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"In The News" ... from the museum newsletter, The Depot Dispatch. Volume 20 - (ISSUES IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER) "Candy Cane Train" Begins 8th Holiday Run Nov. 24 - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The 8th annual Candy Cane Train will pull out of the station for the first time on Friday, Nov. 24. The popular year-end family event at the railroad museum will run daily through Dec. 24, except on Mondays and Tuesdays when the museum is closed. Event hours are 1 to 4 p.m. each day. Candy Cane Train tickets are $2.50 each (adult or child), which includes a ride on the festively-decorated miniature train, plus an assortment of holiday treats and favors. Additional rides will be available for 75¢ each. Members receive their usual 25¢ discount on all tickets purchased. Tickets will be sold at the museum during event hours. All train riders must meet the museum's 34-inch minimum-height requirement. Early Birthday Presents Mark Centennial's Approach - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) Goleta Depot has already begun to receive gifts honoring its 100th year in 2001. The first birthday present to arrive - a gift from longtime members Isabel Friend Newman and John Friend - was a set of new lace curtains, enough to furnish the entire second-floor agent's apartment in the depot. Next came a pair of $500 gifts, one from Santa Barbara Bank & Trust and another from the Goleta Noontime Rotary Club. At Rotary's request, a portion of their donation will be used to create a new end-of-school-year free-day at the museum next June. Watch upcoming Depot Dispatch issues for more news of Centennial gifts as they are received. Board Unveils Major Project; Reports Key Early Support - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The Board of Trustees has announced plans for the largest capital project in the history of the railroad museum. The project includes a new 800-square-foot multi-purpose building and a walkway across the western portion of the museum property. Also announced was a $25,000 grant, awarded by the Santa Barbara Foundation in support of the $115,000 construction. On Design Architects has also donated all architectural services for the project, valued at $8,000. The new building will serve as an expanded museum store and will also become home of visitor orientation services at the museum. It can also be used for meetings, lectures, and other evening activities - when the rest of the museum is closed. The building will be positioned on the east side of the entry walk, directly south of the miniature-train track. The pathway will give all museum visitors - including those with wheelchairs, strollers, or limited mobility - safe access to the western half of the property. Despite the limited accessibility, this area is already popular with many visitors wishing to experience Goleta Depot's handsome facade, take photos, enjoy the trees and spring flowers, or wave to others aboard the train. Readers with internet access can view a site plan and architectural drawings on the museum's web site: www.goletadepot.org. IMLS Grant Received - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The museum has been awarded a two-year, $21,679 General Operating Support Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency that administers programs in support of our nation’s libraries and museums. The railroad museum
was one of only 11 California recipients of the prestigious grants.
There were 177 grants awarded nationwide in the annual competition
that is open to all museums, regardless of size or subject matter. McKee Joins Museum Board - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) John McKee has been elected to the Board of Trustees for a two-year term. A retired physicist, McKee has been a volunteer at the museum for the past year, sharing the historical landmark and model-railroad exhibit with visitors and serving as a conductor aboard the Goleta Short Line. Welcome New Members - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) Beth Wordsworth is a
new Contributing Member; Hal Lewis and Bruce Morden have become
Life Members. It’s Gifts Galore for Holidays At Museum Store - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) Looking for something special for those rail fans and history aficionados on your holiday shopping list? Look no further than the museum’s Trackside Shop – an oasis of gifts ideas for all ages. The shop has a great selection of books, educational toys and games, train videos, T-shirts, engineer’s caps, whistles and specialty items. Every purchase that you make benefits the museum and, as a member, you receive a 10% discount on all shop purchases (Be sure to bring your membership card!). We accept Mastercard and Visa, as well as your personal check. Museum Hours Return To Former Schedule - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The museum has returned to its former schedule: Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. During this past summer, we tested the benefits of a longer museum day, by opening at 11 a.m. Because this trial proved successful, it is likely that the museum will adopt an expanded daily schedule on a permanent basis sometime during 2001. Fairview Car Wash To Sponsor “March Madness” - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) There’ll be another full month of unlimited free rides on the Goleta Short Line for all museum visitors when March Madness returns for its third year in 2001. The event is being made possible by a generous sponsorship gift from Fairview Car Wash. The 2000 event, which was underwritten by Goleta National Bank, set an all-time record of 2,154 train rides, the most ever given at the museum in one month, and marking only the second time in museum history that a month’s total has exceeded the 2,000-ride mark. “Super Saturday V” Kicks Off Jan. 27 - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The 5th Annual “Super Saturday!” will be held at the museum on Jan. 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. The event marks the first day of unlimited free miniature-train rides during 2000. It is open to the general public. All riders must meet the 34-inch minimum-height requirement. Super Saturday is made possible by the sponsorship support of local businesses, organizations, and members. Sponsors for the 2000 event included Cox Communications; Friedlander & Associates Insurance Services; Michael J. Gartzke, CPA; Mid-State Bank; and Timbers Restaurant & Catering — many of whom will be returning as supporters in 2001. Cold Springs Tavern has already been enlisted as a new sponsor for Super Saturday V. Each year, hundreds of free rides are given on Super Saturday to museum visitors. We hope there will be plenty of members and other Depot Dispatch readers on hand for the 2001 event, as well. Volunteers Honored At BBQ - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The museum’s volunteers were treated to a free dinner and rides on the train and handcar as part of a “Volunteer Appreciation Barbecue” held Saturday, July 22, in conjunction with Steaming Summer 2000. It was an opportunity to recognize all of the museum’s volunteers,whose hard work and dedication is crucial to the continued success of the organization. There were 55 volunteers, trustees, staff, and family members in attendance and more than 100 rides were given. Holiday Display Shares Members’ Keepsakes - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The label that introduces
the museum’s annual holiday display reads: The always-delightful
year-end display, which opens Friday, Nov. 24, in conjunction with
the 8th Annual Candy Cane Train event, can be viewed in Goleta Depot’s
Waiting Room through Jan. 7 during regular museum hours. There’s still time to take part in this year's exhibition. If you would like to add your own personal touch to this popular holiday display, please contact the museum office immediately (964-3540), or leave a message including your name and phone number. Depot Day Scores Again - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The most successful silent auction in the 18-year history of Depot Day highlighted the Sept. 24 event. As always, this year’s fall classic was made possible by the help and support of hundreds of people and organizations who donated equipment, supplies, auction items, and their valuable time. Brightening the day with their energy and their delightful renditions of railroad songs and other musical favorites were Showstoppers and the Monte Vista Elementary School chorus, both directed by Radu Azdril. It was the fourth consecutive Depot Day appearance for both youth groups. Trustees David Chapman and John Locke each played key roles in planning for this year’s Depot Day barbecue. Food preparers and servers included Todd Littlewait, Judy and Hannah Savage, Arlene Radasky, and Dondra Lankin. Staffing the silent auction were Kari Adams, Connie Allen, Judy Blue, Peggy Langle, Margaret Pryde, and our two auction mainstays, Diana Mina and John Starr. The success of this year’s auction was due in no small part to the generous donations of auction items from more than 150 businesses, members, and other museum friends. Volunteering on the
Goleta Short Line were Joel Bingham, Bob Burtness, Joe Gartman,
and Sy Lankin. Bill Parker and Noel Langle kept the handcar ride
running smoothly. The handcar shared the mainline track with Bob
Mahan and his Ventura County Railway inspection speeder, who treated
ticketholders to a not-to-be-forgotten trip into yesteryear. Susan
Cavalli, Trustee Kip Kramer, and Stella Kramer helped to staff the
admissions table, greeting the day’s guests, distributing flyers,
and collecting donations. Another trustee, Bruce Morden spent the day as depot agent, selling ride tickets through the Freight Office ticket window, demonstrating equipment and answering questions, while clerks Edee Brown and Susan Cavalli helped out in a Trackside Shop that was busy throughout the day. The model railroad exhibit was shared by Stan Benda and Bob Miesbauer. RoseAnn Hill and Hilda Volkman opened Goleta Depot’s second floor, giving visitors a rare look at the agent’s former living quarters. Gene Allen, assisted by Hal Lewis, kept the steam-engine display in operation, to the delight of hundreds of Depot Day attendees. Junior ROTC representatives from Dos Pueblos High School, under the leadership of Capt. Dan Freitas, handled event parking and also helped with the early morning setup. Pastor Paul Hoefer at Christ Lutheran Church approved our use of the church field for overflow parking. Another good neighbor, the Goleta Valley Historical Society, loaned the museum tables and chairs for the event. Other helpers for event setup and cleanup included Kari Adams; Robert Adams; Ben Adams; Connie Allen; Gene Allen; Judy Blue; David Chapman; Noel and Peggy Langle; Todd Littlewait; Carol, Scott, Chris and Samantha Matthew; Diana and Mike Mina, Judy and Hanna Savage, and Peter Tiersma. Museum's Christmas Tree Is Part Of A Long Tradition - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) Holiday-season travelers along North Los Carneros Road will be treated to the lovely Victorian scene created by the Goleta Depot tree. The effect is especially dramatic at night, when the tree lights project like a beacon in the darkness. For almost two decades
now – ever since the depot was moved to its new home at Lake
Los Carneros County Park – the decorated tree has been placed
in the landmark buildings’ second-floor window bay. This has
special significance for the Yuletide season, preserving a still
older custom, practiced over the years by countless railroad-station
agent families across America, of placing their Christmas tree in
a prominent spot, where its message of hope and wonder could be
shared with passengers and crews aboard passing trains. Channel Communications Renews Support for Monthly Handcar Rides - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) There’ll be free
monthly rides on the museum handcar again next year, thanks to Channel
Communications. The local cellular telephone service has agreed
to sponsor the popular free activity for a second year. Second Story Gets New Bright Yellow Cover - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) Painters will soon be
putting the final touches on a complete repainting of Goleta Depot’s
second-floor exterior. The paint color matches the original “Colonial
Yellow” used by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The project
is being funded, in part, by a $2,000 grant from the Wood-Claeyssens
Foundation. Holiday Party Is Dec. 12 - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) Leave an opening on
your holiday calendar for the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 12, when
the museum will hold its annual year-end party. The holiday event
will be at Goleta Library, 500 N. Fairview Ave, beginning at 7 p.m. The holiday party is a great opportunity to meet and enjoy others in the museum family. Please plan to attend this annual year-end celebration and get-together. The party has been held at Goleta Library since 1993. Readers Reap Rail Rewards - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) Depot Day marked the conclusion of another successful year of South Coast Railroad Museum participation in the Summer Reading Program of the Santa Barbara Public Libraries. Every child who completed the program by reading 15 or more books received a certificate that could be used for two free rides on the Goleta Short Line – one for themselves plus another for a friend or family member. This year, 2,482 youngsters
in the juvenile readers category earned the free-ride certificates.
Over 5,000 boys and girls signed up for this year’s reading
program according to Library Director Carol L. Keator. The Summer Reading Program is open to children ages 2-14 throughout most of Santa Barbara County, including Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Montecito, Santa Ynez, and Solvang. Volunteer News - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) Had and Ellie Reeves and Allie and Jerry Pressman have completed all of their training, graduating to become Coast Starlight guides. There will be an orientation meeting for prospective Coast Starlight guides on the evening of Thurs., Nov. 30. If you would like to apply for admission to the program, or would simply like more information, you are urged to attend this informal meeting. Please call the museum (964-3540) for the meeting location, time, and other details. There is also a need for more volunteers in all visitor-service areas at the museum, including volunteers to operate the miniature-train and handcar rides, clerks for the museum store, and “station agent,” who share the historical landmark and model railroad exhibit. The basic volunteer commitment is one afternoon (three hours) each month. Both weekend and weekday openings are available. A LOOK BACK: 100 YEARS AGO - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The long-awaited completion of Southern Pacific’s Coast Line was drawing to a close in the final weeks of 1900. While most public attention was focused on the laying of new track west of Goleta, the railroad was also devoting much time and effort to improving and straightening the original 1887 line from the south. The final few miles of the old line,between Santa Barbara and the Goleta Valley , was especially in need of attention. Built to branch-line standards for slow speeds, there were 28 curves as the track snaked along most of the existing land contours. On Oct. 24, 1900, crews finished the realignment work on the long segment from Hope Ranch west to the end-of-track. By November, “The Gap” had been reduced to a scant few miles, including the principal remaining impediments, two canyons. When the Arroyo Hondo, west of Refugio, was spanned in late November, all that remained was Cementerio, about four miles further west, near Gaviota. As the weeks passed, crews found themselves draw into an undeclared race to complete the final link, the viaduct at Cementerio, before year’s end. They eventually won, but by only a few hours: when the locomotive of the construction train at last was able to cross the completed bridge it was 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. The Gap had been closed! The museum’s web site has the entire chronology. The page address is: www.goletadepot.org/Timeline0.htm A LOOK BACK: 20 YEARS AGO - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) In August 1980, Goleta
Beautiful's board of directors received a letter that would have
enormous implications for the future of Goleta Depot. The letter
– from the attorney for the Kellogg family, which had been
battling with the S.P. over rights to the depot land – held
the information that Goleta Beautiful had been waiting for. The
directors were notified that the parties in the property dispute
expected the suit to end soon, which would at last make the depot,
itself, available "to an organization which would preserve
it as a building of historical interest." A delegation organized by the Depot Committee visited the depot in December, symbolically cutting a chain that had barred entry since the building was closed back in 1973, and inspected the building inside and out. Among those in attendance were architect Raymond Baird, a Depot Committee member, and local building contractor J.W. Bailey. The construction professionals determined that the building was structurally sound and could still be saved. The dream of saving Goleta Depot was another step closer to becoming a reality. A LOOK AHEAD: 2001 - THE CENTENNIAL YEAR - (Vol. 20, No. 4 - Winter 2000-2001) The celebration of Goleta
Depot’s 100th anniversary will be evident in everything in
the museum does in 2001. Next, on April 3, Santa
Barbara’s most prolific local-history lecturer, Neal Graffy,
will offer a new program on Naples, the Goleta-area community that
was planned in anticipation of the Coast Line’s completion. George Pullman Heir Will Speak On Famous Ancestor - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) Warren Miller will present an illustrated lecture, “Palace Car Pioneer: George Pullman's Legacy,” on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at Goleta Library, 500 North Fairview Avenue. The program will begin at 7 p.m. George M. Pullman rose to prominence in the post-Civil War era marked by rapid railroad expansion in America. His Pullman Palace Car Company instituted major advances in passenger rail travel, but the Pullman name also is inexorably linked to major events in American labor history and industrial town planning. A great-grandson of George Pullman, Warren Miller can bring a personal touch to the Pullman saga. Born and raised in Chicago, Miller has been a Santa Barbara resident since 1989. He is a member of the South Coast Railroad Museum and a director and Secretary of the Wildling Museum. Now retired, Miller and his wife, Marlene, live in Hope Ranch. The program, which is part of the museum’s Continuing Lecture Series, is free and open to members and the general public. Warren Miller will be on hand to answer questions and meet with attendees following his presentation. Refreshments also will be served after the program. McKees Adopt No. 2655 - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) Members John and Helen McKee have adopted Goleta Short Line Engine No. 2655, known to most museum regulars simply as “The Gray Engine.” John McKee is a museum regular. He volunteers several days each month, both as a weekday agent and as conductor aboard the miniature train. The museum is still looking for sponsors for two passenger cars, No. 3 and No. 4 (currently painted yellow and green, respectively). The annual sponsorship donation is $150 for each car, which includes a pair of handsome brass-finish plaques bearing the sponsor’s name, which are displayed on each side of the adopted piece of rolling stock. A sponsor can be an individual, couple, family, organization or business. The Clas Lensander Family, including Junior Engineers Bjorn and Nicholas, have sponsored Engine No. 1316 and Cars No. 2 and No. 5 since early 1999. For more details, on car adoption, contact Museum Director Gary Coombs – in person, by phone (805-964-3540) or via e-mail (gcoombs@goletadepot.org). Museum Passport Program - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) The Museum Passport Program, which concluded in June, brought more than 440 South Coast children and their families to the railroad museum this past spring. The participants ranged from preschoolers to 8th graders (most were K-5), representing more than 40 schools from Ellwood to Montecito. Upon completing the museum’s Self-Guided Tour of Goleta Depot, participating children received a museum stamp in their personal “Museum Passport” booklet; 10 or more stamps from different museums earned the student a special T-shirt. The highly successful program was a cooperative effort of the railroad museum and other members of the Santa Barbara Museum Educators’ Roundtable. The Roundtable is now seeking a sponsor so that the program can be renewed in 2001. Longer Hours Pay Early Dividend - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) Results have been encouraging since the museum began experimenting with expanded visitor and train-ride hours on July 1. Attendance over the July-August period was up about 20% compared with 1999, while train ridership increased more than 25% over the same two-month period. The museum store has benefiited even more from the new 11-4 schedule. Store sales for July-August are up more than 80% compared with a year ago. Steaming Summer 2000 Video On The Internet - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) If you missed Steaming Summer, or if you were there and would like to watch you and your friends taking part in this year’s steam weekend, you might want to take a look at the on-line video of the event at sblife.com. There’s plenty of action in this two-minute production, which can be downloaded at: www.sblife.com/qtmovies.htm. “Thomas & Magic Railroad” Showing Benefits Museum - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) It was a packed house at the Fiesta Five Theatre for the special July 29 screening of “Thomas And The Magic Railroad.” All proceeds from the event, more than $1,400, went to support museum programs, thanks to the generosity of Metropolitan Theatre Corp. and the more than 280 museum members and friends who bought tickets for the gala performance. Thanks are due also to the Santa Barbara News-Press, Goleta Valley Voice, K-Lite Radio, and the other local print and broadcast media that did such a wonderful job of publicizing the benefit. Mocker Memorials Received - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) Gifts in memory of Betty Mocker have been received from Ben and Kathy Beh, Gary Coombs, Ann Makar, Kay Schmidt, Dorothy and Maria Stegon, and Hilda Volkman. At their July 12 meeting, the museum’s Board of Trustees created a special fund within the Museum Endowment, named “In Memory of Betty Mocker,” to accept these and any future donations. Mocker, a museum volunteer and member, died May 25. Surfliner Display - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) The display case in
the Waiting Room contains an exhibition focusing on Amtrak’s
new Surfliner train service. The Surfliner, which replaces the San Diegan trains, serves Santa Barbara County with stops at Guadalupe, Surf, Goleta, Santa Barbara and Carpinteria. Welcome New Members - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) New Life Members include David C. Chapman, Thea Cremers and Peter Tiersma, Noel and Peggy Langle, and Pat and Perry Lorentzen. Other new members are Frances and John Gilliland, Peggy Langle, William Stewart and Kevin Walsh. The newest members of the Junior Engineers Club are Sean Babcock, Isaac Daniel Calderon, Curtis Darga, Dylan Darga, Gabriel V. Elbert, Rikiho Eto, Alexander Hughes, James Riedel, Jeffrey Sloan, Jonathan Sloan, Olivia De Venne and Cole Wheeler. Volunteer News - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) We are pleased to welcome Peggy Langle and William Stewart as new volunteers-in-training. Peggy, who is County Environmental Health Director and wife of Museum Trustee Noel Langle, has been learning to be a clerk in the Trackside Shop. William is training to be a guide in the Coast Starlight Interpretive Program. Sharr Bryan-Herman and Sandy Livelsberger have each completed their training to become full-fledged Coast Starlight guides. Guides-In-Training Had and Ellie Reeves and Allie and Jerry Pressman will make their first program presentations before a live Coast Starlight audience in October. Attention Scolari's Shoppers! - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) If you do your grocery shopping at Scolari's, you can help the museum by re-applying for your Scolari's card and entering the number “5227” in the “Friendship Fund” space. This is the Friendship Code number for the South Coast Railroad Museum. The museum will receive a donation from Scolari's, based on your total purchases, once the Friendship Code has been added to your card. Special thanks to Jim Felland for alerting us of this opportunity! Jim, who works at Scolari’s, is a guide in the museum’s Coast Starlight Interpretive Program. Jr. Engineers Party - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) Dozens of Jr. Engineers Club members, plus friends and family, took part in the 9th annual Junior Engineers Party on July 13. Lots of train rides, special showings of Thomas The Tank Engine videos, and scrumptious refreshments were all part of the event. Steaming Summer 2000: A Weekend To Remember - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) The 2000 edition of Another Steaming Summer, held July 22-23, will be remembered as one of the most colorful in the 14-year history of the event. The circus theme added much to the weekend once again. Making this possible were Ken and Carolyn Weber, who set up their “K & C Famous Family Circus” (see photo on page 4) in the model-railroad exhibit, and to Ted Cheesman, who loaned cars from his circus train for use on the Goleta Short Line. The steam locomotives that hauled those Goleta Short Line trains included Gene Allen’s coal-burning 4-4-0 American, Ed Winnewisser’s 0-6-0 switch-engine, and Bill Hoey’s 2-6-0 mogul. Volunteers who helped with the train-ride included Joel Bingham, Ted Cheesman, Joe Gartman, Steve Kramer and Sy Lankin. The handcar ride was staffed by Noel Langle, Bruce Morden and Bill Parker. For the fifth straight year, the miniature train and handcar carried more than 1,000 total passengers over the two days. Jim Higman and Jim Marchiando spent the weekend demonstrating how steam energy can power pumps, whistles and tools to hundreds of spellbound Steaming Summer attendees. The cooking and food-booth operations were handled by David Chapman, Roy Dugger, Mike Mina, Ann Munns, Arlene Radasky, and Rich Thom. Supplies for the booth were donated again this year by the Goleta Lions. Greeting arrivals at the admissions table were Noel and Peggy Langle, Pat Lorentzen, Bruce Morden, and Dick and Wendy Shelton, while Kip Kramer and Perry Lorentzen kept the model-railroad exhibit open and running smoothly. The Freight Office was staffed by veteran agents Ed Leska and Margaret Pryde. Bruce Morden and son, Michael Morden, camped out Friday and Saturday nights on the museum grounds, guarding the event’s equipment and materials. Event sponsor Toyota of Santa Barbara and owner Denny Franks earn another huge thank you for their generous sponsorship support again this year. Depot Day Special Report - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) The 18th Annual Depot Day will be held Sunday, Sept. 24. Event hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Depot Day is held each fall to commemorate and celebrate the preservation of Goleta Depot. The event, which is made possible by members and friends, is the museum's main annual community fundraiser. A donation of $1 per
person will be requested upon entering the museum grounds on Depot
Day. There are always lots
of great buys on items for yourself or gifts for friends and family
at the silent auction. Always represented in the auction are fine restaurants such as the five-star Citronelle, Four Seasons Biltmore, and Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort. The auction also includes two Amtrak rail getaways, a roundtrip for four to Anaheim/Disneyland and a roundtrip for two to San Diego featuring Amtrak's "Pacific Class" service, which includes complimentary food and beverage service at your seat, and many other amenities. The silent auction is a very important revenue source for the museum. Please help the organization and yourself by stopping by the tables and placing bids on some of these fabulous items. If you have new items, collectibles, or valuable services to donate to the auction, please call Assistant Director Phyllis Olsen in the museum office (964-3540). Back by popular demand will be the energetic youth singing group, SHOWSTOPPERS, and the Monte Vista Elementary School Choir, both under the direction of Radu Azdril. A delicious barbecue meal will be served. Attendees will have their choice of entree — tri-tip beef or chicken breast — along with green salad, toasted french bread, and ranch beans. Ticket prices on the day are $7 for adults and $5 for children under 12. BBQ tickets can also be purchased in advance, which includes $1 off the regular price. Advance tickets are available in the museum's Trackside Shop, (purchases of three or more tickets can be made by credit card), or from museum trustees and staff. If possible, please buy your BBQ tickets before Depot Day. In addition to saving $1 on every ticket, you'll be helping event planners to estimate the number of meals to prepare. There will also be hot dogs, soft drinks, and other refreshments served throughout the day by our volunteers. A steam display will feature a tabletop array of operating steam-driven machines, shared by Eugene Allen. Southern California representatives of Operation Lifesaver, Adam and Vikki Martinez, will be at Depot Day to hand out fun souvenirs and talk to visitors about pedestrian and vehicle safety around trains and railroads. Films on a variety of railroad topics will be shown throughout the day in the museum's Gandy Dancer Theater. Depot Day will be your last chance to see Ken and Carolyn Weber’s HO-scale “K&C Famous Family Circus“ in the model railroad exhibit room. Centennial Special - (Vol. 20, No. 3 - Fall 2000) A LOOK BACK: 100 YEARS AGO The long-anticipated completion of Southern Pacific’s Coast Route was only a few months away in Sept. 1900. Work trains from the north and south – carrying crews, supplies, and heavy equipment to the opposing ends-of-track – were now less than 20 miles apart. In the spotlight were
the broad canyons west of Goleta and the railroad’s dogged
efforts to span them. By September’s end, mastery of Alegria
Canyon, four miles west of Gaviota, had been achieved. In late November, crews completed construction of the 541-foot-long bridge across Arroyo Hondo, 4 miles west of Refugio (There is a handsome scaled reproduction of this bridge in the model-railroad exhibit at the South Coast Railroad Museum.*). The stage was set at
last for “The Gap” to be closed. A LOOK BACK: 20 YEARS AGO In fall of 1980, the future looked bleak for the the historical landmark that was beginning its 80th year of existence. The railroad had closed its Goleta station and boarded up the building in 1973, launching a legal battle between Southern Pacific and the original owners, the Kellogg family, over rights to the depot land. The Goleta Valley Historical Society flirted with the notion of relocating and preserving Goleta Depot, but dropped the idea in 1977. Fortunately, others in the community didn’t give up. In 1979, another local nonprofit, Goleta Beautiful, picked up the banner. Those involved in these early efforts by Goleta Beautiful included George Adams, Jay Beckerman, Charla Dufour, Donna Simons, and Jay Torrey. Simons, in particular, urged the group to press forward. At its November 1979 meeting, Goleta Beautiful established a committee to study the possibility of saving the landmark building, with Simons and Torrey as its first members. By a narrow 4-3 vote, a reluctant board also established a bank account to accept donations in support of the cause, but agreed not to launch a fund-raising campaign at that time. The first half of 1980 proved a difficult time to generate much enthusiasm for a depot preservation project. The depot’s condition – described as “rapidly deteriorating” in a Dec. 1, 1979 article in the Santa Barbara News-Press – caused many to hesitate. And, the court fight between Southern Pacific and the Kellogg heirs, which confounded the issue of who actually owned Goleta Depot, seemed like it might never end. Six months after the Goleta Depot Fund had been established, the balance stood at less than $36. It was a frustrating period, during which a number of people left Goleta Beautiful or curtailed their active participation. At the July 25, 1980 meeting, several new members were added to the Goleta Beautiful board. Among these were Raymond Baird*, a local architect, and Gary Coombs, executive director of the nonprofit Institute for American Research. Neither man knew much about the stalled efforts to save the beloved landmark, but that would rapidly change. In August, Coombs was placed on the Goleta Depot Committee, which then consisted of George Adams and Jay Torrey. Baird became a committee member soon thereafter. Adams, Baird and Coombs would form the nucleus of a revitalized Goleta Depot Committee, with Adams in charge of early fundraising, Baird as project architect and general contractor, and Coombs as chairman. There were long months of hard work ahead, but this time an entire community would rally to the call. The dream of saving Goleta Depot had found new life. "Steaming Summer" Sizzles July 22 & 23 - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) Every year, the museum invites owners of miniature live-steam locomotives to take part in a special weekend public event called "Another Steaming Summer." Usually it is the only chance our visitors have during the year to ride on the Goleta Short Line when the trains are steam-powered. This year's event - the 14th annual - will be held July 22-23. Steaming Summer will again adopt a circus theme - a tradition started in 1998. One of the trains will be a circus train, including several rare circus cars from the collection of Ted Cheesman. Event attendees will be able to ride the circus train, as well as the other trains operating during the event. The model-railroad exhibit will also take on the circus motif. The exhibit will be augmented with Ken and Carolyn Weber's HO-scale "K&C Famous Family Circus," which they are bringing back after its popular inaugural run last summer. The three-ring circus includes a big top, operating 20-car circus train, and much more. The museum's only two-day event, Steaming Summer is sponsored by Toyota of Santa Barbara. Hours both days are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Museum members are invited to come early (10-11 a.m.) to watch the locomotives being steamed-up in preparation for the day's activities (Early-bird attendance is limited to members and their accompanying guests only, please). Daily admission to the event is $3, which includes unlimited rides on both the Goleta Short Line and handcar. The admission charge applies to everyone, including those who elect not to ride, while infants and any others who are unable to ride the train will be admitted without charge. For late arrivals, the admission price will drop to $2 after 3 p.m. Advance tickets, at 50¢ off (75¢ off with membership card) are now available in the museum's Trackside Shop. Gene Allen has been busy assembling another great collection of steam locomotives and other steam equipment for operation or display. As of early June, when this issue of the Depot Dispatch went to press, the list of scheduled visiting operating equipment included: Gene's own 4-4-0 American - a 500-lb. coal-burning replica of an engine built in 1888 by the Cook Locomotive and Machine Co. of Patterson, N.J.; an 0-6-0 switch-engine owned by Ed Winnewisser of Atascadero; an Allen Models 2-6-0 mogul, owned by Bill Hoey; and Jim Marchiando's steam plant, which will drive a water pump, a set of steam whistles, and a number of smaller machines and devices on a table-top display shared by Jim Higman. The program will also include continuous free showings of railroad films, with an emphasis on steam power, including tutorials on how to operate and maintain a steam locomotive - shown in the museum's Gandy Dancer Theater. Tri-tip sandwiches, "Depot Dogs," beverages, and other lunch and snack items will be available for purchase during the event. Don't miss this once-a-year chance to see and ride the Goleta Short Line under a full head of steam It's great fun. New “Thomas” Movie Will Benefit Railroad Museum - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) “Thomas And The Magic Railroad,” the first-ever big-screen production starring America’s favorite locomotive, Thomas The Tank Engine, opens late July. There will be a special screening to benefit the South Coast Railroad Museum on Sat., July 29 at 9:30 a.m. at the Fiesta Five Theatre, 916 State St. The museum will receive all proceeds from this benefit showing, a generous gift from our friends at Metropolitan Theatres. Please support the museum by attending this special performance. Tickets are $5 (child or adult) and will go on sale June 16, both at the museum and the Arlington Ticket Agency (1317 State St.; open Mon.-Sat. 9-6, Sun. 9-4). For more information, call the museum (805-964-3540) any weekday afternoon. Museum Passport Program - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) Staff from the railroad
museum has been working this spring with other local museum educators
– all members of the Santa Barbara Museum Educators’ Roundtable
– in a new program for local elementary school students. The passport program has meant a huge boost in attendance at the railroad museum. Over the March-April-May period, more than 400 passport-bearing youngsters have visited the museum, while participation in the self-guided tour of Goleta Depot (the required activity at the railroad museum) has soared beyond the 1,000 mark. The Museum Passport program is being sponsored by the City of Santa Barbara, with additional financial support from the Williams-Corbett Foundation. “Plugged In” Pages Reach Out To Area Youth - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) Another current project of the Museum Educator’s Roundtable is a series of “Plugged In” pages for children that appear monthly in the Santa Barbara News-Press. Each full-page issue in the series focuses on a different educational theme. The Sunday, June 25 issue will deal with transportation and will feature an article on railroad handcars by Museum Director Gary Coombs. The article will include a photo of the museum’s handcar in action, with volunteer Bill Parker aboard. The series, which began last December, is sponsored by the News-Press. New Hours At Museum - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) The museum will be open to the public longer hours beginning July 1. Under the new schedule, the doors will open two hours earlier each day , at 11 a.m. instead of 1 p.m. Days of operation will remain Wed. through Sunday, closed Mondays & Tuesdays. The miniature-train ride will also have expanded hours under the new schedule. Train operations will begin at 11 a.m., with the last train departing the station at 3:50 p.m. The ride will also be available all five days for the first time. Previously, there were no train rides on Thursdays. To introduce the new schedule, all train rides will be free on Thursday, July 6 and between 11 a.m and 12:30 p.m. over the weekend of July 1-2. Museum Leads School Group On Amtrak Adventure - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) The museum’s program of railroad field trips for local children, which has been on hold for several years, came to life on May 4 when Museum Director Gary Coombs and Asst. Director Phyllis Olsen escorted a group of 28 students, parents and staff from a 1st-2nd grade class from La Patera Elementary School on an excursion from Goleta to Ventura via Amtrak. The roundtrip was completed comfortably between 9 am and noon, with almost an hour available for a quick beach visit and snack-time at the destination. The excursion was a unique opportunity for the youngsters to learn, not only about trains and rail travel, but also about the history and natural wonders of the area traveled. Teacher Toni Schinnerer described the adventure as “a trip ... my students ... will always remember.” The entire group rode compliments of Amtrak, which has been working with the museum to expand their partnering activities, which currently includes the popular interpretive program conducted by museum volunteers aboard Amtrak’s Coast Starlight and a summer display in Goleta Depot’s Waiting Room to introduce museum visitors to Amtrak’s new Pacific Surfliner trains. Dads Get Free Rides Thanks To Goleta National Bank - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) All dads and granddads visiting the museum on Father's Day, Sunday, June 18, will be treated to unlimited free rides on the Goleta Short Line, compliments of Goleta National Bank. There will be four trains per hour, beginning at 1:15, with the last train pulling out of the station promptly at 3:45.
Goleta National Bank has sponsored every Free Rides For Dads since the event was begun back in 1994. Goleta Short Line Rolling Stock Needs Sponsors - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) The museum is looking for sponsors to “adopt” Goleta Short Line Engine No. 2655 (fondly referred to as “The Gray Engine”) and two of the passenger cars, No. 3 and No. 4. Annual sponsorship cost is $150 for each car and $200 for the engine. The sponsor can be an individual, couple, family, organization or business. Sponsors’ names appear on two plaques, which are affixed to each side of the adopted piece of rolling stock. The Clas Lensander Family, including Junior Engineers Bjorn and Nicholas, are currently sponsoring Engine No. 1316 and cars No. 2 and No. 5. For more details, please contact Museum Director Gary Coombs – in person, by phone (805-964-3540) or via e-mail (gcoombs@goletadepot.org). Jr. Engineers Party Is July 13 - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) The 9th annual Junior Engineers Club Party will be held Thursday, July 13, from 2 until 3:30 pm. There will be lots of free rides on the Goleta Short Line, special showings of Thomas The Tank Engine videos, prizes and surprises, and delicious refreshments, including a Junior Engineers cake! Don’t miss this special summer get-together, Junior Engineers! The event is free for members and one parent ($1 each for additional guests) but is limited to the first 60 reservations received. To hold your place, call 805-964-3540. Welcome New Members - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) It’s a pleasure to introduce the museum’s new members. They include Michael R. Cole Painting and Los Padres Bank (Milepost 100); Mary A. Hopson and Grace Levin (Sustaining); and Stan D. Benda, Joel Bingham, Judy Blue, Pat Brady, Aileen Campbell, Merlyn Cummings, Kaye Foster, Devin Freeman, Sharr Bryan-Herman, Barbara Krebs, Sy Lankin, Sandra Livelsberger, James and Margaret Milner, Jerry and Allie Pressman, Had and Ellie Reeves, D. Scott Schreiner, Elizabeth Truesdail, and Ron and Donna Zehrung. New Junior Engineers are Patrick Michael Brown, Jake DeLaurier, Connor Rowe, Robert Stone and Erin Wood. Warm greetings to all new members! “March Madness” Was Wow! - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) “March Madness,” the month-long event featuring free miniature-train rides, really hits its stride in 2000, its second year of operation. The event set an all-time record with 2,154 train rides, the most ever given at the museum in one month and only the second time in museum history that a month’s total passed the 2,000 mark.The record included six days in which there were more than 150 free rides – one day had more than 300! “March Madness” was made possible this year through the generous sponsorship support of Goleta National Bank. Graffy To Speak On “Montecito’s Hilltop Barons” - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) “Montecito's Hilltop Barons” will be the subject of a talk and slide presentation by popular local lecturer and historian Neal Graffy. The program will be held on Wed., June 28 at Goleta Library, 500 North Fairview Avenue, beginning at 7 p.m. The program profiles five men — their backgrounds, families, and magnificent hilltop estates — who adopted Santa Barbara and, through their philanthropy, dramatically improved local health care, enhanced community schools, preserved our beach fronts, and helped rebuild the city after the 1925 earthquake. Profiled are: C.K.G.
Billings of Union Carbide and his estate, Asombrosso; George Owen
Knapp (Arcady, also president of Union Carbide); Frederick Forrest
Peabody (Solana, president of Arrow Shirts), David Gray (Graholm,
vice-president, Ford Motor Co.,) and publishing magnate William
H. Cowles (Eucalyptus Hill). A former member and chairman of the Santa Barbara County Landmarks Commission, Graffy has written on local-history subjects for Santa Barbara Magazine and the Santa Barbara Independent. The program, which is part of the museum’s Continuing Lecture Series, is free and open to members and the general public. Neal Graffy will be on hand to answer questions and meet with those in attendance following his presentation. Refreshments also will be served after the program. In Memoriam: Betty Mocker - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) It is with great sadness that we report the passing of a museum volunteer who was dear to so many of us, Betty Mocker. Betty served both as a weekday agent and as a shop clerk. She died May 25. In tribute, Museum Assistant Director Phyllis Olsen, who knew Betty back when their sons attended kindergarten together, said “The highest praise I could ever offer a friend or museum volunteer is to say ‘You remind me of Betty Mocker.’” Mid-State Bank Supports Summer Reading Program - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) The railroad museum will again be participating in the Summer Reading Program of the Santa Barbara Public Libraries, thanks to the generosity of the folks at Mid-State Bank. Every year, thousands of area youngsters receive free miniature-train rides at the museum, for themselves and a guest, when they complete the summer program by reading a minimum of 15 books. Participating libraries include Santa Barbara (Central and Eastside), Goleta, Solvang, Carpinteria, Montecito, Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, Lompoc, and the Bookmobile. The South Coast Railroad Museum has actively supported the summer reading program since 1987. Race Was May Highlight - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) The 4th annual Great Goleta Rail Race, held Saturday, May 20, marked the 19th consecutive year that a spring fundraiser has been held to benefit Goleta Depot and support the programs of the railroad museum. The handcar, operated by the team of David Chapman, Noel Langle and Bruce Morden, was declared the winner again this year. The handcar crew completed 12.57 rider-miles, which included 99 free rides given to museum visitors. This, combined with a 37 rider-mile handicap based on last year’s results, gave the handcar a slim edge over the miniature train, which logged 47.37 rider-miles, including 128 free rides to the visiting public. Train operations were handled by Ken Becker and Gary Coombs. The names of those making pledges that were reported by May 18 were added to the “Campaign 2000” list in time for the day’s festivities. This donor list is displayed daily at the museum entrance. Campaign 2000 Donations Are Needed; Are You On The List? - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) Pledge totals for the spring fundraiser currently stand at just over $8,000, far short of the $15,000 goal. Although a number of participants have yet to report final pledge amounts, it is likely that, for the first time in several years, the target set by the Board of Trustees will not be reached. It’s not too late to add your name to the “Campaign 2000” list that greets all visitors when they enter the museum grounds. The list, which receives periodic updates, will be displayed until early next year. The listing is tiered, with larger gifts appearing near the top. To add your name(s),
send your tax-deductible gift to: South Coast Railroad Museum, Attn:
Campaign 2000, 300 North Los Carneros Rd., Goleta, CA 93117-1502.
Be sure to indicate how you wish your name to appear on the acknowledgment
list. Make checks payable to: South Coast Railroad Museum. Easter Bunny Express Draws Large, Appreciative Crowd - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) The Easter Bunny Express on April 22 was blessed with beautiful weather and one of the largest crowds in all of the event’s eight years. Special thanks are due
to everyone who helped in its success, including Bunny Kari Adams,
with Bunny Helper Robert Adams in support. Ride volunteers included
Joe Gartman, Noel Langle, Bruce Morden, and Sean VanderJagt. Ticket
sales and other agent duties were handled with aplomb by Pat Lorentzen
and Margaret Pryde. The model-railroad exhibit was shared with event-goers
by Perry Lorentzen and Rich Thom. Lemonade was provided by The Country Meat Market and plants by Central Coast Wholesale, while food supplies for the sandwich sales were donated by the Goleta Lions Club. Assistance on event setup and/or cleanup was given by volunteers Tim and Colleen Ballinger, Judy Blue, David Chapman, Mary Cole, Judy Connors, Joe Gartman, Mary Hopson, Kip Kramer, Noel Langle, John Locke, Bruce Morden, Margaret Pryde, and Peter Tiersma. Wearing many hats that day, David Chapman also served as the event’s official photographer. Volunteer News - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) The museum has received a real boost in the number of volunteers who help to keep the museum in business and its programs running smoothly. New volunteers who are helping with visitor services at the museum include Stan Benda, Judy Blue, Mary Hopson and Sy Lankin. Eva Soohoo, a UCSB history and anthropology student, has been helping to organize and update the museum's collection records. Now training to become Coast Starlight guides are Pat Brady, Aileen Campbell, Kaye Foster, Sharr Bryan-Herman, Barbara Krebs, Sandra Livelsberger, James and Margaret Milner, Jerry and Allie Pressman, Had and Ellie Reeves, D. Scott Schreiner, and Elizabeth Truesdail. Ed Grat, Jonee Grat, Patricia Edgerton, Donna Zehrung, and Ron Zehrung have all successfully completed their Coast Starlight guide training. Meet Thea - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) Thanks to a startup grant from the Santa Barbara Foundation, there’s a new member of the museum staff. Her name is Thea Cremers, and her primary job is to help the museum build its volunteer and financial base, as the museum’s resource-development coordinator. You can find her at the museum most weekday afternoons, as well as many Saturdays and Sundays. Thea is from The Netherlands and has graduate degrees in social sciences from both the Univ. of Amsterdam and UCSB. She is also a lecturer at UCSB. When she isn’t working, Thea likes to go kayaking with her husband, Peter, or to tend her vegetable garden. Centennial Special - (Vol. 20, No. 2 - Summer 2000) DEJA VU If the [goldenrod] color of this page brings back distant memories, you’ve probably been a supporter of Goleta Depot for a very long time. It was 19 years ago – June 5, 1981 – that the “inaugural issue” of the Goleta Depot Dispatch was published. It was printed on this same unmistakable goldenrod paper (originally chosen because the printers who donated the earliest editions of the newsletter had a surplus of the stuff, but used for several years [until 1987] in the newsletter because it was a rough match of Goleta Depot’s distinctive SP Colonial Yellow color). The newletter banner was also the same as you see it above – the same as it has been for 19 years. The sketch of the historical landmark was executed by Blake Miller, then a graduate student in Public History at UCSB. And, we could have really used the wonderful typographical capabilities of today’s home and small-business computers for the banner lettering: A crude stencil was employed to produce “DEPOT DISPATCH” while “Goleta” was created from press-apply letters. The Dispatch quickly
became the principal information source for those following the
activities and status of the Goleta Depot Project – the same
role that it plays today for the railroad museum that carries on
the responsibility – first held by Goleta Beautiful –
for maintaining and safeguarding the historical landmark. We plan to continue
use this “Page 5 Extra” to bring you news of the Centennial
celebration – as it unfolds. There will also be more about those early issues of the Dispatch, itself – and the history of the publication – when its 20th anniversary rolls around next spring – including an explanation for newcomers of the seeming paradox that we’re already six months into Vol. 20, though the newsletter is only 19 years old! A LOOK BACK: 100 YEARS AGO In the previous issue of the Depot Dispatch (Vol. 20, No. 1, pages 1-2), we began to tell you about what was going on 100 years ago – work that would lead up to the completion of SP’s Coast Route and, with it, the construction of Goleta Depot. It was reported that in May, the 661-foot-long bridge over Dos Pueblos Canyon was completed while track-building from the north had reached Alegria, four miles west of Gaviota. By the end of June 1900, “The Gap” had been reduced to only 17.9 miles, from Cuarta Canyon (Sacate) to Gato Canyon, between Naples and Capitan. A major milestone in the long history of the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific Railroads was reached Aug. 13, 1900 with the death of Collis P. Huntington, the last of the “Big Four” founders of the CP/SP. Coast Route crews reported completion of the 634-foot Alegria Canyon Viaduct in September 1900. A LOOK AHEAD In the next “Page 5 Extra” issue, we’ll be unveiling some of the events, activities, and other special things that are going to be happening during 2001 in celebration of Goleta Depot’s 100th year. These will include some Centennial touches and birthday additions to the museum’s regularly scheduled annual programming, as well as some entirely new programs and activities expressly for the occasion. Along the way, we’ll be bringing back a lot of nostalgic elements from Goleta Depot’s colorful past. We’ll also be giving
the Centennial celebration its own section of pages on the museum
web site. Easter Bunny Visits April 22 - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) It's almost spring - time for the Easter Bunny Express to make another scheduled stop at the museum. This year's event, the 8th annual, will be Saturday, April 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. By that date, as an added attraction, the museum grounds should be ablaze from thousands of blooms of poppy and nasturtium. Festive egg-shaped tickets - one of many Easter Bunny Express hallmarks - will provide entry to a wealth of fun activities, including visits to Wabbit-Twacks Station (to board the fancifully-decorated miniature train for a ride around the museum grounds); Harvey's House (where a cookie and beverage await); Easter-Bunnyville (to meet the Easter Bunny and select an egg surprise); Jack-Rabbit Junction (to enter a drawing for some marvelous gifts); and What's Up Dock (to collect another event souvenir). The ticket price is $3 for children and adults, alike. Tickets will be available during the event until 3:30 p.m. Or, they may be purchased in advance during regular museum hours (Wed.-Sun., 1-4 p.m.). Hot sandwiches and other refreshments will be available for those wishing to enjoy lunch or an afternoon snack during the event, thanks to support from the Goleta Lions Club. Hop aboard the Easter Bunny Express on April 22 (Rain date: 4/29). It promises to be another hare-raising eggs-perience for the whole family! Wood-Claeyssens Foundation Gives $2,000 Grant - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) The Wood-Claeyssens Foundation has awarded the museum a $2,000 capital improvement grant. The funds will be used to repaint the second-story exterior of Goleta Depot. "March Madness" Returns Thanks To Goleta Nat'l Bank - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) There'll be free rides on the Goleta Short Line throughout the month of March, thanks to sponsor Goleta National Bank. Last year's inaugural "March Madness" event was so popular that it led to all-time record turnouts both for March and for the entire first quarter. Total train ridership reached 1,483 for the month. To accommodate these larger crowds, the ride schedule will be expanded throughout the month. The train will run Wednesday through Sunday (with the addition of Thursday to the regular lineup) and from 1:15 to 3:45 (increasing weekday hours to match those on the weekends). This month-long activity is part of the museum's continuing commitment to make its programs and activities available to the widest possible audience. Please plan to attend. And, be sure to tell your friends, family, teachers and others about March Madness at the railroad museum. Lorentzens Picked As Area "Volunteers Of The Week" - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) Museum volunteers Pat and Perry Lorentzen were chosen "Volunteers Of The Week" in a Santa Barbara News-Press article that appeared Dec. 5, along with a nice photograph of the couple. Both are Coast Starlight guides and also staff the museum - Perry in the model-railroad exhibit and Pat as depot agent. In January, the Lorentzens also became the museum's newest trustees, by action of the Board. Did You Know? - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) Goleta Depot will celebrate its 100th birthday next year. Don't miss the party! In fact, the museum is planning a year-long centennial celebration to mark the occasion. We hope you'll join the festivities. Of course, the construction of the community landmark was only one of a long series of events leading up to the completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad's Coast Line linking Los Angeles and San Francisco. This March 15, for example, marks the 100th anniversary of the commencement of track-laying west from Ellwood. (SP's line from the south had reached Santa Barbara in 1887, but the trackwork stalled in the Goleta Valley, where the end-of-track remained for over a decade. By March 29, 1900, the new rails had reached west from Goleta as far as Eagle Canyon, and on April 7, the first construction train pulled into Naples. In May, the 661-foot-long bridge over Dos Pueblos Canyon was completed while track-building from the north had reached Alegria, four miles west of Gaviota. Future issues of the Depot Dispatch will share additional details on the events leading up to the completion of SP's Coast Route and the building of Goleta Depot. You may also view a more complete chronology on the museum's internet web site: www.goletadepot.org. There are also a number of publications that tell the Coast Route story, including Southern Pacific's Coast Route by John Signor and Nan Lawler's Closing The Gap, a booklet available in the museum's Trackside Shop. Special thanks to Bruce Morden for his help both with this article and in preparing the web-site chronology. Welcome New Members - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) New museum members include Patty and Terry Bliss (Milepost 100), George Thorpe (Contributing), Gabor and Julie Dobos (Active), and Patricia Edgerton and Joseph A. Hieke (Volunteers). New Junior Engineers Club members include Sam Calvert, Nicholas Ford and Sarah Michele Rasmussen. March 2 Program Focuses On Local WWII Air Disaster - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) Local author and historian Bob Burtness will share his research on one of the largest plane crashes in Santa Barbara County history in Losing a Liberator: The Rest of the Story, a talk and slide presentation, on March 2. The program will be held at Goleta Library, 500 North Fairview Ave, starting at 7 p.m. According to Burtness, whose investigations began in 1991, the 1943 crash of a World War II B-24 bomber probably also created the largest Fourth of July fireworks show in our history, but only one person saw it. And, while there was nobody aboard the aircraft when it slammed into a hillside, 16 deaths would eventually be attributed to the incident - occurring shortly before the crash, the next day, and eleven years later. A Santa Barbara native, Bob Burtness is active with many local organizations, including the South Coast Railroad Museum, where he has been a docent since 1983. Bob is also a member of both the Southern California and Arizona wings of the Confederate Air Force. Bob is the author of Camper's Guide To The Tri-County Area and is currently working on a book about the B-24 crash. The program, which is part of the museum's Continuing Lecture Series, is free and open to members and the general public. Bob Burtness will be on hand to answer questions and meet with attendees following his presentation. Refreshments also will be served after the program. Museum Honored With "Goleta Pride" Award - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) The South Coast Railroad Museum was recognized as recipient of the "Goleta Pride Award for the month of January. The award, which recognizes excellence that contributes toward community betterment, is co-sponsored by Goleta Beautiful, the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce and the two Goleta-based Rotary clubs. In November 1998, Museum Director Gary Coombs was a Goleta Pride Award recipient. Volunteer News - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) The latest additions to the corps of museum volunteers include Patricia Edgerton and Ed and Jonee Grat, who are training to become Coast Starlight guides. In February, Eva Scheel completed her training and is now a full-fledged Coast Starlight guide. Joe Hieke, another new volunteer, has been sharing the model-railroad exhibit with visitors and recently completed the training to operate the miniature train ride. (While at work, Joe is a sleeping-car attendant aboard Amtrak's Los Angeles-to-Chicago Southwest Chief.). Members and Friends Share Personal Treasures in Year-End Display - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) Goleta Depot's Waiting Room was again alive with the holiday spirit thanks to those members who loaned keepsake items to complete the "Toy Trains and Teddy Bears!" exhibition that delighted museum visitors from Thanksgiving into the new year. A new contribution this year came from Bob Miesbauer, one of the Coast Starlight guides, who showed off the American Flyer electric train he acquired in the late 1940s. Another vintage train, assembled by collector Robert Sponsel, was comprised of Lionel standard-gauge engine and cars from the 1918-1926 era. Longtime volunteer and former trustee Eugene Allen has placed at least one toy live-steam locomotive in the annual holiday display since its inception. This year, it was his "Birmingham Dribbler," manufactured in England circa 1925. Another popular keepsake returning to the display was "Merry-Lee," a giant stuffed bear shared by Scotty Becker, son of docent Ken Becker. Also on display was "Ginger," a beloved stuffed bear given to docent Edee Brown by her grandchildren in 1994. Many Junior Engineers and their families also participated this year. Club member Matthew Arnold was pleased to share his dear "Tigger" with the museum's visitors. Kevin Kerrigan, another Jr.. Engineer, contributed two special items, a teddy-bear engineer and a glass-crystal locomotive. Jr. Engineer Cody Stocker was five years old when he received Diesel Engine No. 5, a colorful addition to this year's presentation. Members of the David and Susan Nivin family added several items to the display, including stuffed animals handmade by Mom, "Freeway" and "Snowflake," the latter belonging to daughter, Heather, a Junior Engineer. Young James brought us his wooden train set, each car a handmade Christmas gift from his uncle. Every year, all museum members are invited to participate in the upcoming holiday-season display. It's not too early to add your name to the list of contributors to the 2000 presentation of Toy Trains and Teddy Bears! by contacting the museum office (964-3540). Bank Sponsors Free Rides for Moms and Dads - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) On Mother's Day, Sunday, May 14, all moms visiting the museum will be treated to free rides on the Goleta Short Line, compliments of Goleta National Bank. Trains will run continuously from 1:15 until the last train pulls out of the station at 3:45. The complimentary tickets may be picked up in advance at Goleta National Bank's office at 5827 Hollister Ave. beginning April 24, or in Goleta Depot's Waiting Room, during event hours only. Tickets, at $1 each, will also be available during the event for other family members and for the general public. Goleta National Bank is also sponsoring "Free Rides for Dads" at the museum on Father's Day, Sunday, June 18. The same train schedule will apply. The bank helped to originate the Father's Day event in 1994, and has sponsored both events ever since. Gifts To Museum Are Gratefully Acknowledged - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) Last year, all contributors to the museum were acknowledged on a list that was prominently displayed throughout the year at the entrance to the grounds. This practice is being repeated this year. The initial donors list can be viewed at any time that the museum is open. The list will be updated periodically with the names of new contributors. The current listing covers everyone who has made a financial contribution since the beginning of the fiscal year, including program sponsors, year-end givers, and those starting or renewing memberships at the Sustaining Member level or above. Listed are Christine Allen, Junior Engineers Brian & Lesley Anderson, Betty Bazzi, Lucille Beckman, Patty and Terry Bliss, Ron Bruns, Larry and Theresa Caccese, Reid and Robin Cederlof, Helen H. Coffey, Betty J. Coombs, Mike and Betsy Couch, William Crow, Chuck and Nike Dreier, Patricia Edgerton, Nils Froula, Mike and Brenda Gartzke, Robert Halverson, Jim Harasta, Harry Harrison, RoseAnn Hill, Don and Jo Hollister, Morse and Opal Jeffers, Josiah F. Jenkins, Josiah C. and Karen Jenkins, Ellen G. Keeter, Kip and Stella Kramer, Noel and Peggy Langle, Joe and Diane Lemons, Lensander Family, Perry and Pat Lorentzen, William O. McKeag, Dr. and Mrs. John McKee, Robert W. Miesbauer, Kathleen Miller, Jo Millett, Isabel Friend Newman, George and Vie Obern, Godwin and Deborah Pelissero, Sally Pierce, Lee and Suzanne Polansky, George and Helen Potter, Ed and Judy Savage Family, Tallant and Nancy Smith, Tom and Beulah Strout, Rich and Linda Thom, George Thorpe, Michael Towbes, Dana Trout, Hilda Volkman and Jon Wordsworth. Organizations appearing on the list include California State Parks, Foundation Roundtable, Friedlander & Associates Insurance Services, Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce, Goleta Valley Paint, Goleta National Bank, Mid-State Bank, Paradise Machining Corp., Santa Barbara Stone, Silicon Beach Communications, Tilford Welding and Toyota of Santa Barbara. On behalf of everyone who benefits from the museum, special thanks to all of these generous contributors. Scouts Learn About Train Travel At Museum - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) Cub Scout Pack 7 (below) recently visited the museum to learn about riding the train, in preparation for a February trip to Legoland via Amtrak's San Diegans. Volunteers Are Needed - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) The museum needs more volunteers to share the historical landmark and museum with visitors. If you have one afternoon (about three hours) that you can give each month, please call Asst. Director Phyllis Olsen at 964-3540. She can tell you more about the rewards and benefits of the museum's volunteer program. Board Chooses Officers and New Trustees; Rich Thom Is President for 2000 - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) Rich Thom has been elected President by the Board of Trustees at their January meeting. A member of the Board since 1995, Thom served as the organization's secretary in 1999. An author and international rail traveler, he is a frequent program contributor to the museum's Continuing Lecture Series. Now retired, Thom was Director of Technology for Raytheon Systems (formerly SBRC). Other officers elected are Noel Langle, Vice President; Jim Staples, Secretary; and Kip Kramer, Treasurer. All officers serve one-year terms. In other action, the Board elected Pat Lorentzen and Perry Lorentzen to two-year terms as new trustees. Retiring trustee Hilda Volkman was recognized for years of service at the holiday party in December in a presentation by incoming president Rich Thom. "Super Saturday IV" Draws Huge Crowd; Record Set - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) The 4th Annual Super Saturday!, held Jan. 29, generated the largest crowd in the history of the event. In fact, the 300 free train rides given that afternoon made it the busiest single day at the museum in any year over the Nov.-Feb. period. Deepest gratitude is expressed to our five Super Saturday! sponsors: Cox Communications; Friedlander & Associates Insurance Services; Michael J. Gartzke, CPA; Mid-State Bank; and Timbers Restaurant & Catering. The event would not have been possible without their support. Also contributing to the success of the day were volunteers Edee Brown, Joe Hieke, Bruce Morden, and John Starr, who traveled all the way from Ridgecrest for the occasion. 18th Spring Fundraiser Set For Saturday, May 20 - (Vol. 20, No. 1 - Spring 2000) The museum's spring fundraiser celebrates its 18th anniversary on Sat., May 20. It will be the fourth year in which the event will use a "Great Goleta Rail Race" theme. Reminiscent of the tale of John Henry, the Great Goleta Rail Race offers its own version of the epic struggle between human and machine, as the people-powered museum handcar is pitted against the Goleta Short Line miniature-train in a competition to determine which can complete the greatest number of passenger-miles over a three-hour period. From 1 until 4 p.m. on race day, both the handcar and train will operate continuously, giving free rides to all visitors. Race officials will keep careful record of the total passengers carried and the distance completed by each conveyance. The Great Race winner will be based on these totals, adjusted using a handicap based on the results from previous years (In the three earlier races, the train completed an average of 3.18 times as many passenger-miles as the handcar.). Each team also will be trying to break the all-time records of 77.5 passenger-miles for the train and 27.45 passenger-miles for the handcar. Museum members, as well as the general public, are invited to attend, to observe the action and cheer on the participants, as well as to actively join in as rider-participants, themselves. At the event, you, your family members, and friends may throw your support behind either the handcar or train, simply by riding that vehicle once or as often as you like; or, you may use the opportunity to enjoy the free rides on both the train and handcar. All riders will receive a certificate acknowledging their Great Race participation. The museum's normal, slow speeds will be maintained throughout the event. Train riders must be at least 34 inches tall; the handcar ride has a 48-in. height requirement. In addition to the day's fun, the Great Goleta Rail Race also has a serious side. The spring fundraiser is one of the railroad museum's most important annual income sources, generating more than 10% of all monies needed for operations. Funds are raised by many of the event participants, including members of the Board of Trustees, who obtain financial pledges from sponsors, including area businesses, organizations, members, families, and individuals. Last year a record $13,000 was raised. Money from the event is used not only to underwrite general museum operations, but also to sponsor the free rides on the day of the Great Race, itself, and on other occasions during the year. The museum is asking all members to support the event by completing and returning the enclosed donation form with a tax-deductible check or credit-card payment. All contributors, as well as those who secure pledges for the event, will be acknowledged on the Campaign 2000 List (See Page 3 story, "Gifts To Museum ... Gratefully Acknowledged"). Please come out on May 20 and join the fun! Mark the Great Goleta Rail Race date on your calendar now. Copyright © 2003 by Institute for American Research
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