Greetings family, friends, and train buddies. Today's Ramble is about the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad in nearby Los Gatos, California that has been entertaining families for more than eighty years and was a major influence on Walt Disney's original theme park in Anaheim...........Bill
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RAILROAD RAMBLINGS
BILLY JONES WILDCAT RAILROAD
William Jones began a lifelong career in steam railroading at the age of thirteen in 1897 as a roustabout with an unromantic job of wiping down South Pacific Coast Railroad narrow gauge locomotives in the Santa Cruz Mountains at Boulder Creek, California. Hardworking “Billy” was promoted to fireman at age seventeen and soon to engineer working on the first standard gauge portions of the Southern Pacific Railroad that had acquired the South Pacific Coast Railroad. Ultimately, Jones was handling the prestigious SP Coast Daylight run between San Francisco and San Luis Obispo, while making a home in Los Gatos with his wife Geraldine and three children on a nine acre prune orchard they called “The Ranch”.
During one of his layovers in San Francisco in 1939 he spotted an old rusty locomotive in a scrap metal warehouse awaiting shipment to Japan for scrapping. The loco turned out to be a one third scale engine built in 1905 that ran for decade’s and thrilling thousands on the Venice Miniature Railway in Venice Beach, California. He purchased the historic amusement park artifact for $100 as a family project with his boys, transferred it to Los Gatos, nicknamed it “2-Spot”’ and set about returning it operating condition. Tragically, his only two sons were casualties of World War ll, however Jones completed the restoration in1943 with help from railroad buddies and began operating 2 Spot over his mile long “Wildcat Railroad” at no cost to the general public every Sunday in memory of his sons.
Walt Disney’s quest for advice and information regarding the proposed construction of his “Mickey Mouse Park” and his visits to Knott’s Berry Farm, Greenfield Village, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Playland at the Beach and Children’s Fairyland are well documented, so it’s not surprising that he also spent time in Los Gatos with Billy Jones and his Wildcat Railroad. By the early 1950’s Jones had accumulated a collection of rolling stock and five Venice Beach 18” gauge stream locomotives that peeked Walt’s interest and an offer of $50,000 for the lot. Jones rejection of the offer was a surprise, however it helped convinced Walt to build his own railroad in a larger more realistic 5/8 scale, and not settle for a “zoo train” kiddie ride. Walt Disney and Billy Jones became good friends and Jones was on hand at Disneyland in July of 1955 during the first week of operations as an engineer on the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad’s C.K. Holliday and E.P. Ripley locomotives. Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad has been lengthened in recent years, operates a combination of steam, diesel and electric locomotives, installed a restored 1915 Carousel and Wurlitzer band organ, and has been entertaining families for more than 80 years.
BILLY JONES WILDCAT RAILROAD
The memory of Billy Jones, a long time S.P. engineer, and leading citizen of
Los Gatos, will live long in the hearts of local people as Billy Jones Railroad, in Oak Meadow Park. 1976 Postcard.
-Bill 10/24
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