Tustin Branch - Southern Pacific
Thanks to Mike Palmer for the photos and
the Orange County Railway Historical Society for some of the information on this page.

 

 

This is the former right of way of the SP Tustin Branch, where it crossed Glassell St. in Orange.  This view faces east. The right of way is now occupied by a plant nursery. This location is less than a half mile east of 'Marlboro', the end of the active portion of the branch.  Photo from June 2003.

 

 

 

 

This branch was built to serve the citrus packing houses and local construction firms in Orange County.  At one point it had two separate crossings (Anaheim, Orange) and a separate junction (Tustin) with the Santa Fe, all within about a 12-mile distance.  As of 2003, the Anaheim crossing at CP College is also a junction where UP trains access BNSF for trackage rights to Santa Ana. The Orange crossing is now the end of the active segment of the branch--Marlboro for the UP and CP Katella for the BNSF.  The remaining track, including the junction with the then-Santa Fe at Tustin, has been removed. The citrus groves were replaced with houses before the track was removed, so much of the right of way can still be easily located.  The now abandoned section headed east to Villa Park, then south to El Modena (now a part of Orange) and on to Tustin. The Villa Park-to-Tustin segment was abandoned in 1969 after a bridge washout at Santiago Creek.  Part of the route is a maintained public path; the rest is a trail along a utility easement. The Marlboro to Villa Park segment was abandoned more recently; much of that section is now a plant nursery.

 

This view faces south from Palmyra St. in Orange.  This is near the location of the former El Modena station. Photo from May 2003.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's not obvious from this view, but this location is surrounded by houses. This view faces north from Warren Ave. near Tustin.  This is the end of the 'public portion' of the right of way.  The next block south is fenced off, and further south the right of way is obliterated by widened streets. Photo from May 2003.