The Santa Maria Valley Railroad is a 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 *

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*Fresh and Frozen Food products * Gypsum wallboard *

Lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

Machinery A machine is a physical system that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolec ...

* Petroleum Products *

Plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

*Scrap iron Prior traffic included: *

Beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

Sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

and

Sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and that is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together with ...

Passenger Service

Special passenger service was only offered during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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. The first 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 Hancockbr>
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 , 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 Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

was in the cab with Captain Hancock. Baldwin 21 currently is undergoing restoration in

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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 The Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) was an American manufacturer of railway locomotives from 1825 to 1951. Originally located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it moved to nearby Eddystone, Pennsylvania, Eddystone in the early 20th century. The com ...

1924-built No. 205 was sold to the Albany and Eastern Railroad in Lebanon, Oregon and is used on the Santiam Excursion Trains. 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 The EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by Electro-Motive Diesel, General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between 1954 and 1963. The GP9 succeeded the EMD GP7, GP7 as the second model of EMD's General Purpose (GP) line, inco ...

built in June 1959 (Builder No. 25314) Built for

Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...

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

References

* * * * * *

External links

Official Santa Maria Valley Railroad homepageFriends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad

Additional reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Santa Maria Valley Railroad California railroads Transportation in Santa Barbara County, California