tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post3832022969864953332..comments2023-06-04T04:11:05.291-07:00Comments on Santa Cruz Trains: Stations: KenvilleDerek Whaleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17715926686413316877noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-20988425834395565232021-03-22T13:11:47.483-07:002021-03-22T13:11:47.483-07:00And I am not seeing Joseph Kenville's ranch sp...And I am not seeing Joseph Kenville's ranch spanning the creek.lisaarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15987610799027123820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-69415222543649328202021-03-22T12:17:49.147-07:002021-03-22T12:17:49.147-07:00I'm not so sure - what makes you believe it wa...I'm not so sure - what makes you believe it was named for Joseph Kenville not Solomon Kenville?lisaarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15987610799027123820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-53199700428402168352020-05-14T20:19:02.218-07:002020-05-14T20:19:02.218-07:00Thanks for the information about my great grandpa....Thanks for the information about my great grandpa. Good to know that I'm a direct decendant of a real pioneerand his hot little 14 year-old bride he met in Carson City. <br /><br />Yeah! You go, granddaddy.Quite Big Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05984889709411715604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-67341102014049085352018-06-22T13:50:04.473-07:002018-06-22T13:50:04.473-07:00Thanks, Derek. I will ask anyone who knows more (o...Thanks, Derek. I will ask anyone who knows more (or differently), to jump in and add to or correct my comments. My record to date is probably around two-thirds sold information, one third complete nonsense. It's a pastime, and I'm no expert - not even close.<br /><br />ABS info was gleaned mostly from Carsten Lundsten's page on S.P signals.<br /><br />Big Trees: I took notice that San Francisco excursions would make the stop at BT, then return north to travel the Boulder Creek branch. Turning the locomotive probably occurred while the train occupied the mainline at Felton, not while it was clear over on the west side using the branch. I still feel that the turntable was removed between 1935 and 1940 - that photo looking north from c.1935.<br /><br />I came across an 1895 map of Wright showing the landslide and the nearly 250 foot excavation needed to rebuild Summit Tunnel. You probably have it, but I'll send it on with a few other items.<br /><br /> Grantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-68367721140335190682018-06-21T22:18:46.983-07:002018-06-21T22:18:46.983-07:00Thanks for all the info, Grant. I clearly need to ...Thanks for all the info, Grant. I clearly need to learn more about how ABS systems work. Yes, our mountains had far more sidings and spurs than one would consider normal. In some places there were up to three sidings/spurs within a mile stretch of track. Pretty crazy! Big Trees had a very short siding that I agree was probably mostly used for shifting locomotives, although the nearest turntable was at Felton, and that wasn't always there. There are a number of photos, however, of special 2-3 car excursion trains parked at Big Trees, so it wasn't used exclusively for switching locomotives.<br /><br />Regarding Wright, there are two ABS signals in the 1930s on the east bank of Los Gatos Creek just before crossing the bridge to the tunnel. They can be seen in both the photos on pages 156-7 of my book.Derek Whaleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17715926686413316877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-15201724818556550912018-06-20T15:21:00.579-07:002018-06-20T15:21:00.579-07:00In my haste I put two rather different signals int...In my haste I put two rather different signals into one category.<br /><br />Distant signals: These occur about a mile and a half before a siding and simply relay the aspect that the siding-entrance displays, otherwise a caution would always come in case the track was blocked ahead. Relaying a clear would allow a train to keep the throttle open. These signals were altered in later years – distance to siding reduced and an upper blade installed.<br /><br />Siding-entrance signal: Placed in front of the siding, it had two blades – the top indicated the immediate block, the lower relayed the aspect of the exit signal.<br /><br />Siding-exit signal: A single semaphore blade that shows the condition of the entire length of track until the next controlled siding.<br /><br />Overrun signal: Two or three miles after the siding. It should show exactly what the exit signal indicated or else something unexpected had happened – two trains entered the block simultaneously, mechanical failure, or the exit was misread. Overrun signals from opposing sidings needed two train lengths of distance separating them. <br /><br />There were ‘stop and proceed’ indications instead of pure stop for many situations. Some railroads didn’t require the stop, but proceeding at half speed was very common. Opposing trains were easily governed – they had typed copies of orders to meet trains at particular points – but trains that followed one another were always risky. So, lots of creeping along with the whistle blowing.<br /><br />ABS only cared about the mainline. If a switch was opened the signals would move to caution. If a train went down a spur or one of the smaller non-signaled sidings and then lined the switches for the mainline, the train would become invisible to the ABS system. A train could immediately enter the mainline if an opposing train had just run by, otherwise the switch would be turned towards the spur and a waiting period of five minutes needed to be observed before a train could move onto the mainline.<br /><br />The signals at Wright should be easily seen on the eastern side of the creek, but no. While there are semaphores in Cats Canyon, I can’t see why there are no ABS semaphores near the water tower at Wright. Maybe their installation was interrupted by the closure of the Summit Tunnel, and maybe there was enough resistance to reopening the line that such projects were put on hold indefinitely? The line was a rather crowded with sidings, but Wright looks to have needed the signal system (and leaving a gap, the Glenwood siding was removed at some time, too). Maybe more pictures from the teens and twenties will include the missing hardware.Grantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-83744919006938194522018-06-18T15:16:38.189-07:002018-06-18T15:16:38.189-07:00The basic ABS system protects trains between sidin...The basic ABS system protects trains between sidings. The mountain route had only light traffic, so intermediate blocks were unlikely. A little over a mile from a siding trains would pass a 'distant' signal (which duplicates the siding-entrance signal), then just outside the siding's switch - the siding entrance signal, outside the far switch - the siding-exit signal, and finally an overrun signal about two miles past the siding. So four signals per siding each way. The 'distant' and 'overrun' signals were there for insurance against opposing trains entering a segment of track simultaneously where the stop aspect would mistakenly appear too late for either one. <br /><br />The concrete signal foundations are notched and narrower at one end, and that would be the trailing, unimportant end where the ladder attached; the signal faced the opposite way. If the Kenville concrete foundation was 'facing' downhill and on the eastside of the right-of-way, this would probably be a 'distant' signal for the Meehan siding.<br /><br />Not all siding were recognized as a place where trains should bypass. My guess, the ABS was set for the sidings at Wright (east side of the creek), Glenwood, Meehan and Felton. So four sidings spaced about five miles apart, which was rather crowded.<br /><br />Alma: I've not seen a signal, and too close to Los Gatos.<br />Wright: I've not seen a picture of ABS semaphores, yet. Not to be confused with the train order semaphore.<br />Laurel: I'm confused by the pair of semaphores east, and only east, of the station. A siding-entrance signal has extra height for a second blade; my guess is that they were meant as advance notice for Glenwood and Wright.<br />Glenwood: I'm confused by the pair of semaphores left behind after the area was single-tracked. They again seem cut down in height; maybe a traditional intermediate block was salvaged after the single-tracking.<br />Tank: No photo of signals, and too close to other sidings (ABS wanted/forced miles of space).<br />Olympia: too close to Meehan and Felton.<br />Big Trees: Not a siding. It was probably meant for locomotives to switch ends.<br />Rincon: Could this have been an official siding? <br /><br />Pairs of opposing semaphores were found just beyond the ends of sidings, otherwise they were mostly solitary.<br />Grantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-85577165310585374472018-06-15T18:03:25.277-07:002018-06-15T18:03:25.277-07:00My first adventure with this abandoned railroad li...My first adventure with this abandoned railroad line also<br />began at this same spot probably in 1964 when I guided my<br />parents to this spot with the use of some old map. My father<br />was afraid to drive up the old railroad bed because he was<br />afraid we would not be able to turn around. So it wasn't<br />until 1969 that I returned and headed up the railroad bed alone<br />on foot, not knowing where I would end up. It didn't take<br />long to reach a cyclone fence and the Western States Atomic<br />Vault tunnel. That was as far as I went that day but through<br />the years, I walked up almost everything else from Santa Cruz to<br />Los Gatos on this fabulous railroad route!Duncan Nanneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-2509903271587696512018-06-15T16:34:51.112-07:002018-06-15T16:34:51.112-07:00Great stuff Derek! Keep doing what you love! :-)
Great stuff Derek! Keep doing what you love! :-)<br />Jaybirdmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15755245583825787764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2151799760990306051.post-13334312764650330442018-06-15T14:51:11.126-07:002018-06-15T14:51:11.126-07:00Watermelons in the Santa Cruz Mountains? Glad that...Watermelons in the Santa Cruz Mountains? Glad that you took that walk Derek!W.J. McKayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06894152426362183814noreply@blogger.com