San Juan Capistrano (ATSF Surf Line)

Hi folks -

Some time ago I seem to remember an article in either MR or RMC - I’m thinking back 8-10 years ago now - which had a very nice article on modeling a diorama based on San Juan Capistrano. I suspect I have the article lurking somewhere in my collection of magazines - sadly the majority of that collection is in storage in England since my emigration 3+ years ago!

Does anyone remember this, and do you have a reference so that I can order a back issue? As I’m now based just down the coast from SJC I was looking to it as a possible modeling challenge - as the Surf Line has changed so much lately though I am looking for more of a historical perspective - 40’s / 50’s era preferably…

Thanks in anticipation!

John

Check out the August, 2004 issue of MR. Keith Jordan had a track plan and article for the Surf Line (including a 1940 picture of the SJC depot). There was also a supporting article in the August, 2004 issue of trains by the same author. Suydam (now Alpine Models) used to make a kit for the San Juan Capistrano depot, but apparently it’s out of production.

Andre

Thanks Andre - I have both those issues, and it was partly that MR article (plus my location a few dozen miles down the coast!) which sparked my interest and memory of the article I had read many years before. I also recently managed to locate a kit for the SJC depot building (labeled “HSM - Historical Scale Models”) cheaply on eBay…

Thinking back, I suspect the article was possibly in RMC, not MR…

My San Juan Capistrano reference file:

pix & scale drawings of depot Santa Fe Modeler JanFeb79 p.8

O scale model, Santa Fe Modeler2Q90 p.2

depot pix Warbonnet 1Q 04 p.25

track map 1940-50 Warbonnet 2Q 96 p.13

depot portrait shot, scene near depot, Warbonnet 2ndQ 96 p.13

depot in 1940s Model Railroader Aug04 p.65