Western Railroad Discussion > Warbonnets on Santa Fe's Pasadena Sub in the early 90's

For many years of its existence as a through route from San Bernardino to Los Angeles, Santa Fe's Pasadena Subdivision (then known as the 2nd District, LA Division) saw countless passenger trains powered by beautiful red and silver warbonnet locomotives pass. In what would be the twilight of all ATSF operations on the line in the early 1990's, this beautiful paint scheme returned here, as new GP60M's and DASH 8-40BW's powering the hottest intermodal trains commonly used this route (although almost exclusively for westbound traffic).

Here's GP60M 136 leading a quartet of warbonnets (including a GP60B) at a fast clip westbound through my hometown of Glendora, CA on the afternoon of October 21, 1991. The location is near M.P. 113, just east of Lorraine Avenue. I don't know what the train's symbol was, but the 198, 398, and QNYLA were all common pigtrains on the line at the time. In the present, the BNSF Pasadena Local to Irwindale often ties their train down for an hour at this exact spot on the former mainline, while the crew eats lunch nearby.

Rich

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Here's GP60M #144 with three mates passing the famed Pasadena depot on October 5, 1990 with another westbound piggybacker. Only the yellowbonnet GP60 2nd in the consist spoiled the perfect red & silver lashup.

Apart from the buildings in the distance, this scene has changed dramatically today. The MTA's Gold Line Del Mar station surrounds both sides of the track here, and the double track electrified right-of-way now dives under Colorado Blvd, where the Santa Fe once crossed the Rose Parade route. The Pasadena Depot has been relocated not far from its original location, but is now a little further south, closer to Del Mar Avenue.

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Almost to the end of the line, new GE DASH 8-40BW 516 leads 3 GP60M's across the Los Angeles River bridge on April 26, 1992. The picture was taken from the N. Broadway bridge, and Santa Fe had a Broadway station sign just west of here. To the left of the photo in what was then Southern Pacific's Midway yard, can be seen the ends of brand-new Metrolink cars. New equipment for the LA-area commuter authority was stored here prior to Metrolink's startup, about 6 months later in October, 1992.

This location has also changed drastically since this photo. After the closing of the Pasadena Sub as a through route in 1994, the LA River bridge was removed and later replaced with a concrete structure for the Gold Line. The SP connection to the Bullring yard was removed, and the shops for the Gold Line Light-rail cars now stand near the the temporary buildings to the left of the picture. The West Bank Line of Metrolink's River Sub between LAUS and CP Dayton now skirt just to the right of the empty piggyback flats in the photo. Amtrak's Coast Starlights now normally use this route, after many years of using the SP on the other side of the river.

Just thought I'd share a few memories,

Rich

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great shots Rich - reminds me of being an young teen railfan in smelL.A.. Notice the Metrolink portable offices and the early delivery Bombardier cars in the background in the Bullring yard in that last shot...

I had always heard that the Links and Bullring were on the south side of Broadway, Metrolink referred to that as Midway yard.


TCS - yT06bl.

PasadenaSub Wrote:
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> picture was taken from the Broadway bridge,
> which was also the Santa Fe railroad name
> for the location below.

I think the railway simply called it Broadway.

> The SP connection to the Bullring yard was removed

For several years CP Capitol remained a live link for grain hoppers to Capitol Milling after that neighboring part of the Santa Fe Pasadena Sub died in January 1994. Its switch off the 4 Main surprisingly still survives and oddly has a physical connection to the Gold Line, alone of all LA County rail transit and readily visible from that same North Broadway bridge over the Los Angeles River.

hmmm, I think you are correct - the name Midway would make sense for a yard midway in between Taylor Yard and the Bullring yard. So what say ye Topper and other Espee trivia/fact pros? And how did we change the subject from Santa Fe to SP so fast?

TopcoatSmith Wrote:
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> I had always heard that the Links and Bullring
> were on the south side of Broadway, Metrolink
> referred to that as Midway yard.

TopcoatSmith Wrote:
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> I had always heard that the Links and Bullring
> were on the south side of Broadway, Metrolink
> referred to that as Midway yard.


You're right, sorry. I meant to say Midway, but Links stuck in my mind for some reason. As for the location Broadway, yes I meant the trackage underneath the bridge I was standing on, where Santa Fe had a station sign - and not the actual bridge over the LA River.

Nothin' like making mistakes in a thread to get a good amount of replies!

Rich

- mistakes, regrets, do-overs....

If I only had a steady job with school going (I graduated in 93) and had a car or truck I would've probably got down there and got a few shots myself. I really feel bad not having a chance heading down Alemeda St. when SP still had what I nicknamed The Harbor Mains and got some action (and as many times as I been there seeing realtives, I only saw like 1 freight in the distance, that's it) I would've had more photos than now! Anyway cool shots Pasadena Sub, brings back memeories when railfannin' was a lot of fun.