Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
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| Roaring Camp Railroads | |
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| 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 Railroad is a narrow gauge tourist railroad in California that starts from the Roaring Camp depot in Felton, California 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.
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History
Roaring Camp Railroads operations began in 1963 under the guidance of F. Norman Clark (1935-1985), who was the founder and owner. Clark's wife, Georgiana, assumed the ownership and management responsibilities following his death.
Originally, two large trestles formed a "corkscrew" loop at Spring Canyon, but these were destroyed by a 1976 fire. Within six months, a switchback was constructed to bypass the severed loop and the entire line was returned to service. The length of the tail tracks in the switchback restricts the trains that may be operated to six cars or fewer.
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 |
| #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, Pennsylvania. Inoperable, rebuild planned. |
| #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, California
Operable |
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| #50 | General Electric | 25-ton Diesel Electric | ex-Bethlehem Steel, Los Angeles, California
Operable |
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| #60 | General Electric | 56-ton Diesel Electric | ex-Bethlehem Steel, Los Angeles, California
Inoperable |
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| #10 | Milwaukee | Motorcar (formerly "Critter") | ex-West Side Lumber Company.
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 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". Retrieved on 2005-11-29.
- "Video Documentary about Roaring Camp Railroads' Narrow Gauge Steam Operations". Retrieved on 2007-04-09.
- Roaring Camp Railroads A personal visit in 2006 with photographsr
Why are we here?
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