METRO/Union Pacific Field Trip Planned

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 – 8:30 AM – 4:40 PM

Download flyer and registration for this event. (171kb)

RED TO BLUE TO YELLOW

No, this is not a magic trick. It’s another spectacular Field Trip offered by LARHF. It
begins at 8:30 AM at the Los Angeles Union Station. Try to get their using public transportation but if you have to drive, you’ll be able to park in the METRO garage for free with a LARHF coupon included in your Trip package.

The Union Station’s East Portal entrance leads directly down the escalator to our meeting area before boarding the Red Line.
Photo credit: LARHF

We leave the Station on the subway Red Line and head for the 7th Street METRO Center to transfer to the Blue Line.
Photo credit: LARHF

The ride on the Blue Line, which was the first light rail constructed by METRO in 1990, heads towards Long Beach using much of the Pacific Electric’s original right-of-way.
Photo credit: Donald Duke Collection

From 9th Street in downtown Los Angeles to Watts, the Long Beach Line operated for almost 6 miles on four tracks. Those tracks were first laid in 1906, by Mr. Huntington’s orders. Picture Can you imagine the PE operating daily more than 600 cars over the Long Beach Line and its allied lines?

The ROC

This facility is the nerve center of the entire METRO rail operation.

Disembarking at the Rosa Parks Station (Imperial/Wilmington) our first stop of the day is a rare visit to the “ROC” Rail Operations Control.
Photo credit: LARHF)

Under the watchful eyes of the ROC’s central control personnel, transit riders are helped when they have a problem whether it be “they can’t get the ticket machine to work”, or “what time does the next car come?”

The camera surveillance room allows METRO to “keep an eye” on all of the activities at every one of its stations.
Photo credit: LARHF

Passengers with any kind of problem regardless of its seriousness, control personnel can orally respond to their questions and problems over special loudspeakers in the stations or request police officers to intercept the problem and respond to individuals either aboard the rail cars or in the station.

The second impressive control room at the ROC displays the entire METRO rail system displaying all of the turnouts, sidings and car storage yards.
Photo credit: LARHF

And for each system, the movement of the rail cars is plainly seen. The display screens are divided into sections much like the Pacific Electric districts except the METRO rail lines are identified by their colors, i.e. Red, Blue, Green and Gold.

Blue Line Shops & Yard

Boarding our motor coach, the next stop is at the Blue Line Shops & Yard practically adjacent to the METRO Del Amo Station.
Credit: LARHF

When the Metro Blue Line opened, the line originally had 54 cars. In 2000, the Blue Line added 14 cars from the Metro Green Line after the Green Line began using Siemens cars. The Blue Line currently has 68 train cars in their fleet.

The vehicle storage yard is primarily used for cars that are taken off the route after the rush hour in the morning and at night.
Photo credit: LARHF

All of the maintenance requirements are serviced in the yard. The cars go through the car wash daily for exterior cleaning and another service area is set up for the car’s interior cleaning. Wheel truing is so important for the safe longevity of the wheels and to insure a smooth ride. A dedicated building with preparation tracks is part of this operation.

The Operations and Wheel Truing building is the largest structure in the yard. Our tour includes the service facilities and operating areas in this building.
Photo credit: LARHF

The facility has routine maintenance/running repair bays as well as heavy repair bays with overhead crane capabilities and floor lifts for the cars. There are also machine and sheet metal as well as component repair shops. Our tour of the yard will cover all of these areas.

Taking time out for lunch and staying close to our next destination, we will have lunch at the Sizzler with a special LARHF luncheon menu. The menu will have something for everyone. Back on the motor coach, it’s time for the yellow! You guessed it – Armour Yellow can only mean the Union Pacific. A few minutes away is Alameda Street, which parallels the Alameda Corridor and the Union Pacific’s Dolores Support Yard.

The Dolores Facility not only provides temporary storage of trains but is also the site of the Union Pacific’s locomotive maintenance facility.
Photo credit: Richard Elgenson – RailNews Network

Intermodal Container Transfer Facility (ICTF)

It’s just a short hop from here to the Union Pacific’s Southern California ICTF. In1987, the Southern Pacific built this ICTF just 4 miles from both the Los Angeles and Long Beach port activity. Soon the UP will invest $300 million to double its capacity.

There are two primary factors, which allow the ICTF to handle its large volume of containers efficiently.

1. Storage of trains and equipment at the Dolores Yard
2. The computerization of the inventory, utilizing OASIS (Optimization Alternative Intermodal Strategic Scheduler) to maintain inventory — in our tour of the ICTF we will see how these two elements make for a more efficient and real-time reporting of all yard activities.

Dolores Support Yard and Locomotive Maintenance

The last stop on the Field Trip is the Union Pacific Dolores Facility. It is important for fueling, maintenance, a crew change location and supporting the ICTF. At Dolores, diesels are dispatched to take trains in, around and out of the Los Angeles basin. The locomotive services here include welders, mechanics, plumbers, a boilermaker and hostlers all working together to service 25 locomotives per shift. The maintenance building features three run-through tracks. Track 1 is for fueling, with the other two tracks for various inspections and repair.

Three tracks run the length of the UP Dolores Diesel Maintenance building always crowded with diesels waiting to be serviced and repaired.
Credit: Richard Elgenson – RailNews Network

By now we should be tired enough to relax as our motor coach returns to the METRO Building and the end of another LARHF adventure. Our next Field Trip will also take place in the Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor area and include an “Urban Archeology” search with Ralph Cantos and some other cool destinations.

This field trip is going to fill up fast. You don’t want to miss out on it! Download the Field Trip Flyer and mail it today to LARHF.

Download flyer and registration for this event. (171kb)

Belmont Station Mini-Museum to Open

What used to be the Pacific Electric Toluca Yard, in downtown Los Angeles, has been transformed into 275 rental apartments. The PE Subway Terminal tunnel portal and sub-station generator building are unique sights on the Belmont Station’s apartment property.

Belmont Station Apartments in construction located on 2nd Street at Glendale Avenue.

LARHF has been invited to create a mini-museum in Belmont Station’s Rental and Welcoming Center. This will entail over 40 archive photographs detailing the construction of the PE subway as well as the Terminal building and the area along the route of the PE cars that operated out of the Terminal.

A majority of the photographs to be displayed have not been seen by the general public before. LARHF in an alliance with the Huntington Library has been given access to the Huntington’s incredible collection of Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Railway photographs.

Pacific Electric – Future Toluca Yard showing construction preparations for the boring of the subway’s west portal, 1924.
Photo from the Henry E. Huntington Library

LARHF’s archivists and curator have spent many hours in the Huntington photographic vaults viewing this collection and selecting a number of photographs to be reproduced and displayed at the Belmont Station Apartments.

Opening Day Ceremony and first Pacific Electric car to run through the tunnel.
Photo from the Henry E. Huntington Library

Pacific Electric ephemera and artifacts will accompany the photographs.

The display will be open to the public and special interest groups desiring to visit the mini-museum.

Further details to follow.