Los Gatos Weekly-Times Photograph courtesy of Bill Wulf Trains, like this one that once ran in Los Gatos, inspired some local children to become railroad engineers. Picture from the Past John S. Baggerly Railroad buffs of all ages enjoyed Los Gatos trains 'Where did the train used to go?" is a frequent question asked by newcomers to Los Gatos. The answer is: railroad tracks ran in and out of Los Gatos midway between University and N. Santa Cruz avenues, through what today is the Town Plaza and Post Office, and into the hills. It continued through tunnels to Santa Cruz. Railroad workers would uncouple the engine from the train and use a siding to maneuver it behind the last car, then haul everything to a railyard in San Jose for an overnight cleaning. It was ready the next morning to carry commuters from the West Valley area to their jobs in San Francisco. One such commuter was John Lincoln, a former Los Gatos mayor and owner of a shoe polish firm bearing his name. The children in today's photograph are a reminder of the appeal trains had for local youngsters. Local boys whose homes on University Avenue backed up to the railroad right-of-way hatched dreams of becoming engineers. That dream came true for two young Los Gatans: Richard McKee Murdock and the late Neal Vodden, whose brother Jack is a retired owner of Los Gatos Wood Yard, now the site of the bocce ball courts on University Avenue. Neal was an engineer on the San Francisco-Los Angeles run. Jack recalls the pleasant singing of Mexican rail hands who camped along the right-of-way behind their home. Murdock recalls that as a boy, he decided he was going to get himself one of those big six-drivers--if only on film. Even as a 9-year-old, Murdock--when photographing at the Los Gatos depot--knew enough to get the name of Billy Marks, who was "oiling around" on the engine waiting to haul a morning commute train northward to San Francisco. Murdock later became an engineer in the Dunsmuir section and after retiring did considerable writing. The founder of May-Murdock Publications, he now lives with wife Jayne in Ross, California. Murdock also became a celebrity when he won a "My career as an engineer" writing contest and earned a spot on a railroad poster. One poster hangs in the railroad museum in Sacramento. The lure of the railroad caused the Southern Pacific Railroad to send a letter to the town of Los Gatos in an effort to control the youngsters who hitched rides on cars being shuffled about in Los Gatos. Additionally, sometimes boys walked the tracks to a destination even if that route was longer than a shortcut. The Mecca for steam-engine railroad buffs is the run out of Memphis, Tenn., where 36-year old John Luther "Casey" Jones was killed April 29, 1900, when his Cannonball Express crashed into another train. Fortunately for history, Jones' fireman, a muscular 25-year-old named Sim Webb, was able to swing clear of the crash into another train and tell the story. Jones had apparently just finished a run into Memphis and was asked to take a second passenger run. The crash occurred a few hours later. Los Gatan Eddie Chase made the Memphis trip two years ago; Bill Wulf has also been there. Chase, a long time U.S. postal employe, is the son of a local postman who delivered mail on horseback into the hills. Chase is also the grandson of our town's first piano tuner and pianist at local silent movies. [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, January 27, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.