Map courtesy of 'The History of Los Gatos' by George G. Bruntz
The Santa Cruz Mountains were once filled with the steam and sound of trains.
Picture from the Past
Bustling steam trains came and went in old Los Gatos
By John S. Baggerly
Narrow gauge railroad tracks and rolling stock to match came into Los Gatos in 1887 when Southern Pacific Railroad laid a 100-mile branch between Oakland and Santa Cruz. A standard gauge line later replaced the narrow. On Sept. 7, 1895, a steam engine arrived amid a town celebration for which people arrived early in buggies, wagons and other conveyances.
Los Gatos would not see another such gathering until Jan. 25, 1959, when three spike-pulling ceremonies signified the end of railroading to San Francisco and Santa Cruz. The spike pullings by town dignitaries were followed by passenger-hauling runs to San Jose. Passengers on the final run had to find their way home from a station near what today is the San Jose Arena. Spike pullers were Bob Miller, a high Southern Pacific official; Col. A. E. Miller, a U.S. Army veteran and WWII Draft Board member; and Lyndon Farwell, general manager of Los Gatos Telephone Co.
For almost half a century, the Los Gatos-San Francisco commute train carried distinguished local citizens to work each weekday, among the most noted being John Lincoln, owner of San Francisco's Lincoln Shoe Polish Co. En route up the Peninsula, others riders boarded.
A reminder of Los Gatos' half century of railroading is the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad that runs through Oak Meadow and Vasona parks. Jones was a former Southern Pacific engineer in the Santa Cruz Mountains who often made water stops at Wright's Station, as seen on the map. It was a long stop, so Jones and crew often repaired to the station and local hotel. It was here that he met Geraldine McGrady, his future wife.
Jones also built a narrow gauge railroad that ran every Sunday through his orchard on the west side of Winchester Blvd. Price of a ride? A donation in an open mouth bottle for one of many local causes. The Wildcat Railroad is a restored and relocated version of his home line. Jones and his wife are survived by daughters Geraldine Peters and Betty Ermert, both Los Gatos residents.
Railroading has enriched our language with such sayings as "pouring on the coal," "high-balling it" and "hitting the ground running." Local historian Bill Wulf explains whence these expressions came. Coal was the hottest burning fuel, and many ships brought excellent Australian coal into port at San Francisco Bay.
High-balling it--which old timers might say when passed by a speeding sportscar, had its origins at the mail pick-up point at train stations. If there was no mail waiting, the stationmaster raised a ball on a pole, which was a signal that the train need not stop--thus high-balling it through that station.
Hitting the ground running is a term much loved in the field of politics. Newly elected politicos might purposely plan big actions for the first few days of their tenure; thus the media could announce the individuals "hit the ground running." Such was a common sight when the Los Gatos evening commute train slowed into the station. Male passengers stood on the bottom step and dismounted before the train stopped. Thus the daring commuter could rush to his car and beat the other waiting autos.
During the first week of April, two Reno railroad fans asked Wulf for a tour of the old route through the Santa Cruz mountains. He obliged, showing several points of interest on the map above. Wulf also recalled February 24, 1940, as the date of a horrendous rain that washed out much of the line. The route to Santa Cruz was changed to San Jose-to-Watsonville and then to Santa Cruz, hence the end of the Los Gatos-to-Santa Cruz line.
Los Gatos, California Since 1881
