Train Tunnels Through the Santa Cruz Mountains

Route of the South Pacific Coast Railroad from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz shown on a AAA map from the 1930s.

Introduction

From Los Gatos we followed the South Pacific Coast Railroad right-of-way, now a hiking trail along Los Gatos Creek. We climbed Lexington Reservoir’s dam and took Alma Bridge Road heading southwest.

We picked up rideable portions of the right-of-way beyond the reservoir, arriving at a remote paved road and the Wrights town site. “The tunnel is right over here,” my friend said. The four of us dismounted and walked our bikes on a trail next to a rocky creek bordered by grass and redwoods. I took a photo in front of the tunnel.

Looking around, we saw no signs of the town, where steam trains entered the first of two mile-long tunnels, dug with sweat and muscle into the Santa Cruz Mountains. Gone is the Sunset Park picnic grounds, children playing, farmers discussing fruit growing in Santa Clara Valley, the smell of barbecue. In the brilliant sunshine of a warm spring day we heard only the sweet, peaceful sound of bird songs. A tributary of Los Gatos Creek spilled over the tunnel entrance. Tall redwoods caress the steep slopes of this bucolic little valley, sheltered from another much different valley building our future, down the hill 10 miles by rail.

And so it came to pass, my first view of a railroad tunnel in the Santa Cruz Mountains. More than 30 years later I occasionally stop and visit these vanishing tributes to the golden era of railroading. A few tunnels can be found easily, while the others are remote, and mostly on private property. The following pages give you a glimpse of the train’s glory years and the tunnel entrances as seen between 1986 and 1999.

Acknowledgments

The historical information and period photos are taken from Bruce MacGregor’s books on the South Pacific Coast. Central Coast Railway They’re out of print, but can be purchased from used book stores.

Check out ABE books to find them. His books are:

• South Pacific Coast, Howell-North Books, 1968;
• Narrow Gauge Portrait: South Pacific Coast, 1975, Glenwood Publishers;
• A Centennial – South Pacific Coast, Pruett Publishing, 1982.

Another authoritative book on railroading in the Santa Cruz Mountains is Rick Hamman’s California Central Coast Railways, Pruett Publishing, 1980. It’s available in soft cover (revised and updated, 2002) by Otter B Books of Santa Cruz.

I recommend “A Centennial” over MacGregor’s other two books. The first book is excellent as well. The second book is mostly new photos with little new text. Rick Hamman’s book concentrates on railroads other than South Pacific Coast.

Los Gatos

From the Los Gatos station, the train headed along Los Gatos Creek into a narrow canyon. The present day Los Gatos Creek Trail follows the right-of-way for a distance, but at some point the track crossed over the creek. It crossed through the middle of the Lexington Reservoir and past the town of Alma before turning left and heading up the canyon at Aldercroft Heights Road.

Rail tracks being dismantled in 1941 in Los Gatos Creek near the present Lexington Dam. The Interstate Commerce Commission did not give Southern Pacific permission to disband the route until September 1940, so this was most likely taken in 1941.

The supports across Los Gatos Creek are still visible, although partially obscured by trees now.

#1 Wrights Tunnel North

It took three years (1877-1880) to bore through the mountains and lay track. In the process, Wrights tunnel claimed more than 32 lives. During its construction, natural gas seeped from a vein of coal.

On Nov. 17, 1879, workers lit a torch to burn off gas in the tunnel, but this technique proved fatal. Chinese workers burned to death in a terrific explosion. This was the second fatal explosion, following the one on Feb. 12, 1879, which took fewer lives.

Despite these accidents, construction continued and the rail line went through. Davis purchased the Santa Cruz and Felton Railroad right of way to complete the route from Felton to Santa Cruz.

Train right of way at Aldercroft Heights Road

Wrights tunnel early in its construction.

Wrights thrived with the arrival of the narrow-gauge railroad in 1879. This 1907 photo shows the community already in decline. Wrights tunnel in the background is 6,208 feet long.

The bridge over Los Gatos Creek, left corner of the 1907 photo, lives on in 1999, but Wrights is a memory. The tunnel entrance lies a short distance ahead.

Nature has reclaimed the area around the town of Wrights. The tunnel entrance retains remnants of civilization. John Woodfill, Jobst Brandt, and Peter Johnson.

#2 Wrights Tunnel South

Alfred Davis, backed by James Fair, charted a bold plan in 1877 to build a narrow gauge line from Oakland to Santa Cruz through the Santa Cruz Mountains. They foresaw big profits coming from the many sawmills along the way, needing their logs hauled away. The duo called their venture the South Pacific Coast Railroad. Davis invested his wealth, but Fair’s millions reaped from Sierra gold mines provided the real capital.

The railroad’s success hinged on nine tunnels, which kept the average grade to a modest 1.7%; the route peaked at 900 feet in Laurel, with the tunnels saving 700 feet of climbing.

The Laurel side of Wrights tunnel is located down a dirt road near the intersection of Schulties Road and Redwood Lodge Road. The tunnel was rarely photographed. During construction, Cornish miners got into a lively race against Chinese working from the west entrance. The Chinese won.

In the early 1930s standard gauge track ran through the tunnel. This is the Wrights tunnel exit near Laurel.

Wrights tunnel south in 1998. The date above the entrance says 1909.

Wrights South inside at the end of the cave-in.

Wrights south tunnel at the cave-in.

What's left of the Burns Creek Bridge outside the tunnel.

#3 Laurel Station

Train service continued for another 60 years before being derailed by the automobile and severe storms in the winter of 1940. They ripped up the tracks in the summer of 1941, and the tunnels were dynamited shut in on April 4, 1942.

During the glory years between 1900 and 1925, trains crowded with passengers ran to Santa Cruz for sun and play on the beach. By the late 1930s the line was down to one through freight train a day in each direction and passenger service was losing $30,000 a year [from Jon Pullman Porter].

A glorious ride it was. Trains wound through canyons sheltering tall, grand redwoods. On a warm summer day the soothing click-clack click-clack of train over track put many a happy child, and adult, into a peaceful slumber. Lovers caressed during the long, private minutes heading through the smoky Wrights and Glenwood tunnels.

Laurel entrance in 2009, just off Schulties Road where it joins Redwood Gulch.

Mile-long Laurel tunnel starts in Laurel, behind this house to the right. May 31, 2009

Laurel at the turn of the century. Tunnel entrance visible on left, so the building was at the intersection shown left of this image.

A plaque describes what was here in the late 1800s.

#4 Glenwood Tunnel

Over the years − and even now − the brave engineers challenged the mountains, overcoming obstacles: landslides, earthquakes, fallen trees, and raging creeks. The 1906 earthquake shut the Wrights tunnel for more than a year to repair a six-foot misalignment.

Train travel through the Santa Cruz Mountains, never a sure thing, experienced all the problems Highway 17 sees today with landslides and wrecks. One train wreck claimed 14 lives in 1880.

Sadly, the train lost its brakes on the steep 3.5% grade at Rincon, south of Felton, where the tracks cross Highway 9.

During its existence from 1880-1887, South Pacific Coast Railroad gave Southern Pacific a run for its money. The trip from San Francisco to Santa Cruz, including a ferry ride to Oakland, took 3:30, beating Southern Pacific’s longer route through Watsonville by nearly 30 minutes. Fair tired of the business and sold it to Southern Pacific in 1887.

Here's the Laurel to Glenwood tunnel just below Glenwood Highway, a half mile up the road from the Glenwood Highway Cutoff. This is the easiest tunnel to see from a public road. It would be extremely difficult to traverse down the hill. Note the date above the tunnel - 1909. May 31, 2009.

Glenwood had a train "turnaround." Travelers enjoyed a hot spring spa during the summer.

#5 Mountain Charlie East Tunnel

Mtn. Charlie Tunnel, Glenwood portal, is right off of the Glenwood Highway and Mtn. Charlie Road intersection, left of the Bean Creek bridge. The tunnel is caved in just inside the entrance.

#6 Mountain Charlie West Tunnel

Mountain Charlie tunnel, Zayante end, is still open. It's dark, damp, and spooky inside. Water drips and fallen timbers block the way. It's only 910 feet to the north end and Glenwood. (Jobst Brandt photo, Sept. 2006)

Inside the tunnel is a shambles with downed timbers and stones.

Jeff Vance explores the interior. Not recommended.

Mountain Charlie right-of-way is smooth here, but there's a huge landslide farther along.

#7 Zayante Tunnel North

Fortunately, you can still enjoy part of the original route by taking the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Railroad. It follows the San Lorenzo River from Felton. The ride gives you a glimpse of a wild and scenic river canyon accessible only by train and by foot.

This route from Felton to Santa Cruz was abandoned by Southern Pacific in 1982. Tourist operator Big Trees and Pacific took over the line in 1985 and had to do a lot of maintenance to put it back in working order.

There’s a tunnel on this route, which is not shown here.

On long rides through the Santa Cruz Mountains, when approaching the tunnels, more than one tired rider has been heard to say, “Let’s take the tunnel.” If only it were true!

Many attempts have been made to return rail service to Santa Cruz — in 1977, 1982 and 1991 — but each time Santa Cruz officials vetoed the plan.

Zayante Tunnel's north entrance. This 220-foot-long tunnel was converted to store business records. It's located in the town of Zayante.

#8 Zayante Tunnel South

South entrance of Zayante Tunnel is used for data storage, or at least it was. I'm not sure if that company is still in business. The business sign on Zayante Road was removed around 2004.

Here's the Zayante to Felton rail near a creek crossing right off Zayante Rd.

#9 Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz tunnel off Chestnut Street, looking north, ocean side