Western Railroad Discussion > Arcadia, CA track removal/Gold Line construction today.

I drove out to document the removal of the former Santa Fe through Arcadia again today, trying to visit once a week to keep up with changes for the MTA Gold Line's Foothill extension (from eastern Pasadena to Azusa, CA). My previous threads on the subject from the past month:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2792610

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2786465

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2781091

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2775239

Not too much different from last week on the stretch of track between the bridge over Huntington Drive and 1st Street, but this week I decided to park in the Marriot Hotel's lot and make a banzai run up the embankment for a few quick photos (in case any workers were around).

1-2) Looking west at the current end of track. In the first picture, the remains of the turnout and switchstand for the east end of the Arcadia siding can be seen.

3) Looking the other direction at the bridge over Huntington.

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4) The switchstand, now tagged for removal.

5) Back at 1st street looking where I had just been, looking a bit more cleaned up after last week.

6) The site of the original start of demolition about a month ago (between 1st and Santa Anita) is still fenced in, and I believe is now used as a storage yard for crews to park their equipment overnight.

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7-9) On to the site of the bridge over Colorado Blvd., which was removed last Friday. A lot easier to photograph this week, now that the trucks and cranes are gone. I suppose it's only a matter of time before the Art Deco approaches get removed.

Anyone know when the bridge went in? I'm guessing sometime in the 30's or 40's. Here's a picture from TO member 'gyralite' of the bridge in its heyday:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1708263

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10-12) After a visit to the Whistle Stop in Pasadena for some Model RR supplies for my dad, I got a few pictures (through my car's windshield) of the new bridge over the 210 freeway - where concrete was recently poured this week. Hard to see it in the pictures, with all the wooden forms still in place, but I could see some concrete while passing under.

The first picture shows that the signal in the middle of the 210 still stands. They ought to leave it alongside the Gold Line as a monument to perseverance!

Thanks for the views.

Rich

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Leave it stand and put a speed camera in it that will bring some much needed revenue to the area!

Posted from Android

Thanks for sharing, I can Remember back in the late 80's driving on The 210 freeway and seeing the Santa Fe's 8000's chugging up the middle of The 210, Must of been a grade there as it seemed there were always working hard.

why did they tare down the Original bridge over the 210 as it seemed to be a modern concrete bridge ?

espeesGeeps Wrote:
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> why did they tare down the Original bridge over
> the 210 as it seemed to be a modern concrete
> bridge ?

My understanding was the bridge wasn't built to present day earthquake standards. It was designed to handle double track, so space for a second track wasn't an issue.

The SP style tri-light signal on picture #4 is unusual. I have never seen that style of signal on an ex-AT&SF line.

Fascinating pics!!!! Thanks for sharing.

The V20 Safetran "trilight" signal was a Metrolink replacement.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/12 19:30 by spladiv.

Wow! Most interesting! I remember Santa Fe pigs, racks and doublestacks running down the middle of the 210 freeway. My, how times have changed.

SantaFeRuss

espeesGeeps Wrote:
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> why did they tare down the Original bridge over
> the 210 as it seemed to be a modern concrete
> bridge ?

Coonsidering it was only 5-10 years old when they tore it down, it should have been modern.