Railway Buys, Refurbishes 1,500-Horsepower Engine

Martin V. Smith, developer of Oxnard’s Financial Plaza and other major projects, has added a 1,500-horsepower locomotive to his 18-mile Ventura County Railway Co., which connects the Port of Hueneme with the Southern Pacific line in Oxnard.

Smith, president of Martin V. Smith & Associates, paid $250,000 to purchase and refurbish the engine, which is capable of pulling 40 freight cars. The engine, formerly owned by the Great Western Railway Co. of Loveland, Colo., will be dedicated next Tuesday under its new name, “Martha K,” after Smith’s wife.

The Ventura County Railway Co., established in 1906, provides freight service for such port users as Mazda Motors, Jaguar, BMW, Occidental Chemical, J.M. Smucker Co., Reichhold Chemical Co. and Sunkist Growers.