Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
| Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow-Gauge Railroad | |
|---|---|
| |
| Reporting marks | RCBT |
| Locale | Santa Cruz County, California |
| Dates of operation | 1963 – present |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Headquarters | Felton, California |
The Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow-Gauge Railroad is a narrow gauge tourist railroad in California that starts from the Roaring Camp depot in Felton and runs up steep grades to the top of nearby Bear Mountain, a distance of about 2.5 miles. The travel is through second-growth redwood forest.
History
Operations began in 1963 under the guidance of the late F. Norman Clark (1935 – 1985), the founder and owner of Roaring Camp Railroads. Clark's wife, Georgiana, assumed his responsibilities following his death.
At one time two large trestles formed a "Corkscrew" loop at Spring Canyon, though were destroyed by a 1976 fire. A switchback was constructed to bypass the severed loop within six months and the entire line put into service. The length of the tail tracks in the switchback restricts the length of the trains that may be operated (without splitting the train) to six cars.
Locomotives
The railroad owns several locomotives in various states of repair. Regular service is typically handled by the railroad's two Shays locomotives, with occasional appearances by the Heisler. 0-4-2T "Kahuku," the oldest locomotive on the roster, is used in shuttle service on special occasions. Due to its small size, it is not capable of hauling trains up the mountain.
| Number | Name | Builder | Type | Works Number | Built | Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Dixiana | Lima Locomotive Corp. | 2-truck Shay | #2593 | 1912 | October 1962 | Ex-Coal Processing Corp. #3 at Dixiana, Virginia. Operable and in regular service |
| #2 | Tuolumne | Stearns Manufacturing Company | 2-truck Heisler | #1041 | 1899 | 1963 | ex-West Side Lumber Company #3. Operable, but seldom run due to high maintenance |
| #3 | Kahuku | Baldwin | 0-4-2T | 1890 | 1966 | ex-Kahuku Plantation #1 "Keana." Operable on special occasions | |
| #4 | Waipahu | Baldwin | 0-6-2T | unknown | 1897 | 1977 | Sold to Western Village theme park, Nikkō, Japan, in 1988. Ex-Oahu Sugar #1) |
| #5 | Bloomsburg | Climax Manufacturing Company | 2-truck Climax | #1692 | 1928 | 1975 | Ex-Elk River Coal & Lumber Company #3. Acquired from Carroll Park & Western Railroad, Bloomsburg, PA. Inoperable, but being rebuilt |
| #6 | Daisy | Lima Locomotive Corp | 2-truck Shay | 1988 | ex-WM Ritter #7. Inoperable. | ||
| #7 | Sonora | Lima Locomotive Corp | 3-truck Shay | #2465 | 1911 | 1986 | ex-West Side Lumber Company #7
Operable and in regular service |
| #40 | Plymouth | 14-ton Diesel | ex-Kaiser Steel, Fontana, CA
Operable | ||||
| #50 | General Electric | 25-ton Diesel Electric | ex-Bethlehem Steel, Los Angeles, CA
Operable | ||||
| #60 | General Electric | 56-ton Diesel Electric | ex-Bethlehem Steel, Los Angeles, CA
Inoperable | ||||
| #10 | Milwaukee | Motorcar (formerly "Critter") | ex-West Side Lumber Co.
Operable |
Locomotive #1, Dixiana
Locomotive #2, Tuolumne
Locomotive #7, Sonora
Access to the operation
The railroad parking lot may be accessed directly from Graham Hill Road off of State Highway 9. The standard-gauge Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway reaches the railroad from Santa Cruz. Visitors to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, which contains large old-growth redwood trees, picnic facilities, and river beachfront, may easily walk to the train operation.
See also
External links
- "Roaring Camp Railroads." Accessed November 29, 2005.
