Santa Maria Valley Railroad

The Santa Maria Valley Railroad (reporting mark SMV) is a 14.8 miles (23.8 km) shortline railroad that interchanges with the Union Pacific Railroad's (former Southern Pacific) Coast Line at Guadalupe, California. As of 2006, the Railroad is owned by the Coast Belle Rail Corporation.

Traffic

The TRC handles 2,000 cars annually (1996 estimate). Commodities hauled include:

• Asphalt
• Fertilizer
• Fresh and Frozen Food products
• Gypsum wallboard
• Lumber
• Machinery
• Petroleum Products
• Plastic
• Scrap iron

Prior traffic included:

• Beer
• Sugar and Sugar beets

Passenger Service

Special passenger service was only offered during World War II on the Air Base branch to transport military personnel to the Santa Maria Army Air Base for training. The Air Base branch was constructed in 1943. Excursions were offered for the first time on the SMVRR in November 2006, continuing into 2007.

History

The SMV was incorporated on July 14, 1911 as the Santa Maria Valley Railway at Los Angeles, California with A. A. Dougherty listed as President.^[1]

The first 3.26 miles (5.25 km) of track, from the Southern Pacific connection at Guadalupe to Betteravia Junction, was actually built by the SP in August 1899 to get to a sugar mill. The SP leased the track to the SMV years later. From Betteravia the SMV built to Santa Maria and on to Roadamite. The SMV also had branches running from Stowell to Air Base, Suey to Rosemary Farms and Rex to Gates.

By 1925 the railway traffic had steeply declined and the railway went bankrupt. Captain George Allan Hancock [1], a principal of the Dominion Oil Company, purchased the railroad for $75,000 at a Sheriff's auction. The railroad was then reorganized as the Santa Maria Valley Railroad in 1926. Until 2006, the railroad was owned by Captain G. Allan Hancock's estate.

The original line ran for 23 miles (37 km), from Guadalupe to Roadamite. The track from Gates to Roadamite was abandoned in 1950.

The last run of No. 21, Captain Hancock's favorite steam locomotive, was in February 1962. Captain Hancock took the throttle one last time. Walt Disney was in the cab with Captain Hancock.

Baldwin 21 currently is undergoing restoration in Astoria, Oregon to be returned to excursion service.

The Union Sugar Beet plant closed in 1993, ending the beet train era.

In 1999 the G. Allan Hancock Estate gained full control of the SMV. The assets of the railroad were sold to Coast Belle Rail Corporation in 2006, ending an 81-year ownership by the Hancock family.

Other than No. 21, three other steam locomotives are in existence. Following a successful 38 year restoration, the Baldwin Locomotive Works 1924-built No. 205 was sold to the Albany and Eastern Railroad in Lebanon, Oregon and is used on the Santiam Excursion Trains.^[2] No. 100 is in Nevada, but has not yet entered restoration by the Virginia and Truckee. No. 1000 resides on Static Display in Griffith Park at Travel Town.

Timeline

• July 14, 1911 Santa Maria Valley Railway organized
• August 23, 1911 grading commenced
• September 28, 1911 laying rails commenced
• March 15, 1912 construction completed
• October 7, 1911 first train operated
• 1926 Santa Maria Valley Railway reorganized as the Santa Maria Valley Railroad
• 1950 track abandoned between Gates and Roadamite
• 2006 Purchased by the Coast Belle Rail Corp. from the descendants of G.A. Hancock family
• 2008 All track east of McClelland Street now vacated. Offices moved to Betteravia Industrial Park (at the site of the old sugar mill).

Route

Main Route

• Guadalupe (interchange with UP - former SP) originally leased to SMV by SP.
• Betteravia Junction
• Carr
• Pacer
• Midco
• Santa Maria

Air Base Branch (Santa Maria Army Air Base)

• Santa Maria
• Airbase (also with a spur to Pesco)

Betteravia Branch

• Betteravia Junction
• Gumm (Iremel)
• Betteravia

Rosemary Branch (abandoned)

• Santa Maria
• Suey
• Rosemary (Rosemary Farms)
• Battles

Gates Branch (abandoned)

• Rosemary (named after owner G. Allan Hancock's daughter)
• Rex
• Gates
• Roadamite (Gates - Roadamite abandoned in 1950)

Motive Power

The SMV has 5 locomotives:

• SMV #70 a GE 70-ton switcher built in January 1950 (Builder No. 30381) acquired for operation in November 1972 from Fort Dodge DM&S
• SMV #80 a GE 70-ton switcher built in December 1953 (Builder No. 32207) acquired for parts for its fleet of 70-ton switchers in November 1972 from Fort Dodge DM&S
• SMV #1801 an EMD GP9 built in June 1959 (Builder No. 25314) Built for Milwaukee Road as their #319
• BUGX #1322, a former Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe (AT&SF) EMD GP7(u), still with the original Blue and Gold Paint Scheme (leased)
• FWRY 3501 EMD GP35, Purchased from the Fillmore and Western Railway in 2021.

The SMV operated five 70 ton switchers and one U6B that were acquired between 1948-1959.

Roster from the Friends of the SMV: https://friends-smvrr.org/images/history/SMVRR-roster.pdf

Also see The Diesel Shop Roster: https://www.thedieselshop.us/SMVR.HTML

See also

• List of California railroads

References

• Fickewirth, Alvin A. (1992). California railroads: an encyclopedia of cable car, common carrier, horsecar, industrial, interurban, logging, monorail, motor road, shortlines, streetcar, switching and terminal railroads in California (1851-1992). San Marino, CA: Golden West Books. ISBN 0-87095-106-8.
• Robertson, Donald B. (1998). Encyclopedia of Western Railroad History - Volume IV - California. Caldwell, ID: The Caxton Printers. ISBN 0-87004-385-4.
• Stindt, Fred A. (1996). American Shortline Railway Guide - 5th Ed. Waukesha, WI: Kalmbach Publishing Company. ISBN 0-89024-290-9.
• Walker, Mike (1997). Steam Powered Video's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - California and Nevada - Post Merger Edition. Kent, United Kingdom: Steam Powered Publishing. ISBN 1-874745-08-0.
• "Santa Maria Valley Railroad Historical Museum". Railroad Today and History. Retrieved January 9, 2006.
• "Santa Maria Valley Railroad Excursions". Excursions. Retrieved August 21, 2007.

External links

• Official Santa Maria Valley Railroad homepage
• Friends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad
• Abandonment of 5 miles in 2002
• UPRR profile of SMV

Additional reading

• Lustig, David (December 2020). "Short line: Santa Maria Valley". Trains. Kalmbach Media. p. 46.

This page was last edited on 28 February 2024, at 08:30