Ojai Branch

[AmtrakFan454]

So back in December I was in Ojai, and to my vague recollection I had discovered a bike trail on the ex-SP right-of-way a few years previous. Now, as my hotel had a bicycle on hand I decided to try seeing how far along I'd get. What I discovered was an astoundingly scenic stretch of bike trail.

I decided to re-create the line in MSTS, and in so doing began asking for information from Altamont Press.

http://www.altamontpress.com/discussion/...#msg-68650

My Post on Altamont Press Wrote:After biking the Ojai Valley Branch from Milepost 9.5 to its end in the town of Ojai, I began wondering about the route.

Aside from the fact it was abandoned beyond a certain point in 1947 and its remaining few miles were lifted in the 1980s, that a Rails-to-Trails occupies its spot, and that betweeen 9.5 and the end-of-track the line goes through unbelievably scenic countryside (albeit it does have a few intense grades around Milepost 9.5), I really don't know much about day-to-day operations.

More precisely:
1. What kind of motive power did Espee assign to the line?
2. What was its primary traffic?
3. When it was still in use, what did the yard look like?
4. Had it survived into the diesel era, what kind of motive power would it use?
5. Do any good photographs of the line exist when it was in service?

Got a few answers / photographs / etc, but I wonder what the fellas here on WCRF could add. I've gotten a lot more insight from this forum on historic lines.

Many thanks in advance,
AmtrakFan454

[TC Smith]

http://www.abandonedrails.com/Ojai_Branch

http://www.minervaclassics.com/railroad/railroad.htm (scroll down for pictures)

1. What kind of motive power did Espee assign to the line? Small steam like 2-8-0s or similar size.
2. What was its primary traffic? Citrus and oil.
3. When it was still in use, what did the yard look like? 2 tracks with a main.
4. Had it survived into the diesel era, what kind of motive power would it use? Geeps and Gennies.




TCS - more as it's gathered

[Myfordbrowning]

The Ojai branch was in service to Ojai until Jan.-Feb 1969 when it was washed out. After that it was cut back to a few miles out of Ventura to service a oil refinery and a chemical plant that handle ammonia used as a fertilizer.

During the diesel era that trains went to Ojai, end cab switchers such as
NW2, SW8, SW1500, S6 or what ever was assigned to the area at the time were used.

Cliff