Western Railroad Discussion > SP Anaheim, fullerton br, whittier br, trackage questions

Have been in fullerton a lot recently, and went to eat in the Packing House district of Anaheim....and obviousy saw the street running in Sana Ana St.
So off to Google Maps to investigate.  Figured most of it out  (I lived in LA for years, but not this area, so somewhat familiar)  

Questions...
Found an old SP map that showed apparent direct trackage from West Anaheim to South Anaheima.  Looks like you could get to Santa Ana, at one time, either via the street running trackage, or via a more direct line, that ran where I-5 is now.

I know all about the trackage Southeast of south anaheim ct being abandoned for I-5, and the connection to the SF orange line, etc.   Im asking about the trackage that was northwest of there , and seemed to run to the west of the packing district, under what is now I-5.

Also, Was the street running ever used as route for haulers to get to Santa Ana, back in busier days or was always strictly for locals?    I'm guessing that by the time the SP's more direct route to Santa Ana was abandoned for the 5 expansion, there was no longer enough traffic to have a hauler run to Santa Ana.....Just to west Anaheim...which is I guess where the haulers from CI still operate.

Looked at the Tustin and Costa Mesa lines....AFAIK...the street running thru anaheim is only used for locals to get to these lines, and do some switching at south Anaheim.  Both the Costa Mesa and Tustin lines, like everything else these days, have tons of industrial trackage and switchbacks, but little of it is used anymore.  Saw 1 or 2 active tracks on the tustin, and  maybe (and thats a big maybe) half a dozen on the Costa Mesa line....

Also have never seen pix of trains running on Olive street...quite a bit of street running there too.

Added some questions about the fullerton br and Whittier branches below...

Any info would be appreciated.....

TIA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/19 17:57 by pdt.

A variety of ops occurred over the years, and my memory on exactly what happened when isn't all that sharp any more.  But, here goes. 

I started going to Anaheim around 1965.  I believe it was right around then that the old Anaheim station along Santa Ana Street just west of Anaheim Blvd stopped being used (I can remember a couple of times seeing Baldwins parked there on the siding, then everything moved to West Anaheim).  West Anaheim became the center of operations, including several tracks used for switcher power and cabooses, a dock-high metal building with a front desk (where I used to get my employee timetables from always-friendly SP folks), a wye, and quite a bit of MOW supplies and road equipment. 

At one time, the Anaheim Hauler used to drop cars for the Huntington Beach/Los Alamitos and West Santa Ana branches at West Anaheim (a 3-track yard between Lincoln and Broadway, just to the west of the I-5 freeway, at the junction of the HB/LosAl branch).  Then, depending on what year it was, the road power OR a couple of SW1500s would take the remaining cars down Santa Ana/Olive to South Anaheim for the balance.  Used to be quite a bit of action out of South Anaheim, a number of locals picked up their cars there, made up their trains, then went out. Most of the years that I lived near there the locals that operated out of South Anaheim would bring their returns back to the sidings along I-5 between Euclid and Brookhurst (just northwest of West Anaheim), as would the HB/Los Al and West SA locals.  All of the locals' power and cabooses were kept at West Anaheim, regardless of whether their trains were made up at West Anaheim or South Anaheim. 

It was great on the times that Hauler road power would take the South Anaheim traffic down Santa Ana and Olive Streets to the small yard.  Sometimes the Hauler power would come back light and pick up the returns at the previously-mentioned sidings along the I-5. But on occasion I saw the South Anaheim locals drop their returns at South Anaheim, cab-hop back to West Anaheim, and the Hauler road power do the return trip with the returns on Santa Ana/Olive. Again, not sure which years they typically did which: I saw both being done.  

The Anaheim Hauler was often in the 80 to 120 car range, but in the early 70s before the huge drop off in SP carload business, it could get much larger.  The largest I can remember TYPICALLY seeing was in the 150-car range, and the largest that I saw at any time was about 180 cars (once).  

The other feature that used to make these lines great to watch was the Holly Sugar beet trains.  There were years where these ran as a solid train in the 30- to 50-car range (might have been more but don't remember that), PLUS when some of the packing houses in Tustin/Orange, Santa Ana and Anaheim were still operating they would pick up hot loads at West Anaheim and then head off to Industry. I only saw these operate with SW1500s, usually 2 or 3 for the run to Industry. Most reefers I have seen were about 15, usually were more like 5 or 6.  Holly closed for good in 1982 and was demolished in 1983.  Not sure on when the last beet trains or even blocks of beets were run. 

Hope this helps.

Bruce    

The SP's origtinall 1877 line to Santa Ana followed the present route of I-5. The loop through down town Anaheim was built in 1899. The track between West Anaheim and the eastern junction with the Anaheim loop was abandoned in 1933 for road construction just as about 55 years later road work caused another abandonment of the Santa Ana Branch.

The haulers would use the street trackage to South Anaheim or if needed to Santa Ana if there was not enough room for there setout ar Anaheim.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/19 00:34 by MyfordBrowning.

Thanks for the info  Surprised that the direct W anaheim to S anaheim was abandoned so early (1933)   I heard that the Anaheim local (whatever its called) runs to Marlboro twice a week, and Costa Mesa 3 days a week.   I guess that's it for south of west anaheim (??)  and I guess theres another job that works whats left of the PE tracks...Huntington beach/Los Alamitos/Anaheim lines

The switcher that originates at Anaheim (West Anaheim) goes to South Anaheim and Costa Mesa usually on Monday’s and Wednesday’s. On Tuesday, Thursday and Friday they work South Anaheim and possibly to Marlboro as needed. The foam rubber company is the only frequent user of rail at Marlboro. A printer and roofing company have gotten boxcars in the past on an irregular bases at Marlboro.

The Huntington Beach line is served Tuesday and Thursday by the Buena Park switcher. The line to Los Alamitos is just a short stub now with no business.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/20 22:07 by MyfordBrowning.

Also see that the i believe ex-UP  fullerton branch from fullerton Jct to Basta (where I think it crossed the SF once upon a time, and served industries south of the SF fullerton station)  is now out of service, except for 1 chemical plant in fullerton, that I guess is served by the BNSF now.  A lot of grade crossings on the fullerton Br were rebulit, and now have the flashers turned and signs that say "track out of service"

Looked it all up...Ex-UP branch from Whittier Jct to Fullerton.   Whittier Jct to where it parralled the PE La Habra branch abandoned in 1995 according to "abandoned rails" website.  Now a rail trail.  Ex-PE ROW from La Habra br to Fullerton still visible too.  (Small part still used as industry siding)

Would love to see pix of trains on the UP between Fullerton Jct and Basta...lots of running thru residential neighborhoods and  backyards, etc.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/19 18:41 by pdt.

Here are a few UP trains on the line between La Habra ans Basta (west side of Fullerton).
1. heading towards La Habra the UP local has passed under the grider bridge on the old PE right of way and approaches the Harbor Blvd bridge 5-18-85.
2. Hermosa Dr grade cross, westward local towards La Habra 8-23-87.
3. Eastward Anaheim detour passing under the ex PE bridge 2007.
A  freeway widening project temporarily closed the old SP route to Anaheim and caused haulers to Anaheim to detour via Basta and use BNSF-Metrolink trackage right to South Anaheim.

cliff

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The PE/SP used the UP Anaheim Branch from La Habra via the Sunny Hill from about 1962 when the UP and PE consolidated tracks and the PE line to Fullerton was abandoned. Here is a July 28, 1988 view of the SP Fullerton Switcher with  cars from the Hunts-Wesson facility at Basta.

cliff



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/19 14:54 by MyfordBrowning.

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thx for the pix.   Great stuff.  I guess if they ever need it for a detour, all the track is still in.   Having it OOS for now, saves all the track and grade crossing inspections..

PDT,  what trackage can be used for a detour and by Whom ?

mundo Wrote:
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> PDT,  what trackage can be used for a detour and
> by Whom ?

As the previous post said...it (the UP fulleron br)  was used for the Anaheim hauler when the anaheim br was OOS.  CI-Los Nietos-LaHabra br-FullertonBr-Orange line..to SP South Anaheim