Logo
 
 
6/19/2024
 
 
 
 
 
By:Lucas Connor
Dates:4/17/2009 - 7/28/2022
Album Info:Located in the town of Felton, California are two tourist railroads. The first, the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad (RCBT), is a narrow gauge mountain railroad, climbing from the Felton depot over 3 miles to the top of Bear Mountain, with grades up to 9.5% tackled daily by geared steam locomotives. The second railroad, the Santa Cruz, Big Trees, & Pacific (SCBG), operates from the Felton depot to the boardwalk in Santa Cruz, with several round trips shuttling beachgoers between the two places. The two railroads are owned by the same company, and so I have placed images from both railroads in this album.
  Page Controls   View:  Pics Per Page:
RC&BT "Sonora"
Title:  RC&BT "Sonora"
Description:  Roaring Camp & Big Trees #7 "Sonora" rolls into the station at Felton. It wont be long before she is refueled and ready to haul another load of tourists up the mountain.
Photo Date:  4/17/2009  Upload Date: 12/12/2021 1:23:04 PM
Location:  Felton, CA
Author:  A. Connor
Categories:  Steam,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  RCBT 7(Shay 3 Truck)
Views:  133   Comments: 0
RC&BT Shay #7
Title:  RC&BT Shay #7
Description:  Roaring Camp & Big Trees #7 "Sonora" leads a train into the Felton station. "Sonora" was built in 1911 by Lima as a three-truck Shay, and originally worked for the Battle & Plumas as their number 3. B&P 3, after being sold to the West Side & Cherry Valley, came to Roaring Camp in the mid 1980s. This is my 800th image on RRPA.
Photo Date:  4/17/2009  Upload Date: 12/12/2021 1:28:33 PM
Location:  Felton, CA
Author:  A. Connor
Categories:  Steam,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  RCBT 7(Shay 3 Truck)
Views:  122   Comments: 0
RC&BT 3
Title:  RC&BT 3
Description:  Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad 3 leads a train into the depot at Felton. 3 is one of the few rod-driven locomotives ever operated on the RC&BT, and the onlly one still in active service. #3 was built in 1890 by Baldwin, and spent most of its career on a sugar plantation on Oahu. The engine ended up at a museum in San Francisco, where it was in turn acquired by Roaring Camp in 1966. #3 rarely runs up the mountain, and is instead used from time to time as a parking lot shuttle, shop switcher, and work train engine, as well as making limited appearances during special events.
Photo Date:  7/30/2010  Upload Date: 12/12/2021 1:20:45 PM
Location:  Felton, CA
Author:  A. Connor
Categories:  Roster,Steam,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  RCBT 3(0-4-2)
Views:  165   Comments: 0
RCBT Shay #1
Title:  RCBT Shay #1
Description:  "Dixiana" Shay #1 leads its train up Bear Mountain at the Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad in Felton, California. Trains usually are pulled by Dixiana or Heisler #2, Tuolumne, and are 6-7 cars in length.
Photo Date:  6/21/2013  Upload Date: 11/4/2021 9:51:30 AM
Location:  Felton, CA
Author:  A. Connor
Categories:  Scenic,RollingStock,Steam,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  RCBT 1(Shay)
Views:  131   Comments: 0
Shay #1 "Dixiana"
Title:  Shay #1 "Dixiana"
Description:  At the end of the journey back down Bear Mountain, after passing Mcskunk Junction, Dixiana releases water in a blowdown. This process cleans some of the dirt and debris out of the boiler. The depot at Felton is just around the bend, and the abandoned sawmill is on the left.
Photo Date:  6/21/2013  Upload Date: 11/4/2021 9:54:24 AM
Location:  Felton, CA
Author:  A. Connor
Categories:  Scenic,RollingStock,Steam,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  RCBT 1(Shay)
Views:  128   Comments: 0
SCBG Christmas Train
Title:  SCBG Christmas Train
Description:  Santa Cruz and Big Trees 2641 leads a Christmas train through Santa Cruz. The 2641 was built in 1949 as Santa Fe F7 222L. As part of Santa Fes F-unit rebuild program of the 70s, the unit was rebuilt into a CF7 in 1971. It came to Roaring Camp in the late 1980s, and for several years, wore its freightbonnet paint as it ran between Felton and the Boardwalk, until it recieved its current paint in the late 90s-early 2000s. Still frame from original video.
Photo Date:  11/30/2013  Upload Date: 11/3/2021 8:17:33 PM
Location:  Santa Cruz, CA
Author:  A. Connor
Categories:  Night,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  SCBG 2641(CF7)
Views:  144   Comments: 0
SCBG&P 2641
Title:  SCBG&P 2641
Description:  Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific 2641 prepares to depart the Boardwalk for Felton. 2641 is named after Gene OLague, an Southern Pacific engineer who volunteered and drove trains at Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad in his spare time. It was he who operated the train delivering RC&BTs first steam locomotive from Virginia.
Photo Date:  8/6/2015  Upload Date: 11/21/2021 12:02:52 PM
Location:  Santa Cruz, CA
Author:  A. Connor
Categories:  Roster,Passenger
Locomotives:  SCBG 2641(CF7)
Views:  166   Comments: 0
CF7 Passes The Last WigWag
Title:  CF7 Passes The Last WigWag
Description:  Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific 2600 rumbles across Lincoln Street, past one of the last operating wig-wag signals in California. Only three wigwag crossings are still installed in northern California, and Santa Cruz is home to all three. Of these three, only two are still active, with a third still in place but unused as of 2017. The in-service wigwags are located along Chestnut Street, where the Beach Train must run seven blocks down the middle of the street. The wigwags protect the Walnut-Chestnut and Lincoln-Chestnut intersections. Formerly, an additional two were located in Richmond and Ager respectively.
Photo Date:  7/28/2022  Upload Date: 8/24/2022 12:00:22 AM
Location:  Santa Cruz, CA
Author:  Lucas Connor
Categories:  Signal,Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  SCBG 2600(CF7)
Views:  133   Comments: 0
SCBG 802
Title:  SCBG 802
Description:  Santa Cruz Big Trees & Pacific 802 on SCBG Beach Train SB at Santa Cruz (Lincoln St).
Photo Date:  7/28/2022  Upload Date: 8/27/2022 12:02:49 AM
Location:  Santa Cruz, CA
Author:  Lucas Connor
Categories:  Roster,RollingStock,Passenger,Action
Locomotives: 
Views:  70   Comments: 0
Down The Middle Of Beach Street
Title:  Down The Middle Of Beach Street
Description:  Santa Cruz & Big Trees 2600 leads a northbound Beach Train down the middle of Beach Street in Santa Cruz. Just out of frame to the right is the famed Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. 2600 is leading a return journey for tourists who took the morning train south from Felton to the beach. The CF7 was built as Santa Fe 248, an F7 built in 1951, and was one of 233 F units that Santa Fe rebuilt as hood units. Today, these units can still be found on several shortlines and tourist operations such as this one.
Photo Date:  7/28/2022  Upload Date: 10/9/2022 12:21:30 AM
Location:  Santa Cruz, CA
Author:  Lucas Connor
Categories:  Passenger,Action
Locomotives:  SCBG 2600(CF7)
Views:  128   Comments: 0


Site Design ©2001-2020 Tim Huemmer
Photos © respective authors
  Contact: info@rrpicturearchives.net