Western Railroad Discussion > What a difference a year makes, BNSF City of Hope train

To show a comparison of the changes on the former Santa Fe right-of-way in Duarte, CA with two pictures taken 11 months apart - here's a then and now with last year's BNSF City of Hope Christmas special that ran from San Bernardino to Duarte to give the kids at the hospital a roundtrip to Rancho Cucamonga.

1) The train about to load west of Highland Avenue, on December 18, 2011.

2) The scene yesterday near the same spot, where Kiewit has just recently removed all the rails and ties between Highland and Buena Vista Avenues as part of the MTA Gold Line Foothill extension project. The small platform next to the crosswalk still remains, which I believe acted as a shelter for loading the kids in case of rain. The City of Hope special to Duarte started in Santa Fe days, running from approximately 1990 to 2011. If they run again this year, it would seem the kids would need to be bussed to Azusa in order to board.

I'll show the rest of the Duarte track removal photos in my next update.

Rich



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/11/12 09:58 by PasadenaSub.

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Thats hard to see.

So long Holiday Train! Hopefully it's finished. Enough pictures have been taken of it over the last decade or so to last us practically forever.

Thanks for the update Rich. keep 'em coming.

Des-Lab Wrote:
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> So long Holiday Train! Hopefully it's finished.
> Enough pictures have been taken of it over the
> last decade or so to last us practically forever.
>
> Thanks for the update Rich. keep 'em coming.


Des-Lab. Surely you don't think the train is operated for the photo opportunities? It is the children that BNSF is entertaining, not the photographers and rail fans. Warrior

I never said or even implied that they did. What I *DID* say was, as a photographer (even if on hiatus from trains) is that I am thrilled at the concept of it no longer running for the simple reason that, thanks to the two years I did catch it, those pictures can now be considered vintage.

I couldn't care less otherwise *WHY* they ran it.

Thanks for the updtes Rich I am sure glad I stuck around for the last unit to pass that signal, last years tain

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Des-Lab Wrote:
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> I never said or even implied that they did. What I
> *DID* say was, as a photographer (even if on
> hiatus from trains) is that I am thrilled at the
> concept of it no longer running for the simple
> reason that, thanks to the two years I did catch
> it, those pictures can now be considered vintage.
>
> I couldn't care less otherwise *WHY* they ran it.

Seldom am I speechless, but your post has me at a loss for words. What a pathetic rant.

Warrior

Des-Lab Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I never said or even implied that they did. What I
> *DID* say was, as a photographer (even if on
> hiatus from trains) is that I am thrilled at the
> concept of it no longer running for the simple
> reason that, thanks to the two years I did catch
> it, those pictures can now be considered vintage.
>
> I couldn't care less otherwise *WHY* they ran it.

A classic example of a selfish foamer. I could go into detail about your numerous pathetic rants, but that'd be a waste of my time, and a hijacking of this thread even further than it has (apologies to the OP).

erielackawanna Wrote:
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> Des-Lab Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I never said or even implied that they did. What
> I
> > *DID* say was, as a photographer (even if on
> > hiatus from trains) is that I am thrilled at
> the
> > concept of it no longer running for the simple
> > reason that, thanks to the two years I did
> catch
> > it, those pictures can now be considered
> vintage.
> >
> > I couldn't care less otherwise *WHY* they ran
> it.
>
>
> One of the must utterly cynical and selfish posts
> I may have ever read in my life.


Yes, but as some of us have come to know, that is who Des-Lab is. Sad!

Excellent shots, Rich, thanks for posting, and thanks for sharing images that will never be recreated again of a very meaningful train.

I guess I'm just as floored as all of you. How is appreciating some now vintage pictures to be construed as selfish and cynical? What am I supposed to bemoan the fact that future photographers won't be able to replicate pictures that have already been done thousands of times? Aren't the "unable to re-take" pictures the most looked at and appreciated ones here on TO anyway?

Anyway, back on track, so to speak. I for one do appreciate Rich's ongoing efforts to continue documenting this stretch of track. I do have an interest in this line especially since I moved away from it. Especially considering how very recently he was ready to throw in the towel on these efforts but the TO community convinced him to keep it up. So I applaud his efforts.

Des-Lab Wrote:
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> How is
> appreciating some now vintage pictures to be
> construed as selfish and cynical?


How in the hell are you not getting that people are pissed about your snarky attitude and the "I don't care WHY this train ran" comment, NOT the fact that you have those "rare, irreplaceable" GEVO shots?

Pump

Posted from iPhone

Then I guess I'll never understand-or frankly-even care inasmuch as I don't even *have* a family. I get the whole taking kids for a ride thing, but so what? What am I missing here? Metrolink runs year round. They could also put them into a Southwest Airlines jet from Burbank or Ontario or take them to the movies. The point being that there are plenty of other entertainment options available.

Meanwhile, the ex-ATSF track can and will be better served as a commuter line serving thousands of people daily, year round far more than a few dozen kids once a year. So in that context, things move on and again, I'm happy that the runs of the past have been thoroughly documented for future enjoyment here on TO.