The Beautiful Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad at Vasona Park - 18" gauge Live Steam in Los Gatos - 60p
Ғылым және технология
William "Billy" Jones' railroad began in 1939, when as a regular engineer on the Coast Daylight run, he spotted a derelict miniature locomotive in a scrap yard during a layover in San Francisco. Purchasing it for the princely sum of $100, he moved it back to his prune orchard on Daves Avenue in Los Gatos.
That locomotive turned out to be Venice Miniature Railway #2, formerly operated in Venice Beach, CA. during the heydey of Abbot Kinney's artist-community development on the beachfront west of Los Angeles. Designed by John Coit and built by the Johnson Machine Works of Los Angeles in 1905, the now over 100 year old locomotive has hauled thousands if not millions of happy children and adults over its long career.
Billy Jones operated the 18" gauge 2-6-2 "Prairie" type locomotive on a loop around his orchard from 1942 to 1967, always for free, to the delight of local kids and families.
Billy Jones passed away after a brief battle with leukemia, and in 1968 local volunteers began planning to rescue the equipment and re-locate it to a new home at Vasona and Oak Meadow Parks. The Wildcat began operations at Vasona Park in July of 1969 and has been open to the public ever since. The railroad now also has a second, larger steam locomotive and a diesel locomotive to help the aging two-spot with its duties.
This footage was shot in 2006 shortly after the #2 received a new boiler. The original scotch 'marine' boiler is on display in front of the engine house.
The logo seen at the beginning was designed by Disney animator Ward Kimball.
For more information and historical photographs, I recommend Ed Kelley's Arcadia Publishing book, "Railroads of Los Gatos".
Пікірлер: 60
Nice train, railroad, and beautiful work on the locomotive. Those miniatures are works of art!
Back in the 1960's My folks knew the Jones family, and as a little boy I rode that train when it was located in his backyard on Los Gatos/Winchester BLVD, wonderful memories made.
Bell needs a damper on it BAD, Beautiful locomotive!!!
I remember as a child driving by the Jones orchard on Winchester Ave. You could see the tracks from the street. I heard that he sometimes brought in local kids to ride the train but I never got a chance to, What a great legacy for a good man, the Wildcat RR in Vasona Park. Now thousands of kids get to enjoy it.
@siliconvalleyengineer5875
11 ай бұрын
Yes ! Back in the 1960's My folks knew the Jones family and I rode that train when it was in his backyard, wonderful memories made.
I love that little 2-6-2. A nice looking engine!
Lovely! Just that freeking bell!. Will drive you insane in an afternoon.
I used to work at a business just across the 17 from Vasona Park. I would often walk to the park and spend time there after work. When I heard the unique steam whistle on Fridays in summer, I would go over there to watch the steam train.
@prateekshukla6668
2 жыл бұрын
What an experience
Man!! That is one Pretty Engine!
Great story on the rescue of that fine engine. Thanks to Billy for the initial rescue and restoration and to the folks now keeping his legacy alive. I hope she'll keep running for another 100 years.
@cesarjethzaelpizanomontano5071
6 жыл бұрын
Weed
@tomedgar4375
4 жыл бұрын
Where is the story?
beautiful
Wonderful video. Lovely landscapes and greenery. Pretty steam engine train. Thanks.
Fantastic train and that working bell.
Here's to all the men and women who keep these beautiful machines running.
A very large "kiddie railway" loco, it's refreshing to see the engr riding inside, rather than atop, the loco. I know Vasona from the 80's, when I reprogrammed the pump station there.
Great vid Mike one for my bucket list .
This is awesome
Fantastic wildcat...
Excellent journey.
very good
Thats a good looking locomotive
Very nice
That beautifully restored black locomotive, is the same one that was used in the silent Harold Lloyd movie ,"Number Please", which was filmed in 1920. That movie can be seen on You Tube for free.( It is shown near the end of the movie). Good health to all, and let's have some peace in the world.
WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Man, that's an amazing train.
Nice video! Clean sound too! #2 has a pretty good 'bark' to it these days.
That bell is killing me...
I wish we had one in Maui Hawaii
@MasseeMedia
2 жыл бұрын
Too bad the Lahaina, Kaanapali and Pacific shut down.
@PirateAdmiral-bx6sx
2 жыл бұрын
@@MasseeMedia aye and the One Kahului..no wait the Kahului Railroad actually Closed down in 1967...
Show de bola
楽しそうで何よりです
Unique, ah. so I want to go up.
A 0:30 you can see the fire in the firebox
Excellent rendition of 1880s design loco ( wagon-top boiler, slide valves) or is it an engineering free-lance design? At 18" gauge, scale would be 1:3 for a Standard gauge loco... But it SOUNDS like a real Loco...that Bell is probably an Insurance/ OHS requirement for Public use... Chuff on!
@MasseeMedia
3 жыл бұрын
For park train manufacturers at the time, slide valves were much easier to design and make than piston valves. The locomotive is completely freelance. In terms of overall styling, it is much more reminiscent of early 1900s details, including shorter domes on a larger boiler and a short stack. The only real out of scale element is the oil headlamp which is far too small. A modern lamp with angled number boards would probably serve it well. The 2-6-2 prairie wheel configuration allows it to operate in reverse just as well as forward and is not too long. The tender is not the original tender, Billy Jones made that up to vaguely resemble a Southern Pacific whaleback tender. the whistle is a full size Kinsley three chime.
6:30 [train whistle]
What happened to the train at Griffith park?
Beautiful locomotive. The constant bell ringing sucks
How much does this little guy weigh?
@edgallegos496
3 жыл бұрын
I was told years ago when I asked 5 tons.
Dislikes? Why?
Which place please tell me
😊😊😊😄😄😄
I'm interested to cooperate on open sites in my country, I am optimistic certainly succeeded with the support of a lot of population and land prices are relatively cheap
tôi muốn có một cái như vậy
Job opening : Mustache and engineers hat required. Must love blue.
🗼🙏😁😍💖💝😍😁🙏🗼
Yippee
Who can tell me that hou much the train is?
@toniduffy2215
4 жыл бұрын
Was $1 last I looked
@evanburt2766
3 жыл бұрын
It got burned to the ground
What I love about white people and Americans they know how to keep a legacy their country and countrymen has developed
I’m just a few
I wanna drive that drunk
Hahahahahahahahahaha !!!!