Nostalgia & History > About a tell-tale between L.A. and S. Pasadena

Just before the Southwest Chief quit running through Pasadena, I took a quick look at some of the neighborhoods between L.A. and South Pasadena. There was one place where at least one residential street crossed the RR on a bridge. I saw what appeared to be the remants of a tell-tale, but it was far to the side of the track-- as if it had been above a second track, by then removed. For whatever reason (no place to park maybe?) I couldn't investigate further. Sorry for the sketchy explanation, but does this ring a bell with anyone?

It is in pasadena on the old UP Pasadena branch. It is an old tell-tale. That bridge is very old too. good thing MTA didn't rip it out. The Pasadena branch for The UP ran parallel to the Santa Fe for part of the distance.

I don't know about this particular case, but some old tell-tales have been turned 180 degrees, away from the track, to allow todays higher cars to pass. Cheaper than removing them.

It's still there, just south of the Fair Oaks bridge over the Gold line. If you take a ride from Pasadena to LA on the Gold Line, look to the right immediately after crossing under Fair Oaks - it's up on the UP branch alignment.

RS

There's a picyure of it on the "Abandoned railroads" web site for the UP pasadena sub. I' not at home (I'm in Long Beach waiting to be taken out to our train)to look up the URL but you should be able to find it easily.-BMT

Here's the link that Brian was referring to:

http://www.abandonedrailroads.homestead.com/ca_up_pasadena_br.html

Does UP still own the land? I would like to see the tell tail at a museum....who do I contact?

The land probably belongs to the MTA now.

This is it, uphill from the cars protecting the bridge the picture was taken from.

And it is in South Pasadena.

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Still there (or was in February), just south of the Columbia St. Bridge. Kind of surprising, been so long snce I've seen one (besides this one), it looks like it's awfully "sturdy" - like the tell-tale would be as likely to knock you off as the bridge itself.

For the record, "telltale" is one word, not two words or two words with a hyphen between them.

The UP line was abandoned in 1969, taken out by the I-210 freeway construction on the west side of Pasadena. The bridge over the Pasadena Freeway (ex Arroyo Seco Parkway and ex Route 66 for you "roads scholars") was left in place, sitting idle for over 30 years until the southbound side of the Gold Line was built. Now the span carries more trains in day than it used to see in a year. In 1968 I rode the caboose of the Pasadena-Glendale local from Orban Lumber (just south of Colorado Blvd.) to a lumber yard in Altadena. Motive power was an NW2. On the way we crossed Lincoln Ave., where the track still had crossing diamonds from the Pacific Electric local line which had been abandoned in 1941. The same switching job also did the former Glendale & Montrose remnant in Glendale, which lasted several years longer. This branch was electrified until 1940, although the G&M trolleys quit in 1930. The freight motor is preserved and occasionally runs at OERM in Perris after spending over 35 years in Yakima WA as YVT 297.
Regarding the telltale: There was discussion of removing it for preservation, but it would be a rather awkward relic to move--it would probably be easier to construct a replica. And yes, every time I see it from a Gold Line train, I think that it would definitely give more than just a gentle reminder to an unwary brakeman.
Units of time: The millisecond, the microsecond, the picosecond, and the time it took me to say "YES" to the conductor asking "Wanna ride to Altadena with us?"

scottp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just before the Southwest Chief quit running
> through Pasadena, I took a quick look at some of
> the neighborhoods between L.A. and South Pasadena.
> There was one place where at least one
> residential street crossed the RR on a bridge. I
> saw what appeared to be the remants of a
> tell-tale, but it was far to the side of the
> track-- as if it had been above a second track, by
> then removed. For whatever reason (no place to
> park maybe?) I couldn't investigate further.
> Sorry for the sketchy explanation, but does this
> ring a bell with anyone?

OK, I've resisted asking, hoping some one else would. I've looked at the picture and gone to the abandoned railroads site (which I enjoyed since Highland Park is where I grew up).

What is a telltale????

> OK, I've resisted asking, hoping some one else
> would. I've looked at the picture and gone to the
> abandoned railroads site (which I enjoyed since
> Highland Park is where I grew up).
>
> What is a telltale????

It was a warning device that was suspended over the track, in sufficient distance before a bridge or tunnel to warn trainmen riding on top of the train to get down because they were about to go under a bridge or through a tunnel. 4-5 feet wide and had ropes hanging down about 4 feet. Have pretty much all disappeared since it became illegal to ride on top of cars.

n6nvr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > OK, I've resisted asking, hoping some one else
> > would. I've looked at the picture and gone to
> the
> > abandoned railroads site (which I enjoyed since
> > Highland Park is where I grew up).
> >
> > What is a telltale????
>
> It was a warning device that was suspended over
> the track, in sufficient distance before a bridge
> or tunnel to warn trainmen riding on top of the
> train to get down because they were about to go
> under a bridge or through a tunnel. 4-5 feet wide
> and had ropes hanging down about 4 feet. Have
> pretty much all disappeared since it became
> illegal to ride on top of cars.

thx