Santa Maria Valley Railroad

152 years ago today the Transcontinental Railroad was completed!

The washout north of Surf Beach on the UP Coast Line is repaired and the track is now opened! UP will be sending a special train to pick up our cars in Ellwood and we should have cars to service our customers by tomorrow afternoon. Hats off to the Union Pacific Railroad Maintenance of Way forces for working around the clock since Thursday to repair the washout!

Union Pacific Railroad has suffered a washout on Thursday just north of Surf Beach on the UP Coast Line. UP MOW forces have been working to repair the washout and hopes to get it completed by today and trains over it by tomorrow. SMVRR will continue with local operations. SMVRR main line has experienced some minor flooding but has not affected train operations.

Only one more week to our annual dinner gala! There are still tickets available! We will have great silent auction items again and some live auction items this year!

We at the Santa Maria Valley Railroad are thankful for all of our fellow essential workers including farm workers, dock workers, warehouse workers, truckers, grocery store clerks, mechanics, fellow railroad workers, and our employees for Keeping The Central Coast Moving Keeping America Fed

The Santa Maria Valley Railroad continues to operate delivering and receiving freight to the Central Coast. We are making every effort to keep our employees healthy and trains running. If you are not a freight customer or a critical vendor we ask that the public not visit our offices or facilities at this time. Please railfan safely and stay on public property and practice the recommended measures for preventing the spread of COVID-19 including frequent hand washing and social distancing. America's railroads are critical in keeping goods flowing and shelves restocked. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad thanks everyone for their cooperation.

It is with deep sorrow that the Santa Maria Valley Railroad announces the passing of Director Betty Chiyoko Himoto on Wednesday January 22, 2020 at the age of 95. The Coast Belle Rail Corp purchased the Santa Maria Valley Railroad from the descendants of the Hancock Family on October 1, 2006. Betty assumed a position on the Board immediately following the ownership change, a position she held until the day that she passed. She was a tireless advocate for rail transportation,... and an unwavering supporter of reinvestment in the company. As a result, The Santa Maria Valley Railroad was revitalized growing traffic 5 fold while rebuilding its track infrastructure and customer base. In 2016 the Osburn Rail Yard was opened has now expanded to 2,200 feet of track for transload customers and all office and shop facilities relocated to the property. Betty was born in Burbank, California on July 4, 1924. She was the 4th of 6 children to Kameto and Tschiyo Hori. Betty grew up on a hardscrabble farm in Burbank and later Ryde, California. During World War II the family was sent to Tule Lake Relocation Center, part of the 110,000 Japanese Americans who were relocated out of the West Coast. In 1950 Betty married Roy Himoto and they had 4 children, Lester, Raymond, Nancy, and Robert. In 1996 she moved to the Central Coast and became increasingly more active in railroad industry investing, ultimately leading to her 2006 involvement with the Santa Maria Valley Railroad led by her sons Robert and Raymond Himoto. The company remains committed to carrying on her legacy and carrying on her vision for the future. Memorial services are pending.

Congratulations to Egan Bernal for winning the Tour De France and teamate and last year's Tour winner Geraint Thomas for finishing second. Both ride for Team Ineos. The end of last year Team Sky lost their major sponsor and the team was about to be disbanded when Ineos stepped in as a sponsor. By the way Ineos is a major customer of ours, our first new customer almost 13 years ago.

Santa Maria Valley Railroad Now 108 Years Old July 12, 2019 On July 11, 1911 an English syndicate organized the Santa Maria Valley Railway to build a rail line from Betteravia to Roadamite, at the time the world’s largest asphalt plant. Citizens from the City of Santa Maria persuaded the group to lay the line in more of a northeasterly direction so the railroad could bisect and service the little city. The railroad was aligned through the city and a large yard was built bet...Continue reading

https://www.keyt.com//santa-maria-valley-railro/1080754736

Only one more week to our annual dinner gala! There are still tickets available! We will have great silent auction items again and some live auction items this year!

Today track work on the curve near Blosser, tomorrow is the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, and Saturday May 18 is the 5th annual Friends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad Dinner Gala!

Our Class 1 partner Union Pacific Railroad along with the Chinese American Heritage Foundation is sponsoring a float for the Rose Parade honoring the Chinese workers who built the transcontinental railroad. Tune in tomorrow morning to see the float!

https://ksby.com//police-urge-caution-around-the-tracks-du KSBY had a nice story about Rail Safety Week. They filmed our inbound train coming into the Guadalupe Yard!

Yesterday was the 107th Anniversary of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad!

The non profit Friends of the Santa Maria Valley Railroad had a very successful 4th annual Dinner Gala on Saturday May 19 at the Santa Maria Fairpark. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad awarded our annual Railroad Public Safety Award to the Union Pacific Railroad’s local Maintenance of Way Crew for their efforts in keeping the Union Pacific Railroad’s Coast Line open during the Thomas Fire and for quickly restoring the line after the Ventura Mudslides in January. The Union Pacific Railroad’s Coast Line is the main north south rail artery serving local freight traffic including the Santa Maria Valley Railroad and passenger service including the Amtrak Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner. Accepting the award was UPRR MTM Javier Sanchez presented by SMVRR President Rob Himoto and General Manager Al Sheff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o1lyz991b4

After a number of close calls with cars, the Santa Maria Valley Railroad is asking drivers to be aware of train safety around crossings. The railroad is also dealing with several other problems, including trespassing, vandalism, theft, homelessness and trash dumping.

Press Release: For Immediate Release Trespassing on Railroad Property and Rail Highway Grade Crossing Incidents are on the Rise March 27, 2018... Trespassing on railroad property is on the rise both locally and nationally. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad wants to remind the public that trespassing on railroad tracks and railroad property is both illegal and dangerous. Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit safety, education and awareness organization dedicated to safety regarding railroad crossings and trespassing on railroad tracks, recently stated that railroad grade crossing incidents and rail trespass casualties increased in 2017. Trespassing deaths jumped up 22.3% nationally from 2016 to 2017, grade crossing deaths increased 7.4% from 2016 to 2017. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad has experienced a dramatic rise for trespassing on railroad tracks and property. Trash dumping has increased making it treacherous for railroad employees to perform their job duties. Increased foot traffic and homelessness along the railroad tracks presents safety problems. Vandalism, theft, and graffiti on railroad property is on the rise. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad has also experienced a dramatic rise in grade crossing incidents in the past year. The past several months there have been at least a dozen broken gate accidents resulting from motor vehicles not stopping when they see the flashing red lights. We want to remind the public that when you see flashing red lights at railroad crossings that means to stop and stay clear of the railroad tracks. Trains are much longer and heavier than in the past and it takes longer for trains to stop. Also, some of our crossings are located near sidings and spurs. Even though you see a train clear the crossing, that train could change directions and re-enter the crossing. The lights and gates will reactivate when the train changes direction and travels towards the crossing. Be safe, stay off the tracks and stop when you see flashing red lights at railroad crossings. Santa Maria Valley Railroad P.O. Box 5665 Santa Maria, CA 39456 Phone: 805-922-7941 Fax 805-922-9554 Email: [email protected] Operation Lifesaver, Inc. 425 Third Street SW, Suite 915 Washington, D.C. 20024 Phone: 703-739-0308 Fax: 703-519-8267 Email : [email protected]