to a person willing to organize and generate a group of enthusists a 100 miles from the bay area?

Any guesses?

#10
Wendell Hanks said:
Interesting presumption that the total number of garden railroads is absolute and Rudolf would not be able, along with those willing to open their homes for visitors, to generate more RR owners to join a regional group. What precisely is lost or gained by NOT giving any endoresment to a person willing to organize and generate a group of enthusists a 100 miles from the bay area?

Any guesses?


One thing that is lost is any interest on my part to pay dues to or do any volunteer work for them.

#11

Location is everything. You have to think the whole package. for instance, the East Broad Top is hanging on by a thread, and has been for years. Meanwhile, the Strasburg RR is rolling in dough. Why? Both are actually about equal as far as the train ride experience goes, with a further nod to the EBT for it’s unique history. It’s because there is doodly else within 30 miles of the EBT, no tourist traps that interest the kids, darn few motel rooms, and no outlet shops for mom… Strasburg has all that and more, plus it’s an easy day trip from Philly.

Unless you have more than a train ride to offer, like they do out in Lancaster County, it’s gonna be a tough sell. And even tougher to keep viable.