No One Visits These Railroad Ghost Towns.. I Found Out Why

Checking out all of the railroad ghost towns in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
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[@TouchingClothProd]

If you climb up onto the hillside above the Wright's tunnel entrance, you can see a big divot where the land collapsed when they dynamited it shut. Back in the 90's when I was a lot younger and a little bit dumber, my buddies and I tried to dig into the sealed part of the tunnel from that spot. We were not successful

[@ZetaReticuli_]

Did go up to that tree that is above the tunnel and tilted at an angle? I remember my dad taking me there, teaching me the local history. He pointed out that tree is actually right on top of the San Andreas fault.

[@TouchingClothProd]

@@ZetaReticuli_ Definitely up just a little ways past that.

[@johnnycee5179]

It was fun trying though huh?

[@TouchingClothProd]

@@johnnycee5179 Oh hell yes :)

[@michellewelch6013]

So beautiful in those mountains, thank you for the video adventure. Way cool!

[@lifewithjosef]

I too have interest in old towns that are gone. Love your content. It's on my to visit list to visit the places in this vlog.

[@quetzalli23]

Thank you for this video! I also love learning the history of places like these 🫶🏻 Definitely living through you with these videos!

[@Sonoma_Coast]

Good job showing the tunnels and sites. I lived in the Santa Clara valley all my life, so I was always in the SC mnts, and I was a local history buff. Would check out as many books from the library as I could get. There was a great book you could find called Signposts on the history of Santa Clara valley. Old USGS maps were great to look at too

[@Sonoma_Coast]

The last railroad that went across there was known as the Suntan express. You probably read something about it looking into that railroad history. Can't remember what year it was last run.

[@ZetaReticuli_]

During the summer of 1985 -- I am pretty sure that was the year -- there was an awful drought, and Lexington Reservoir was bone dry. My dad took me down there that summer and showed me the remnants of Lexington and Alma. If am remembering my local history correctly, the reservoir was filled in the 1950s. I mention this because at one of the town sites, I believe Lexington, there is a cement platform from where a gas station was, because I remember my dad pointing out to me.

[@charsbob]

At a guess, the gravel is to reinforce slopes to slow down slides. It's more like no one parks there, so they use it for materials storage.

[@justingold7016]

You missed a couple things in plain sight at Glenwood. Where you said the buildings used to be was actually where the school was (May pole is still in the backyard). Where you saw the coyote was where the stores and buildings and hotel was. The grey house on your right was the original post office and the two story house was the station masters house.

[@ezpoppy55]

Utterly fascinating! Yes, RR small and large, try to take the path of least resistance, especially the steam powered ones. Less energy to get from Point A to Point B. Thank you for your dedication to record these minor monuments of our state’s past. Like you, I believe it is an essential record you’re making. It may not get a huge acknowledgment now, but like the historical photos you often include in your videos, it’s a visual record of sites that will fade in time. Keep up the great work!

[@johnnycee5179]

History fascinates me to, I have always had an adventurous spirit for such things.

[@merlijnwiersma7801]

Nice video! Has anybody told you you look exactly like the Lithuanian KZbinr Kenislovas? (He does a lot of beaver dan removal videos). Actually, I clicked on your thumbnail thinking he uploaded something new. Quite a surprise when he suddenly spoke without a strong Lithuanian accent!😂

[@rosaleesantamaria7673]

Great video! Another flooded town is Millerton which sits at the bottom of Millerton Lake. The lake was created when Friant Dam was built starting in 1937. Just North of Fresno.

[@jcftrucker1]

The rock on the shoulder is there for road or driveway repair during storms

[@matthewoakley2886]

Bro, your asking alot of that Toyota. Carefull out there, I know there's alot of phone signal out there, but don't set yourself up for a long walk. I've done that before. 20 minute walk, mostly up hill, till i got signal.

[@jameshudkins2210]

There is an interesting story about Mountain Charley's gender. I'll be curious if or how you might approach that. A railroad extended up along the Merced River toward Yosemite. Much later a reservoir flooded some of the middle of it and they built that part uphill. An expansion of the reservoir flooded more of it. Where State Highway 49 crossed the Merced River is the often flooded town of Bagby.

[@justingold7016]

I think you’re referring to Charlie Parkhurst not Mountain Charlie. She lived in the Santa Cruz mountains as a stagecoach driver and was later discovered to be female. Also considered the first female to ever vote.

[@TheHypnotstCollector]

Do a "Ghost Bars of The Santa Cruz Mountains". Club Zayante, Mountain Charlie's, Chateau Liberte'. All gone by c.1972. But great places to party in the late 1960's.

[@johnnycee5179]

Lets take a walk through the tunnel

[@burtonvigil3481]

Holy city is another gone town around there that use to offer amusements.

[@WHISTLESTOP]

I made a video on that one!

[@johnnycee5179]

You are

[@janisreifsteck78]

Please get yourself a dead cat for the mike. They're cheap.