The flume was built to carry lumber from Boulder Creek logging operations o Felton where the train was loaded for Santa Cruz. men in boats also rode the flume to monitor the logs progress. the flume went ten miles and had to cross the San Lorenzo River several times on trestles. Water in the flume was from a dam north of Boulder Creek and fed by Two Bar Creek and Clear Creek. Once the train was bought by Southern Pacific they also inherited the flume. Once the train went from Boulder Creek to Felton in 1885, use of the flume was discontinued.