Community Corner
The Los Gatos 'Wildcat' Railroad's Classic '2 Spot'
The 107-year-old steam engine has delighted children and adults for generations.
The Billy Jones "Wildcat" Railroad in Oak Meadow Park welcomed a new "5 Spot" engine on April 29.
The aging "2 Spot" steam engine was originally commissioned by millionaire Abbott Kinney (1850-1920), "the father of Venice," as part of his vision to turn the Southern California Del Rey Peninsula into a resort town reminiscent of its Italian namesake.
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The development had some success, but was plagued by disasters and lawsuits over the years, and the Venice Railway ceased operation in February of 1925.
The little "2 Spot" engine was sold for scrap and eventually found its way to San Francisco where Billy Jones purchased it in 1939.
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Jones began constructing a railroad on his ranch in 1941. Round trip rides through his orchard commenced in 1943, and brought joy to passengers of all ages for the next 25 years.
After Billy's death in 1968, a group of businessmen formed a non-profit corporation to purchase the railroad and relocate it to Oak Meadow Park where the new "5 Spot" engine will make its debut this summer.
Source: Hooked on Los Gatos, the Library and Museum History Project
Billy Jones Family Collection
