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Santa Barbara Zoo Train 12/7/2008

When Tom Anderson asked me if I was going on the Train Travel Meetup Group wine-tasting trip, I thought I would go just as the sober person I am. Then I had an idea to ride the Santa Barbara Zoo Railroad to write a story about it so contacted the Zoo via e-mail to set up my visit. I drove to the Santa Ana station and upon arrival, all signs announced that every train was leaving from Track 1, so I walked over to it and waited.

Pacific Surfliner 763 arrived on time and I boarded the Surfliner cab car, sitting facing backwards on the upper level. At Fullerton, Carole Walker, Carl Morrison, Steve Grande and his wife Barbara Cepinko, Tom Anderson and AJ joined me and soon we were off to Santa Barbara. The others would go to lunch then wine-tasting while I would go to the Santa Barbara Zoo to ride their zoo train.

This two foot gauge railroad started operations in 1968, five years after the Zoo opened. Volunteers laid the first miniature railroad track, which circled the hilltop area. The track was expanded in 1983 to its current footprint around the perimeter of the property, a result of weekend work parties during which community members cleared land, laid ties and rails and gauged the track. In order to purchase the locomotive and coaches, the Zoo secured its first and only bank loan. The train became an instant hit with Zoo goers and that loan was paid off within six months.

I boarded the train, taking the rear-facing seat with two delightful children and we talked about me writing the story before departing on the twelve minute trip around the zoo.

The train left the station.

We started down the grade to the front of the Zoo.

The grade was pretty steep as we made our way down it.

Approaching the main zoo entrance.

Rounding the curve to start the run along the north side.

The main entrance.

Running along the zoo's back area.

The tracks run along the former Southern Pacific mainline.

Rounding a pair of curves.

The shed is where the train is stored.

Some very interesting plant topiary.

I was really impressed by the plant life along our route.

The lagoon, also known as The Andrée Clark Bird Refuge.

Crossing this trestle as we ran along the lagoon.

A beautiful day for a train ride at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

Rounding a curve past a palm tree.

Yet another curve.

A mosaic snake wrapped around a tree branch.

The train took another curve.

The giraffes.

The lion was spooked by the noise of the train and hid in the brush.

The track along the south side of the zoo.

A pair of curves on our route.

Wooden retaining walls.

A wire tunnel without vegetation growing over it.

Three views looking back.

The train has entered the tunnel on the railroad.

We returned to the station where I detrained.

The tunnel we had passed through.

The engine of the blue Santa Barbara Zoo Train.

The controls on the locomotive.

The train ready for its next round trip so I walked over to the Picnic Area but passed something of interest.

It was Snow Leopard Day at the Santa Barbara Zoo and the families were able to play in the snow that had been trucked in. I set up for the next passing of the Zoo Train.

The view from the picnic area, after which I walked down to the front gate.

The train ran by the main entrance and once it was on its way, I thanked the crew for an excellent visit to the Santa Barbara Zoo and the ride on their Railroad.

I walked over to The Habit on South Milpas Street and enjoyed a tri-tip sandwich on sourdough with a chocolate shake then stopped at a Unical petrol station for supplies before I started the hike back to the train station. About halfway there, I called Tom to see where all the wine tasters were and they were about a quarter mile down the road. He said they had been to the Santa Barbara Winery and were now at the Oreana Winery. I arrived just as they were finishing so we all walked down the street to the Kalyra Winery where I watched them taste the wine.

The group wine-tasting at the Kalyra Winery. Once they finished there, we went next door to the Gissenger Winery where I sat on a couch and waited and since we had plenty of time before our train, we decided to walk out to Sterns Wharf. Carole and I walked all the way out to the end.

A pelican strutting his stuff.

Carole Walker on a very beautiful late afternoon at the end of the Santa Barbara Wharf. We caught back up with our group and returned to the Santa Barbara Amtrak station to wait for our train to start our trip towards home. However, it had a bad meet with the northbound Coast Starlight and was running late, but the station personnel did not make a single announcement about the delay.

We all boarded the low-level Horizon fleet train and took seats in the last of the open coaches and had a smooth trip with no further delays.

Post-sunset views as we made our way south along the Pacific Coast shoreline.

Steve Grande hard at work on the return trip.

AJ enjoying his ride. The train ran really well on the new weekend schedule and as we neared Los Angeles, it looked as though we could catch Pacific Surfliner 590 at 7:00 PM. However, as we came into Union Station, the train stopped to first let Pacific Surfliner 785 depart then Pacific Surfliner 590. What was the point of the faster weekend schedule if you still have to wait for Pacific Surfliner 592 at 8:30 PM? I was not pleased with Amtrak as I detrained at Union Station and we all walked over to Philippe's for a late dinner.

Our group at Philippe's with the Los Angeles Museum of Railroading in the display cases.

The Los Angeles Museum of Railroading display titled "Warbonnets of the Santa Fe Themes and Variations". After a great meal, our group walked back to Los Angeles Union Station, where we joined the queue for Pacific Surfliner 592 which had arrived late from San Diego. We boarded the Surfliner cab car and about five minutes later, it was announced that the engine was low on fuel and would have to go to the yard to refuel, which would take forty more minutes. It was also announced that anyone going to any station as far as Oceanside could go to Track 8 and board Metrolink Train 660, so everyone did just that.

The seven of us boarded Metrolink 660, taking upstairs seats in the rear cab car and the conductor took our Amtrak tickets and we asked if Amtrak would receive the tickets so we could get our Guest Rewards points. He replied that he would turn them into the first Amtrak conductor he saw.

Everyone detrained at Fullerton except for me, and soon I was detraining at Santa Ana, ending a very interesting trip to the Santa Barbara Zoo Railroad and ride home. I drove home a tired train rider.