Western Railroad Discussion > LA Shops Yard pre Modernization Images

Since we have been updated on the new and improved UP Shops Yard in Los Angeles I thought I would post a few of the before.Not the really old  mechanical stuff , just the intermodal faciilty in the before.When I first started taking train pictures I took mostly depots and yard layouts.Then I went to roster shots.Eventually I settled on mostly action on endangered lines.I wish,looking back more of this kind of images were taken.We have lost so many yards and facilities that we thought would be there forever.Bill Webb 

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How did you get shots 2 & 3? Stopped on I-5? 

Never been able to figure out the RR lines and yards around LA, or LA itself, but #2 and #3 provides some reference to the outside world.
t4p.

I like no 3 as it shows the downtown city hall, which back when was designated as the tallest building in Los Angeles.
Sgt. Friday.  Where are you?
JB - Omaha



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/20 14:48 by Copy19.

Those are great historical shots!  Thanks for sharing them!  It's amazing how much production all those stub end tracks were capable of, especially about 0100 to 0700 every early morning when the "SHOPS" was building the outbound program for the day.  Spent many an hour in the "SHOPS" tower observing the work and efficiency.  Also, spent some time there as "punishment" when hotshot intermodal trains departed late.  Putting the Asst. Superintendent there for a couple of nights didn't help a bit, but the trains departed on time!

Pete
Clio, California

The new Wilshire Grand Center is the tallest building in LA and West of the Mississippi.
It was built with cement from CAlPortland Cement west of Mojave on the UP Creal Branch.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> The new Wilshire Grand Center is the tallest
> building in LA and West of the Mississippi.

Wilshire Grand Center (WGC) is where Metrolink is now headquarted at.  Also, get this, its the tallest but not the highest building in Los Angeles.  The former tallest building, the U.S. Bank Tower was constructed on top of what is basically a hill in downtown Los Angeles while the WGC was built at the base of that hill, so the WGC doesn't stand out as the tallest building.  The U.S. Bank Tower is still the highest building and the most prominent.

Family legend had it that LA city hall would be the tallest because of the earthquake danger.

JB - Omaha

I read many years ago that the earthquake height limit was just an excuse and that reality was that city politicians did not want any building taller than city hall.  I don't know if there is any truth to that.

Steve

Those stub end tracks just west of the tower were the original "Circus" end loading ramps from when the SP first expanded out of the old freight sheds on Alameda St. into the  Los Angeles General Shops land east of the river.
What Zepher commented about, the amazing amount of work that was done there, is true, especially considering that many of the pig loads were loaded, unloaded one at a time by trucks shuttling back and forth over the cars shoved up against the ramps.  We heard that the Santa Fe would send their terminal officers over to try and figure out how we could de-ramp and get trailers on the road in less time than they could get their hot trains yarded.  How well the Blue Streak got handled made or broke the whole day.  99% on time was of no matter if old blue was a bit late.
Here is a cautionary photo about making too-quick moves over the varible ("rubber") switches.  If the wheels don't get completely clear of the points before the movement is reversed, some flanges will go where you want them to but some will not.  An ISCO truck was like a giant hand in the sky, just pick up the engine and put it back on the rails.  There was just light enough for  this picture early on April 12, 1977.

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Early in my 41 year railroad career I was unable to work regularly as an engineer due to the recession of 1980. I found myself on the bump board and cut back back firing, unable to hold any road jobs even as a fireman. I decided to bump onto a yard job at "the Shops" yard in downtown Los Angeles. I was somewhat familiar with the yard from my early days with the SP working as a clerk in that yard from my first day of railroad employment on 3-7-1977. What a blessing it turned out to be working as a fireman at "The Shops". I soon met many great railroaders there, engineers, switchmen, carmen, yardmasters and of course some of the clerks that I used to work with. I'm proud to say that I became close personal friends with some of these "rails". Sadly many of them have passed on at this point.That's to be expected since now I am an old retired railroader. I do have one switchman friend who is doing very well in retirement. He is always a joy to see and be with. During my time at the SP, I became a fixture at the Shops off and on over the years. I'd work there whenever I could, seniority allowing, of course. "The Shops" was home to me. I just felt comfortable working there. I loved our paired SW1500 switch engines m.u 'd elephant style as was SP practice. They were great engines and a pair of them could do just about anything! I'm especially grateful to several old head engineers who gave me lots of throttle time while firing jobs there during that recession of '80 (and '81). Seeing your great photos today brings back a flood of happy memories to me of my time spent working at "The Shops". Thanks for sharing your great photos and for the great memories!

Tim Dickinson
La Verne, CA

alcoc636 Wrote:
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> Early in my 41 year railroad career I was unable
> to work regularly as an engineer due to the
> recession of 1980. I found myself on the bump
> board and cut back back firing, unable to hold any
> road jobs even as a fireman. I decided to bump
> onto a yard job at "the Shops" yard in downtown
> Los Angeles. I was somewhat familiar with the yard
> from my early days with the SP working as a clerk
> in that yard from my first day of railroad
> employment on 3-7-1977. What a blessing it turned
> out to be working as a fireman at "The Shops". I
> soon met many great railroaders there, engineers,
> switchmen, carmen, yardmasters and of course some
> of the clerks that I used to work with. I'm proud
> to say that I became close personal friends with
> some of these "rails". Sadly many of them have
> passed on at this point.That's to be expected
> since now I am an old retired railroader. I do
> have one switchman friend who is doing very well
> in retirement. He is always a joy to see and be
> with. During my time at the SP, I became a fixture
> at the Shops off and on over the years. I'd work
> there whenever I could, seniority allowing, of
> course. "The Shops" was home to me. I just felt
> comfortable working there. I loved our paired
> SW1500 switch engines m.u 'd elephant style as was
> SP practice. They were great engines and a pair of
> them could do just about anything! I'm especially
> grateful to several old head engineers who gave me
> lots of throttle time while firing jobs there
> during that recession of '80 (and '81). Seeing
> your great photos today brings back a flood of
> happy memories to me of my time spent working at
> "The Shops". Thanks for sharing your great photos
> and for the great memories!
>
> Tim Dickinson
> La Verne, CA

Tim, I know the old Shops tower was torn down some time ago, but the stories that old tower could tell if it could talk.  I remember one night I was up in the tower chatting with the clerks as I was awaiting an outbound.  A guy from UPS came in the door and wanted to know when his cars were going to get spotted.  He was NOT happy!  The Yardmaster snapped, "You'll get your cars spotted when we get to it!"
Big mistake.  The UPS guy never said a word.  He picked up a phone, called someone, and a few minutes later, the YDM's phone rang.  There were literal flames coming out of that phone, and all I could hear was "Yes sir! Yes sir!" from that Yardmaster.
Like the old Hank Williams, JR. song, "It Was an Attitude Adjustment!"

Brian Black
Castle Rock, CO

Thanks for the great story Brian! Indeed, if that old Shops Tower could have talked, oh the stories it could have told . . . . . and many of those stories would have been of the "attitude adjustment" variety!

Tim Dickinson
La Verne, CA