Historical Notes: The Suntan Special began in 1927 when the Southern Pacific passanger department realized they had a lot of unused commute cars in San Jose over the weekend. Therefore, the railroad started running trains over the Santa Cruz Mountains Route from San Jose to Santa Cruz.. The trains proved so popular that before long the trains were expanded from San Francisco with a second section coming from Oakland. From then, through the summer of 1940 it continued. With the coming of WWII the train was cut in 1941 as unnecessary to the war effort. During 1941 the Mountain line between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz saw terrible flood damage with much of the mountain right of way being washed away. The line was abandoned from Los Gatos to two miles east of Felton. With the end of the war the Suntan Specials were put back on, the first being run in early 1947. With the mountain route abandoned the trains had to be rerouted down the coast route to Watsonville Junction and then to Santa Cruz along the Monterey Bay Coastline. Said service continued through 1959 and was very popular. Southern Pacific management, however, was down on passenger service and therefore did not start the trains up again in 1960. Legally, because they were not "scheduled" trains they were considered "unnecessary."
Suntans to Santa Cruz Before WWII
Note: from 1927 through 1940 the Suntan Special went from From San Francisco and Oakland to Santa Cruz via the Santa Cruz Mountains route through Los Gatos, Felton, and the Big Trees.SP - Working the San Lorenzo Gorge
Image, SP "Suntan" in San Lorenzo Cyn, 1937 Order No. SPSUNTANI Photo, SP "Suntan" in San Lorenzo Cyn, 1937 - 11" X 17" Order No. SPSUNTANNI Photographer: Fred C. Stoes On this particular 1937 Summer Sunday morning the Photographer jumped in his old Ford and scooted up the County Road out of Santa Cruz toward Felton, California to take a train picture. 72 years later the picture remains. The Southern Pacific "Suntan Special" with two 2300 series (probably) 4-6-0's on the point is seen crossing the concrete arch, and rounding the 14-degree curve, at Inspiration Point, deep in the San Lorenzo Canyon of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11", Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] 11" by 17", Price - $8.50 [Add To Cart] -------------------SP 2-8-0 #2712+
Photo, SP 1937 "Suntan Special" arrives Order No. SP2712X2P Photo, SP 1937 "Suntan Special" arrives - 11" X 14" Order No. SP2712X2NP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes In this view we see the Suntan Special arriving along the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz after just coming over the mountain line from San Francisco, San Jose, Los Gatos and Felton. Note all the people standing on the steps ready to hit the beach and begin a day of fun! Shopping Cart 7" by 11", Price - $ 6.75 [Add To Cart] 11" by 14", Price - $10.00 [Add To Cart] -------------------SP - Five trains waiting at Santa Cruzs
Image, Five Southern Pacific Suntan Specials For reference only, not for sale! Though an impossible photograph to produce because of a very dense negative, this computer enhanced scene has made the difference by allowing for a great record shot. Five sections of "Suntan Special" line the Santa Cruz Yard, waiting to return over the mountain branch via Big Trees at the end of the day. Note the seven 2300 series of 4-6-0's at the ready. Summer, 1937 (Probably July 4th or Labor Day). --------------------SP - On the Mountain Grade
Photo, SP Suntan Special/4-6-0 & 2-8-0, 1937 Order No. SPSNTNCLP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes The Suntan Special is at the Santa Cruz City Limits sign. Any long time engineer who worked the 2.5% - 3.5% grade out of Santa Cruz and up into the San Lorenzo Canyon had the run down to a science. "When you cleared the tunnel in town you had about a mile of railroad ahead of you, straight and true, until you got to the heavy grade. Thus, most of the boys would open her up to about 35 mph. When you got to the city limits sign you backed off on the throttle, coasted through the first six degree curve to the left and then into the eight degree to the right and you were slowed down and on the 2.7 percent. Almost always you were doing 21 miles per hour. You picked up on the throttle and slugged it out at that speed from there to the top of the grade at Rincon."...WHA Shopping Cart 7" by 11", Price - $ 6.75 [Add To Cart] -------------------SP - two 4-6-0's in mountains
Image, 2-SP 2300 4-6-0's on Suntan, 1937 Order No. SP2365X2I Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Two 2300 series Southern Pacific 4-6-0's with the Suntan Special in tow round the curve between Olmpia and Eccles on the old Santa Cruz Mountains branch one 1937 summer, Sunday afternoon. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11", Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------
Suntans at Santa Cruz After WWII
Note: from 1947 to 1959 the Suntan Special went from San Francisco and Oakland to Santa Cruz via Watsonville Junction.SP - Welcome Back "Suntan Special"
Image, SP Santa Cruz "Suntan Special" returns Order No. SPSNTNO2I Photo, SP Santa Cruz "Suntan Special" returns Order No. SPSNTNO2P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes It is a summer Sunday in August of 1947. World War II is over and once again the "Suntan Special" is running from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, California. Taken off for six years to support the war effort, this is the first Suntan to reach the Beach and Boardwalk on a peacetime footing. Note the many people on hand to greet the train. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] 7" by 11" Photo, Price - $ 6.75 [Add To Cart] -------------------SP - The Suntan Returns
Image, SP Santa Cruz "Suntan" returns 1949 Order No. SPSNTNO1I Photo, SP Santa Cruz "Suntan" returns 1949 Order No. SPSNTNO1P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes It is a summer Sunday in 1949. Once again the "Suntan Special" is running from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, California. Shown here 2-8-0 locomotive #2785 is on the point, along with a second Consolidation, leads the train into the Boardwalk in front of the Roller Coaster. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] 7" by 11" Photo, Price - $ 6.75 [Add To Cart] -------------------SP - 2-8-0 #2786 on point, Santa Cruz
Image, Southern Pacific 2-8-0 Locomotive #2786 Order No. SP2786I Photographer: George R. Willey Southern Pacific Consolidated locomotive #2786 sits on the headend, and in front of 2-8-0 #2532. on a Suntan Special, out of view, at Santa Cruz, California, 1948. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------SP - several trains waiting at Santa Cruzs
Image, SP Suntan Special Loco's, Santa Cruz Insufficient to print, ffor reference only! Several Southern Pacific steam engines line the Santa Cruz, California yard, all having recently arrived on sections of the Suntan Special from San Francisco and Oakland. The year is 1950. No doubt it is either a summer Sunday or one of the various summer holidays. --------------------SP - The Suntan Departs
Image, The "Suntan Special" leaves Santa Cruz Order No. SPSNTNBWI Image, The "Suntan Special" leaves Santa Cruz - 11" X 17" Order No. SPSNTNBWNI Photo, The "Suntan Special" leaves Santa Cruz Order No. SPSNTNBWP Photo, The "Suntan Special" leaves Santa Cruz - 11" X 14" Order No. SPSNTNBWP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes It is late in the 1940's. WWII is over and once again the famous "Suntan Special" is coming to the Beach Boardwalk at Santa Cruz, California. It is now 5:10PM on this given August, 1947 Sunday. A Southern Pacific 2300 and 2500 series steam locomotive works the point as over 700 happy beach goers are leaving the "Walk", bound for San Jose, Palo Alto, and eventually San Francisco. Photographer Stoes captured so well, the San Lorenzo River Bridge, the beach sceen, the Roller Coaster, the people watching the train on a lazy late afternoon, and the Suntan Special itself. "Those were such fun times!" WHA Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] 11" by 17" Image, Price - $ 8.50 [Add To Cart] 7" by 11" Photo, Price - $ 6.75 [Add To Cart] 11" by 14" Photo, Price - $10.00 [Add To Cart] -------------------
The Extra Suntan Specials, Santa Cruz - Felton
Note: When the Suntan Specials returned to Santa Cruz after the war there were still many people who remembered the old days when the train over the mountains stopped at Felton and in the Big Trees Grove. From there it traveled down the beautiful San Lorenzo River Gorge. Thus, once the Suntan Special arrived in Santa Cruz via Watsonville Junction, the railroad put on a shorter train from Santa Cruz, up the San Lorenzo Gorge, to Big Trees for the day. Later it would return to Santa Cruz where people could make connections with the Suntan Special returning to the Bay Area. This train was run from 1947 through at least 1950.SP 2-8-2 #3224 "view A"
Image, SP 2-8-2 loco #3224 on X-Suntan, Santa Cruz Order No. SP3224AI For a brief period, 1947-1950(?), when the Suntan Special first started revisiting Santa Cruz after WWII, via Watsonville Jct., a portion of the train, after arriving at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, continued on up to Big Trees and Felton. This was in part because when the same train used to run via Los Gatos, before WWII, Felton and Big Trees saw many tourists depart the train at those locations. The walk amongst the giants in the Henry Cowell Redwood State Park and the recreation offered along the San Lorenzo River were the reasons. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] -------------------SP 2-8-2 #3224 "view B"
Image, SP 2-8-2 loco #3224 on Santa Cruz Frt. 1949 Order No. SP3224BI Photographer: George R. Willey Southern Pacific 2-8-2 steam locomotive #3224 works an Olympia bound freight train through Mt. Hermon, California, April 23, 1949. The short grade from Santa Cruz to Felton had a 3.5 percent ruling grade for a couple of miles which the #3224 handled easily. Here we see one of the earlier, and lighter, Southern Pacific 2-8-2's, #3224, on the shorter X-Suntan Special headed up Chestnut Street in Santa Cruz, soon to be in the San Lorenzo River Gorge. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------SP 2-8-2 #3224 "view C"
Image, SP 2-8-2 loco #3224 on X-Suntan, Shady Gulch Order No. SP3224CI Photographer: George R. Willey Southern Pacific "light" Mike #3224 is working a short section of the Santa Cruz - Big Trees - Felton Suntan Special across Shady Gulch Trestle on the 3.5 percent grade in the San Lorenzo Canyon. There was no place to tuen around the locomotive at Felton, only a run- around track. Therefore, the locomotive went up tender first so it would be facing forward on the downgrade. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11" Image, Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------
The Suntan Special Returns - May 18, 1996
Note: The counties of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz ran a one time Suntan Special from San Jose to Santa Cruz and return to gather data for a possible future train. At the same time Amtrak had a new special train touring the country for all to see. It happened to be near by so they ran it in to Santa Cruz ahead of the one-time Suntan Special. Between the two trains they carried well over a thousand passengers. The Santa Cruz, Big Trees & Pacific was already running two trips a day between Felton/Big Trees and Santa Cruz. Thus, many folks from the two special trains were once again able to continue on up the San Lorenzo Gorge to Felton/Big Trees and see the sites just like the first folks back in 1927. This writer was fortunate enough to have ridden many a Suntan Special from Palo Alto to Santa Cruz in the late 1950's. It was with a great passion that I was onhand to see them return in 1996.Amtrak at Boardwalk
Photographer: Rick Hamman Santa Cruz, California, May 18, 1996: A special Amtrak train loaded with happy beach goers has arrived at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. This, along with another train, listed as the Suntan Special made runs to gather information for the potential reinstatement of the train after a 37 year hiatus. --------------------Suntan Special revisits Boardwalk
Photographer: Rick Hamman A unique Caltrain Suntan Special once again made the shortened trip from San Jose to Santa Cruz, via Watsonville Junction to test the feasibility of such service. Shown here on May 18, 1996 Loco #908 has just arrived at the Boardwalk with several hundred happy folks aboard the Suntan Special. While the day was deemed a success by all, politics has kept it from ever happening again. --------------------
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