AC Adam and I left Poway and drove straight out to Julian, thanks to the nice directions I was given when I called to make my reservation to ride this railroad this early afternoon.
The Smith Ranch & Julian Railroad Golden Express Gold Mine Train A Brief HistoryJulian's gold rush came in 1869 when placer gold was discovered in Coleman Creek. Miners soon hit pay dirt in the hills above Julian. The Smith Ranch mine, located on Gold Hill, was hand-dug with pick and shovel in 1870. The mine's first railroad consisted of a hand-pushed ore car rolling down wooden track. The gold ore was crushed and panned on site. In 1906, the Julian Consolidated quartz mine was completed on the eastern slope of Gold Hill. A portion of the Smith Ranch and Julian grade heads to the old mill site; look for the miner's digging along the route. The Smith Ranch and Julian train is pulled by a rare type of non-polluting tunneling locomotives: an 18 inch gauge, 3 1/2 ton low-profile Atlas type K 11 hp motor. Orginally built in 1940 and restored in 2001, the Atlas motor is powered solely by large electric storage battery. This allows visitors a clean, quiet ride through the beautiful mountain scenery of Julian.
The Train TripYou wait outside the gate for the train crews to arrive to open the gates so you can enter the Smith Ranch. On our way to the boarding area, you pass a display train.
Smith Ranch and Julian 71.
Smith Ranch and Julian 77.
Smith Ranch and Julian 81.
Smith Ranch and Julian 76.
Smith Ranch and Julian 78 and 88.
The view from the gate.
The Smith Ranch wagon.
Smith Ranch and Julian 76.
Smith Ranch and Julian 72.
Smith Ranch and Julian 85.
Smith Ranch and Julian 74.
Smith Ranch and Julian 78.
Smith Ranch and Julian 73.
Smith Ranch and Julian 75.
Smith Ranch and Julian 79.
The locomotive that will pull our train today.
This will be the second train of the day that would follow ours.
The second train's locomotive.
More of the mining equipment on display.
The owner of this unique 18 inch gauge railroad in Julian.
We could cross this diamond on the way to the Gold Mine.
More mining equipment. The train started the trip after we all yelled "All Aboard!"
The trip starts as we loop around to get to the diamond crossing.
Our train taking the station area loop.
The second train was waiting to leave as we will pass in front of it as we take the crossing.
Our train taking the crossing.
The engine of the second train.
Our train started up the hill.
Looking down from where we had just came from.
The train took us to the curve where we would loop back south.
On the loop back curve.
Leaving the loop back curve.
Views as we climbed higher.
Looking down on the second train.
The Daniel Boone Fort.
Crossing a large bridge.
Pulling off the bridge.
The view looking down into the valley.
View of the bridge behind the train.
A look down into the valley.
An old mine car and other mining equipment.
Taking another of the railroad's curves.
A mine loader.
The train took the next curve.
More railroad and mining equipment.
Taking another curve.
A cannon used in the Spanish-American War.
Crossing another bridge on this railroad.
Taking another curve.
A very old coastal oak tree.
We were now on the Gold Mine Loop where we would detrain.
Our train's engine.
The east end of the Gold Mine Loop.
The second train came into view. Everyone had a tour of the Gold Mine and there were other attractions for the children during the tour.
Here they are explaining the dump car.
The second train then came onto the Gold Mine Loop and would park behind our train.
The engine that pulled our train up to the mine. Next our group would go into the mine and I pushed a mine car with children down the tracks into the mine.
The inside of the Gold Mine. To get the childgren out of the mine, it took just one good push and they went rolling back into daylight.
Two views of our engine.
The second train's engine.
The 18 inch gauge track.
The view of the second train just before we started our return trip?
