posted
I have seen a lot of posts on the Tustin and Santa Ana branch. Does anyone have any info on the Stanton, Los Alamitos, West Santa Ana and the Anaheim Branch's? I would like to read the recolections and the memories of these lines.
Thanks San Sabriel DS out
SteveD Member # 43
posted
A couple of sources I can refer you to, all of my own creation, would be the books "Rails Through the Orange Groves", articles in various issues of SPH&TS' "Trainline", and "SP Review" issue X-69. Contact me offline with any particular historical questions. A nice chapter om fairly modern pre-UP operations of the Huntington Beach and connecting branches by Dave Crammer appeared in the book "Southern Pacific Rails, A motive Power Finale" published by WhiteRiver Productions in 1998.
[This message has been edited by SteveD (edited 12-24-2002).]
Southwest Chief Member # 1227
posted
SteveD,
I have "Rails Through the Orange Groves" volumes 1 and 2. These are great sources of information for Orange County railroads.
railsub Member # 394
posted
Additionally, if you want to browse the set, Rails through Orange Groves Vol 1&2 may be borrowed from the Orange County public library.
coach34135 Member # 1979
posted
quote:Originally posted by railsub: Additionally, if you want to browse the set, Rails through Orange Groves Vol 1&2 may be borrowed from the Orange County public library.
Specifically, the Rancho Sta Margarita Library has both books..I've checked em out there B4...they've been to Georgia with me too! Great reading while on the Sunset Limited! ( I also read "Train Wrecks" in the middle of the nite too!)
SteveD Member # 43
posted
Here's another 'old' magazine reference for those interested in this subject. The Winter 1982 "Railway Quarterly"(sister to "Rail Classics" and equally despised by the likes of Myford Browning due to its dubious content) carried an article devoted entirely to S.P. operations in O.C. at the time. The most conspicuous error in the text was an assumption that SP connected to SFe's Venta Spur at Tustin and shared that trackage, but otherwise, for the curious, it did feature a few photos, good map and ETT excerpts of the OC branches for that period. Purported author "Al Monte" is presumed to have actually been the editor of the two magazines(now defunct). It appears that such media were the pre-internet outlet for those who wanted to compose and share RR info with other hobyists.
MPALMER Member # 125
posted
Rail Classics existed until a few years ago; Dave Crammer was one of the editors there.
SanGabrielSub Member # 2159
posted
Well now everyone knows where Myford Browning got his name. There were two Stations on the Venta Spur One was Browning where the spur split. with the Tustin leg heading to that city and the Kathryn leg which the station of Myford is on. So what it sounds like to me is that MB is an expert on the Venta Spur and he would know if the Espee connected to it with their Tustin Branch or not.
San Gabriel Sub out
SteveD Member # 43
posted
Yup, MB is knowledgeable about a lot of OC RRing, and fortunately had some good pix of the Venta Spur with which to illustrate my 1985 PRN article on that branch. We were both just a little irked by "Al Monte's" suggestion that locos of both roads used that spur when they only came within sight of one another at Newport Road. Dave C. I would consider to be in a whole different class of journalist. As a footnote, it was the IIC trackage that was officially joint rather than the Irvine Spur, although SP never physically ran its own trains there either.
john1082 Member # 2068
posted
For the great unwashed amonst us (as well as those of us who have offices in Tustin!) exactly where did the venta branch run? I know it crossed the I-5 at Venta and then split both north and south. Where did the north branch run? We moved out to Orange in '62 and although I can easily remember the sp tustin branch, I don't even recall seeing ATSF tracks in Tustin. Where did they run, and could anyone give some modern day landmarks to help me locate the branch in relation to modern day Tustin?
many thanks
John Gezelius
SteveD Member # 43
posted
The two legs ran parallel to and about half way between Irvine Blvd. and Bryan Ave. The Northwest leg terminated near Newport Road where I believe a shopping center is located now, while the southeast leg terminated at a packing house near Jeffrey Road. A photo of the Tustin terminus appears on Jim Lancaster's packing house website. The whole thing was pulled up in 1984.
[This message has been edited by SteveD (edited 01-16-2003).]
Myford Browning Member # 1987
posted
My code was broken. I lived out on the Irvine Ranch between 1958 and 1974 near the Frances station on the Venta/Irvine Spur. Steve's information on the spur covers most of the data on it. The line to Tustin ended right on Newport Ave, across the street from the SP. There were two tracks serving the Golden West packing house and a short distance southwest there was the end of the team track. The track to Tustin was cut at Red Hill Ave during 1969, the same year the SP Tustin Branch was cut back to Villa Park due to the flood. Signs of the ROW can be seen along a flood control channel at Red Hill. Most of the ROW has been destroyed in the Tustin Ranch area due to massive earth movement. Between Culver Dr (I always want to use the old Culver Rd name) and Jeffrey Rd., the ROW has become a bike path and named the VENTA SPUR. I guess there are some good things about the new Irvine.
posted