On This Page:
Recent Depot Site News & Discussion
Santa Cruz Area Railroading Resources
Santa Cruz Area Railroad History
Santa Cruz Railroading Historical Photos
General Railroading Resources

Recent Depot Site News & Discussion

Santa Cruz City Depot Site Task Force - Mission: To prepare a master plan for the Depot Site area, the Fun Spot site, the Lighthouse Liquors site, the Feed and Grain site, surrounding city acquisitions, and integrated with nearby parks. The process will result in a comprehensive master plan for the area to form a major city gathering place and ocean-front park. This process should also include a thorough assessment of the transportation grant funding this project.

Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission and Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies Minutes, Thursday, November 7, 2002 (21K PDF Document).

Grant money secured for depot park by Dan White, Sentinel staff writer, September 6, 2002.

City moves ahead on depot park by Joe Rosenheim, Sentinel correspondent, July 26, 2002.

Proposed Depot park project clears a hurdle with Santa Cruz City Council by Dan White, Sentinel staff writer, October 24, 2001.

Santa Cruz City Council Depot Site Plan Task Force Joint Meeting Agenda, May 29, 2001 (128K PDF Document).

Depot Site park plan garners wide support by Heather Boerner, Sentinel staff writer, March 23, 2001.

Santa Cruz Museum Association Newsletter: Depot Task Force Report (396K PDF Document).

Santa Cruz Area Railroading Resouces

SPCRR -- Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources.

Sandy Lydon's New Course! Railroads of the Monterey Bay Region - Fall 2003 (scroll to bottom of page).

Roaring Camp Railroads - Ride the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad through the Redwoods or the Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway between Felton and the Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific Railway Company Fact Sheet ( 48K PDF Document).

Depots of the Southern Pacific System 1987 Western Region Timetable, Western Division, San Francisco Subdivision, Santa Cruz Branch.

Railroad Trestle near Antonelli Pond and aerial photos of Santa Cruz area.

Santa Cruz Area Railroad History

140 Years of Railroading in Santa Cruz County - This article was first published in the Aptos Times, in March 1996 and April 1, 1996 issues. Part 1, Introduction, by Rick Hamman.

140 Years of Railroading in Santa Cruz County - This article was first published in the Aptos Times, in March 1996 and April 1, 1996 issues. Part 2, Growth and Expansion, by Rick Hamman.

Economic Development of the City of Santa Cruz 1850-1950, Transportation by Susan Lehmann. [From: Fully Developed Context Statement for the City of Santa Cruz. Prepared for City of Santa Cruz Planning and Development Department. Prepared by Susan Lehmann, October 20, 2000. Chapter 3, Context I: Economic Development of the City of Santa Cruz 1850-1950, pp. 25-27]

History of the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District [Excerpted from: Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District. Short Range Transit Plan Updates: Fiscal Years 1984-1988, 1989-1993 and Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District. Short Range Transit Plan: Fiscal Years 1997-2001.]

Photo Gallery of Pacific Avenue - Photographs and post cards from the Santa Cruz Public Libraries' collection.

City of Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf History.

Santa Cruz Railroading Historical Photos

Passengers on an open streetcar on the Santa Cruz - Garfield Park - Beach route of an unidentified streetcar company. Date: 1891-1926.

South Pacific Coast train in front of the Mission Street tunnel. The South Pacific Coast Railroad Passenger depot was located on Cherry Street (later called Chestnut Street) next to the tunnel . In the next street over, Park, was the Santa Cruz Railroad Company's depot, which was taken over by Southern Pacific. Date: Undated.

Crowd at the Santa Cruz depot welcoming the first Southern Pacific train to cross over the mountain divide. Date: Undated.

The former Santa Cruz Union Depot on Washington Street near Pacific, built in 1893. It became a restaurant in the 1970's. In the background are hopper cars in the Southern Pacific yards. Date: 1977.

The Santa Cruz Union Depot, also called the Santa Cruz Depot or the Union Depot, on Washington Street near Pacific. It was built in 1893 after Southern Pacific leased the South Pacific Coast railroad. Next to the depot are several carriages (called hotel buses) and a streetcar waiting to pick up arriving visitors. South Pacific Coast Railroad Number 20 has just pulled in. Date: 1898.

A South Pacific Railroad train heading towards San Francisco through the Santa Cruz Mountains. Date: 1910.

Santa Cruz City Municipal Wharf, built in 1914, is to the left with the older railroad wharf to the right. The sign on the lower left reads, "New Municipal Wharf Building Here. 1/2 Mile Long." Once the new wharf was constructed, the railroad lines were shifted to the Municpal Wharf. Date: 1914.

Union Traction Company's streetcar #14 at the Southern Pacific crossing on Seabright Avenue. The Seabright Hotel is on the left, behind the Southern Pacific station. Date: 1904-1915.

Ocean Shore Railroad's steam locomotive Number 6. Date: ca. 1906.

General Railroading Resources

Railway Preservation News: Online magazine of railway history and preservation. Includes news, preservation resources and a host of searchable databases.