Photos from the Vault

Re: completion of SP’s Coast Line to Los Angeles:

From the 13-page chronology at end of “Southern Pacific The Roaring Story of a Fighting Railroad” by Neill C. Wilson and Frank J. Taylor; New Revised version, McGraw-Hill (1952):

“August 19, 1887 First SP train into Santa Barbara, via San Joaquin Valley
line.

“March 31, 1901 Coast Line opened to Santa Barbara, trains using Santa
Paula and San Joaquin Valley routes to reach Los Angeles.

“March 20, 1904 Final link in Coast Line completed south of Santa
Barbara through Oxnard and Santa Susana tunnels to Los Angeles.”

So the Coast Line opened in 1901 per your online reference, but even then it wasn’t complete–it went inland south and east of S.B. until 1904.

Chapter 19 “Down the Radiant Shore Line” covers the completion. It’s only 2 pages of a 256-page book–about 800 words. I’d post it but don’t want to run afoul of copyright laws.

By Harold on Sep 23, 2009

The abandoned tunnel above was abandoned in 1910. The soil in which it was dug was always shifting and a spring ran just above it which added to the railroad’s problems. In 1910 at around 7PM a passenger train had run through it just seconds before one half of it collapsed onto the rails. Great effort was made to open it up but to no avail, so the decision was made to allow the tunnel to collapse completely into itself, close it up tightly as the photo shows, and build a extension of the railroad that ran around it. The railroad had tried for two weeks to reopen the tunnel and all during that time temporary sidings had been built on each end for the passenger trains to stop and disgorge their occupants, who then had to walk around the tunnel area to other trains waiting on the other side. A very famous gentleman was on one of these trains…one Andrew Carnegie…who had to walk just like any other passenger. He was on his way to San Francisco where his private car was awaiting him.

You will notice that CP Huntington’s title is listed as President. Huntington was instrumental in getting the Big Four together in partnership to form the Central Pacific with Judah, who was the chief engineer and creator of the route over the Sierras, but all of these men had huge egos and Stanford wanted the highest title for himself since he had already been governor of California and had the most local political connections. So, Huntington took the Vice-President title and moved to New York where he did the ordering and sold the bonds that built the railroad, living there for decades doing this. Only when Stanford finally died could Huntington take over the Presidency of the railroad and gain the title that should have been his all the while. After CP died, he gave half of his fortune to H.E. his nephew and half to his wife who was many years younger than he, then the nephew and the widow married and brought the fortune back to the full. They settled down in San Marino and built a huge home there, which later became the Huntington Library and its many lovely gardens and art collections.

Originally, the line went from LA over the 1876 line through the San Fernando tunnel and Saugus, then over the then main line that ran through the Santa Paula Valley, part of which still exists. When all of the Big Four figures had died one Edmond Harriman took control of both the SP and the CP (having already taken control of the UP) and realigned the Coast Line through the Simi Valley and Chatsworth, and then arrow straight to Burbank, reconnecting with the 1876 line there into LA.

If memory serves (hopefully better than before) the sum of $15,000 was the figure that the leaders of SLO had to come up with, plus providing all the land needed for the routing for free.

By Steven Lester on Sep 24, 2009

some where in my stuff, i have pictures of a tunnel cave-in, around 1910. i think the person’s name was Aston. The pictures show steam shovels clearing out debris from the cave-in.

By nancy on Sep 24, 2009

Sounds like a huge, huge undertaking. Imagine digging out a railroad tunnel by hand today!

By Sarah on Sep 24, 2009

I’m not exactly sure how advanced the construction techniques were during the 1890’s. I believe that they had dynamite but it is true that all the dirt for the many fills needed for the route had to be carted by hand just like in the old days back in the 1860’s. When it was time to build the trestle over Stenner Creek with iron sections prefabed in Chicago, the railroad put out a trace to find out where all the sections were, because they weren’t in SLO. Sections were found all over and in every state that the CP and the SP (separate corporations until the 20’s) served all the way to New Orleans even. It took several weeks to get everything together before they could start. On the final day before the railroad was to be finished to the station, tracks were laid from the trestle all the way to the station in one day, a distance of several miles at least. In addition to the collapsed tunnel that was closed in 1910 another tunnel just before it when traveling north to south was daylighted more recently. I think during the 50’s, but I’m not sure. If you ever go up there you can tell where the tunnel was because the access road goes around the point of the hill where the tunnel used to be but there is just flat land between it and the tracks right now. Another artifact that was destroyed by the UP was a signal wiring junction house that was located between tunnels 6 and 7 where inside could be found dates, one for every month when the junctions were checked, that extended backward to the 40’s (perhaps to when CTC was installed) and this when viewed during the 90’s. Now, of course, it is completely gone.

By Steven Lester on Sep 25, 2009

I more vividly recall the 1970’s freight wreck at that turn, that resulted in many cars rolling off the hill. The heavy grading of the slope is still visible, as SP had to rebuild that entire section.

In my younger days, many times I rode my motorcycle up the tracks from the trestle to the tunnels. It was always a thrill to ride through the very dark north tunnel, not knowing if a train was coming the other way.

By SSG David Medzyk on Sep 25, 2009

oh my gosh. i had totally forgotten the 70’s train wreck. the mountain looked horrible for years afterward. thanks for reminding me.

By nancy on Sep 25, 2009

When I was young back in, oh, 1975 or so I used to like to walk through train tunnels…yes, I said walk. I was enamored with SLO’s pass railway and so one day I had myself driven to the top of Cuesta and dropped off there where the trucks used to test their brakes. And then I hiked down to where tunnel 6 began and walked through it and all the other tunnels down to the trestle and then across it. It took hours of hiking and I was done-in at the end, but it was illuminating.

Only one train traveled by, as I remember, somewhere around tunnel 11. Fortunately, for my life’s continuance, SP had practically ended all freight service at that time. But had one come by while I was in either of the two long tunnels? Well, the only thing to do would have been to fall as flat as I could to the side of the tunnel into the water channel and hope (indeed, pray) that the height of the ballast and the diameter of the wheels would be enough to prevent any of the cars from hooking on to my shirt and dragging me then to my sure death. Some of the older tunnels had little cubby holes where the tracks workers could hide if they were inside when a train came by, slowed by track warrant. The San Fernando Tunnel, just about one mile long, had those, and I’ve been inside it right in the middle when a big train came through and was completely safe. Indeed, several trains one right after another. But SLO’s tunnels have only smooth sides after the retrofit which widened the walls and raised the height of the tunnels during the 50’s, completed in half-day increments over a period of 8 years.

Today I shudder with amazement as to my foolishness back then and at what would surely have happened had oblivion came rumbling ever louder toward me from around the bend or the crown of the base with its light blinding me and so forth. Yikes!

By Steven Lester on Sep 26, 2009

Well, sure Dave, it is stupid NOW…….

…but great adventure when as a kid

By SSG David Medzyk on Oct 2, 2009