The Swanton Pacific Railroad Society operated an historic one-third scale, gauge, railroad at

Swanton Pacific Ranch Swanton Pacific Ranch is a ranch in Santa Cruz County, California, outside the town of Davenport. The ranch is owned and operated by California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) for educational and research in sustainable agriculture. The ...

Davenport, California Davenport is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Cruz County, California. Davenport sits at an elevation of . The 2020 United States census reported Davenport's population was 388. Situation Davenport lies along the coast of the Pacific Ocea ...

, north of Santa Cruz, California. The -long railroad lies along the

Ocean Shore Railroad The Ocean Shore Railroad was a railroad built between San Francisco and Tunitas Glen, and Swanton and Santa Cruz that operated along the Pacific coastline from 1905 until 1921. The route was originally conceived to be a continuous line betwee ...

right-of-way that was to run from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. The scenic trip, through a valley in the coastal mountains, crosses Scott Creek on the Ed Carnegie Bridge, passes a Christmas tree farm, and ends at a wye where passengers observe railroad operations that turn the locomotive. Swanton Pacific Railroad (SPRR) equipment and facilities included: * Four steam locomotives and one original passenger car from the 1915

Panama–Pacific International Exposition The Panama–Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California, United States, from February 20 to December 4, 1915. Its stated purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely se ...

's Overfair Railway in San Francisco. * Reconstructed cars made of Overfair Railway parts and equipment from the 1975 Calistoga Railroad * GE U25B Diesel locomotive 1:3 replica and cars built in 1963 by the Keystone Light Railway Products Company in Pennsylvania * Roundhouse, turntable, car barn, machine shop, and workshop * Four full-size cabooses, one of which was founder Al Smith's office at

Orchard Supply Hardware Orchard Supply Hardware (OSH) was an American retailer of home improvement and gardening products. Headquartered in San Jose, California, Orchard Supply Hardware had dozens of locations throughout California, with expansions into Oregon and Flori ...

California Polytechnic State University California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, California or California State Polytechnic Univ ...

(Cal Poly) projects include a railroad crane, a car for passengers with disabilities, and a train station. Swanton Pacific's (SP) "Lazy Espee" brand also acknowledges the Southern Pacific Railroad, one of Al Smith's former employers.

Albert B. Smith, SPR founder

In 1979, railroad enthusiast Albert B. "Al" Smith began collecting the steam locomotives and equipment from the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition Overfair Railway. With the help of many volunteers, he built the Swanton Pacific Railroad on his ranch. He donated the Overfair locomotive that is on permanent display in the lobby of the

California State Railroad Museum The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, United States, interpreting the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. It is located in Old Sacramento State Historic ...

in Sacramento. Smith was also associated with Roaring Camp & Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad in Felton, and the

Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad William Jones (1884–1968), a seasoned veteran of the steam era who established the Wildcat Railroad in Los Gatos, California, was born the son of a teamster in the town of Ben Lomond, California, USA. Jones found employment as an engine wiper at ...

in Los Gatos, and both railroads have locomotives named for him. Smith earned degrees in Crop Science and Agriculture Education from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Following a long teaching career at

Campbell High School (California) Campbell High School was the first high school to open in the Campbell Union High School District. The school was established on September 14, 1900, in Campbell, California. It is also sometimes called Campbell Union High School, and the abbreviat ...

, he succeeded his father as president of Orchard Supply Hardware. He also held leadership roles in Boy Scouts, Rotary Club, and the Town Council of

Los Gatos, California Los Gatos (, ; ) is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area just southwest of San Jose in the foothills of the ...

. His interests in railroading, education, and community service culminated in his 1993 legacy gift of the railroad and Swanton Pacific Ranch to Cal Poly. This gift preserves his desire to provide people with an opportunity to experience and learn from the past, prepare for the future, and participate in Cal Poly's principle of "Learn by Doing".

2020 fires

In 2020 the site was damaged by the

CZU Lightning Complex fires The CZU Lightning Complex fires were wildfires that burned in Northern California starting in August 2020. The fire complex consisted of fires in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, including fires that had previously been separately tracked as ...

. The wildfire scorched tracks, historic buildings and three of the original engines. On December 2, 2022, the landowner, Cal Poly University, announced "the railroad does not fit within the strategic intent of the

and or AND may refer to: Logic, grammar, and computing * Conjunction (grammar), connecting two words, phrases, or clauses * Logical conjunction in mathematical logic, notated as "∧", "⋅", "&", or simple juxtaposition * Bitwise AND, a boole ...

, explaining its decision to abandon the efforts to rebuild the railroad. The railroad will be permanently closed, its equipment donated, and the land will be refocused towards "educational pursuits".

References

External links

sprr.calpoly.edu
nbsp;— Swanton Pacific Railroad
Swanton Pacific Railroad on FacebookSwanton Pacific Railroad on YouTube
Rail transportation in California 19 in gauge railways in the United States {{US-rail-transport-stub