Nostalgia & History > Toss back Tuesday . . .

.   .   .   not much here is the same today except the tracks crossing ahead, at the time SP, now UP. This view from a Santa Fe Hobart Yard job heading eastbound around the Redondo Junction wye near downtown Los Angeles was taken in JUN '86 looking at Redondo Junction tower, gone, Amtrak Redondo Junction round house and whisker tracks, gone (actually rebuilt and remodled), fifteen mph San Bernardino Sub main tracks, gone. There is now a forty mph flyover off to the upper right. On this clear day about the only thing still recognizable are the San Gabriel mountains in the distance and the large concrete structure middle right.
JB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/25 10:21 by 3rdswitch.

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First-rate historic view.
Bob

Cool photo JB, wonder what kind of vehicle is under that car cover?
Bryan

Chico56 Wrote: " . . . wonder what kind of vehicle is under that car cover?"

I strongly suspect it is a 1985 or 1986 - could 1987's be out yet? - Lincoln Town Car.  1985 was the first year with a sloped rear fascia.

1985 Lincoln Town Car

Matthew

I wonder if the car cover has anything to do with the Amtrak locomotives? 

I worked at Redondo Jct tower from 1976 to 1977. When Santa Fe still used the roundhouse life at the tower was good. After Santa Fe went to Hobart and Amtrak moved into the roundhouse there were issues. I worked third trick 11pm to 7am. Amtrak had their locomotives on the whisker tracks running full throttle all night long. They were blowing oil and other things mixed in, that rained down on the cars of the tower operators, parked in the location shown in the photo.

This was messing up the paint on the autos and couldn't be totally cleaned off. I went to the roundhouse one morning and talked to the foreman and asked why they were running the locos full throttle. He didn't answer the question, but told me I should park somewhere else if I didn't like oil raining on my car. Fortunately after a few months of Amtrak I got another job. I bet in 1986 they were still burning fuel like it was cheap.