Tom, I may not be around to see it but that would be a dream come true for this rail fan. Who knows? I was wondering what switch you are referring to in Salinas. My recollection of the area is the switch to Monterey was located at Castroville, Ca.. I also remember talk of a proposed line from Salinas directly into Monterey. I believe the location surveyed for the tracks is now a two lane county road. Does any of this sound familiar to you?
I just found this board while looking for information about Trains and Fort Ord. My understanding for what will be done with the old track is Light Rail. The Monterey County folks have been talking about putting Light Rail from downtown Monterey all the way to Castroville where it can meet up with CalTrain commuter trains that will go from San Francisco to Salinas. Check out the site with all the info: TAMC: Rail Program I stumbled upon that site in the same big search. I go to CSU Monterey Bay and I'm trying to make a documentary about the Trains and Fort Ord. If anyone knows anything I may make a new thread.
Massive Earthquake rocks the central CA coast. The train had to move to competotor rails and kept getting pushed out of the way after the quake. Tehachapi was also damaged so they had to come down the freshly laid Cajon route through San Bernardino. What year is it as I believe Cajon SP trackage was not operational until 1967?
Spidge: Neat scenario, but if Tehachapi was damaged, that's the only way OUT of Northern California, LOL! Unless the massive earthquake on the Coast didn't damage the SP Coast Line. Okay, here's one. SP sends the "Del Monte" north to Sacramento and onto the "Overland" route via Donner Pass and across Nevada to Ogden, Utah (why are we doing this to a 'local' train, anywaylaugh:?) where UP takes over and sends it south to Salt Lake City on their LA&SL route through Caliente and Las Vegas to Barstow, where it goes over Cajon Pass into San Bernadino via UP trackage rights on Santa Fe, and then on to LA via UP. Sounds weird? Believe it or not, during the early 1950's when a huge earthquake closed Tehachapi between Northern and Southern California, that's what SP did with a lot of their trains. They split the 'Valley' traffic between the Coast and Overland lines. Could you imagine riding the "San Joaquin Daylight" between San Francisco and Los Angeles via Ogden, Salt Lake City and LAS VEGAS? Oboy, the mind boggles, LOL. Tom :tb-biggrin:
