Yes there is a train --under the Newport beach Pier. Many years ago Newport was a deep water port called Mac Faddens Warf for Orange county and there was a train that ran to the end of the peir for loading and off loading goods. A natural event--a storm destroyed the peir and sunk the train and a number of RR cars.
Below is a post of October 27th I made for some young man who wanted to dive it..
Enjoy but be careful..
sdm
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NEWPORT BEACH PIER-TRAIN
Last spring I was contacted by some one on this board regarding the train that was sunk off Newport pier many years ago, unfortunately I can't recall the name of the gentleman. Since I have never seen the train featured in any articles and with apologies to Sir Robert Service "a promise made is a debt unpaid," I will submit the following for all:
The Newport pier, therefore "the train" is a seasonable diving area, and the spring and summer months are certinly NOT the season for diving that area, . This is based on the following; the prevailing summer swell is from the south -right into the pier, there is excessive traffic during the summer, the Dory fleet, the surfers and certainly the elbow to elbow fisherman on the pier, with hooks baited for young juicy divers.
Now, during the fall and winter monthsand especially during the santanas is an ideal safest season to dive the pier. Please be aware there is generally a alongshore drift so it is advisable to enter the water on the left side of the pier, directly in exit path of the Dorys, swim on the surface until fishermen are encounter, submerge under the pier and swim out under the pier to avoid fishermen.
If the Lifeguard station is manned it is always adviseable to check in and advise them of your dive plan. They are all surfers/divers and very knowledgeable of the conditions and may advise to abort the dive.
Swim almost to the end of the pier and the remains should be visible under the pier on the left side directly under the cleaning station. Sadly a portion of the train was removed some years ago by a newly minted PADI instructor teaching salvage and he took the parts home ! (?. ) However there should be enough remaining to recognize it as a train a to create the event as a diving adventure.
If the conditions are ideal the truly adventurous may want to proceed out beyond the end of the pier to depth of about 80 plus feet into the Newport canyon where the remnants of the box car wheels rest..Yes, Newport has a canyon-but mostly mud.
Reverse the procedure on the return to shore.
In the event the dive visibility is less than ideal the pilings and the bottom are a treasure trove. Every inch is covered with debris and or marine life, including the ever present fish hooks and mono fishing line, however the lines are on occasion attached to a discarded fishing pole. On numerous occasions legal lobsters have been taken in the pilings..So there is some thing for every one..the adventure diver, the junk collector, the photographer and the hunter.
Additional information maybe found in "Diving West," 1972, (first California dive guide)OC section, Merker and Miller, "Great piers of California," Jean Femling, 1984, and an article by Dave Haldane (not related to THE Haldanes!) in either the OC Register or the LA Times of many many moons ago.
The Newport Pier and the train are indeed one of the best keep secrets of OC diving, however, it is not with out hazards and needs a certain amount of prepration, skill and the ideal time to dive, but it does afford an unique underwater adventure. Where else in the world can you dive on a train?
Be careful when you dive it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sdm
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DD
October 31st, 2007, 05:47 PM #2
scubaxris
Regular Member
Really??
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Wow I have always wanted to dive the pier...mostly since its there and its in a few of the guide books. So now it seems that there is another reason...is this real? If so I'm going to check it out...anyone interested?
-Christopher
scubaxris
November 7th, 2007, 07:43 AM #3
sam miller
Scuba Instructor
Status
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scubaxris
... So now it seems that there is another reason...is this real? If so I'm going to check it out...anyone interested?
-Christopher
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Yes Chris it is for real...
I note that it was omitted as a diving location in the 1972 edition of Diving West. At that time it was determined that the peir had too many hazzards for the average/reader diver. It may still be some what hazzardous so be careful--surfers, pole fishermen, cableing and mono are always present.
Would suggest that you may want to invest in the book Great Peirs of California..and click them off as new adventures in diving...Huntington, Balboa, Laguna Beach, San Clememte etc.
Enjoy but be careful out there...
sdm
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