Nostalgia & History > ATSF Arcadia Memories

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for growing up in an area very rich in RR History

Here are some memories of a quieter Arcadia when all that plied the rails were
local freights and the daily passenger trains (Amtrak)

I lived in Arcadia 1952 until my job took me north in 1988 to Bakersfield. I have hundreds
of slides and  prints of trains in Arcadia. This is just a small sample.

First is a 126 slide taken by my friend Lee Meyers in 1968
Second is the Highland Park Turn taken in 1970 on 828 film
Third is a WB Highland Park Turn in 1978

I have 3 more

Thanks for looking back with me

Jay​​​​​​​​​​

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Go figure, when I first started watching trains in Arcadia the only trains I saw were the eastbound and westbound local
and it used to switch Arcadia quite regularly, both directions. Santa Fe # 17 was a favorite train for me to watch on
Saturday mornings​ and continued after the creation of Amtrak. This is where I met Lee Meyers as he also
rode his bike up to see the train. Some days when the Super Chief was late we would wait around for the
Eastbound Second District Local. Most of the time I remember it with GP30 and GP35's but I do remember
GP7's and my favorite RSD4/5's just before the train changed to the Highland Park Turn. Then it was back to
GP30's and GP35's.
Before the end of Trains in Arcadia it was back to Locals and ...well I guess that was it. Tracks ended in Arcadia
Until light rail replaced the heavy rail in my childhood town.​

Fourth is the Highland Park Turn in the "hole" on a VERY short siding. My 1968 ETT says 11 cars.
Fifth shot is the Desert Wind 1982
Sixth shot is from 1974 and the Southwest Chief {at least I think that's what it was called}​​​​​​​

Thanks for looking back with me

Happy Thanksgiving to all !!!


Jay, now in Sumner, Washington​​​

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The "short" Arcadia siding was just about identical to the "short" Monrovia siding. Built for passenger trains.

Hummmmmm

I show the Monrovia Siding as being 72 cars (50' cars that is) see attached

I also hung around the Monrovia Depot when Harry Williams was the agent​.
This was after the agent was removed from Arcadia.


Jay​

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The Myrtle Ave and California Ave crossings made the useable length much shorter, about 25 - 30 cars, unless you were willing to block the crossings.

I too hung around the Monrova Depot in the mid-late 60's. I think I swept that whole station about a hundred times or so!
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/15 12:59 by PHall.

lamta_jay Wrote:
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> Sixth shot is from 1974 and the Southwest Chief
> {at least I think that's what it was
> called}​​​​​​​
>
> Thanks for looking back with me
>
> Happy Thanksgiving to all !!!
>
>
> Jay, now in Sumner, Washington​​​

In 1974, it was the Southwest Limited.

Thanks for sharing these images and Happy Thanksgiving to you.

Here are a couple of views of Arcacia from 1946 from the Jeff Moreau collection at the Western Railway Museum Archives. 

82090: The photographer wasn't credited on the envelope for this one, but whoever it was was out with Chard Walker.  Walker's view of this train from an even higher angle appears on p.219 of Signor's Santa Fe's Los Angeles Division, and provides the caption information: the eastbound El Capitan on New Year's Day, 1946.

88488: At the other end of 1946, James Spencer photographed the unique depot in early December.  Spencer was evidently out with Jack Whitmeyer this day, and Whitmeyer's very similar photo graces p.218 of Signor's book.  The tower was located out of the frame to the left.

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Great pictures, Jay and Evan.

It's amazing to think that Santa Fe and BNSF GP35s and GP30s were the standard power on the Second District/Pasadena Sub locals from 1970 through 2008 without much deviation.

Rich



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/15 11:42 by PasadenaSub.