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The picturesque town of Los Gatos stands between the once verdant orchards of the Santa Clara Valley and the forested slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The narrow-gauge South Pacific Coast Railroad arrived in 1878 and, within two years, laid track over the mountains to carry passengers, redwood, and tons of ripe produce. Less than a decade later it was purchased by Southern Pacific, and completely converted to standard gauge by 1909. Invigorating business and industry, the railroad remained a vital part of the economy of Los Gatos for over 80 years. Although the era of commercial rail ended in 1959, Billy Jones and his scaled-down Wildcat Railroad" still offered weekend rides at his ranch to guests, including Walt Disney. The Wildcat still operates in two local parks today."
About the author
Edward Kelley has authored several articles on railroad history. An avid steam buff, he volunteered on the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad and has since worked other lines, including Felton's Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad. He and Peggy Conaway, director of Los Gatos Public Library and author of the Images of America volume Los Gatos, picked the best images from public and private archives to celebrate the railroads of Los Gatos.
