Memories of the Trains in Pacific Grove By Elizabeth Haviside of Pebble Beach as told to The Board and Batten in January 2004. It was most fun as children to be sent to the train station to greet visitors arriving on the evening train. We would get there early and watch the shoreline for the very first beam of the engine's headlight. The light would disappear when the train turned to shore at San Carlos beach and then reappeared around Presidio hill, then disappearing again before the marine labs. This was repeated again and again on the serpentine track. We could tell how long we had to wait by the length of each appearance and disappearance. In the dusk of a summer evening it seemed almost magical. When we took the train we were not allowed to go to the parlor car. Our grandmother always rode in the parlor car which was the deluxe accommodations, at a higher fare. Grandmother enjoyed the porter assigned to the car, Oliver Millet. Oliver was held in high regard by all of the regular clientele for his impeccable service. The SP broke tradition by naming a car for an individual and one parlor car was named "The Oliver Millet" upon his retirement in 1947 after 32 years of service on the Del Monte. I remember the Asilomar stop but I don't remember the Lake Majella stop---as I remember Lake Majella was just a wide spot in the gulley. My brother swam in it in the springtime but most of the time it was not suited for swimming. One time the train carrying an uncle was late. He explained that he was told by the conductor when the train reached Monterey that the train would not go to Pacific Grove that night because they could not turn around as they usually did. He had no way o f telling the waiting family o f his predicament. He complained to the station loud enough that the train was instructed to take him to Pacific Grove and then to back-up all the way back to Monterey which it did! , OCR Text: Memories of the Trains in Pacific Grove By Elizabeth Haviside of Pebble Beach as told to The Board and Batten in January 2004. It was most fun as children to be sent to the train station to greet visitors arriving on the evening train. We would get there early and watch the shoreline for the very first beam of the engine's headlight. The light would disappear when the train turned to shore at San Carlos beach and then reappeared around Presidio hill, then disappearing again before the marine labs. This was repeated again and again on the serpentine track. We could tell how long we had to wait by the length of each appearance and disappearance. In the dusk of a summer evening it seemed almost magical. When we took the train we were not allowed to go to the parlor car. Our grandmother always rode in the parlor car which was the deluxe accommodations, at a higher fare. Grandmother enjoyed the porter assigned to the car, Oliver Millet. Oliver was held in high regard by all of the regular clientele for his impeccable service. The SP broke tradition by naming a car for an individual and one parlor car was named "The Oliver Millet" upon his retirement in 1947 after 32 years of service on the Del Monte. I remember the Asilomar stop but I don't remember the Lake Majella stop---as I remember Lake Majella was just a wide spot in the gulley. My brother swam in it in the springtime but most of the time it was not suited for swimming. One time the train carrying an uncle was late. He explained that he was told by the conductor when the train reached Monterey that the train would not go to Pacific Grove that night because they could not turn around as they usually did. He had no way o f telling the waiting family o f his predicament. He complained to the station loud enough that the train was instructed to take him to Pacific Grove and then to back-up all the way back to Monterey which it did! , Heritage Society of Pacific Grove,Historical Collections,Names of People about town,L through M File Names,Millet,MILLET_010.pdf,MILLET_010.pdf 1 Page 1, Tags: MILLET_010.PDF, MILLET_010.pdf 1 Page 1