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Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
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Author:  J3a-614 [ Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
Amazing is right! And it's also fascinating that so much of what was visible then is still around--the C.P. Huntington, V&T No.22 (as a Union Pacific locomotive), possibly most of the even-then antique automobiles (and how come modern cars are so ugly?)

That house air connection to the C. P. Huntington looks like it's set up for blowing up steam. The air line runs into the smokebox. And of course, the C. P. shows up under power later in the film.

I wonder what became of the horsecar and an open passenger car behind a tank engine in the film. And might one of the tankers still be around today? I'm thinking of the Santa Fe engine. . .though I could be wrong on that.

Thanks for finding and sharing this.
Author:  Randolph R. Ruiz [ Wed Apr 23, 2014 5:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
The 0-4-0t painted "Cahuenga Valley Railroad" was an SP shop switcher that had once been a steam dummy in San Francisco and Colton. It has been under restoration in Los Angeles at Travel Town for some time.

http://www.laparks.org/grifmet/tt/htmgallery/gallery_loco/south20.htm

http://www.traveltown.org/projects/219.shtml
Author:  wilkinsd [ Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
I think the air line connected to the C.P. Huntington is just an artifical draft into the smokebox to aid in firing up.

The coach behind the C.P. appears to be one of the former V&T cars owned by RKO Studios.

The Santa Fe tank engine looks like one of the shop switchers the Santa Fe had. The coach in that train is one of the former V&T Brill-built coaches.

The open car behind the SP shop switcher is, I believe, a former LARY open car that lived at Travel Town for a while, I think.

Neat film. I believe UP had one of its early Challengres there too, and it, like the cab-forward walked down the street.
Author:  Randolph R. Ruiz [ Wed Apr 23, 2014 8:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
According to Bill Bradley's Last of the Great Stations:

"UP" 22 (V&T 22 of course) was pulling V&T coach No. 4
C. P. Huntington was paired with V&T coach No. 3
AT&SF "567" was 0-6-0t 2267. Its coach's number was not identified in the book.

I'd be surprised if the open car behind SP 219 was an LARy car, since it is operating on standard gauge track.

Not shown in the film were three steam locomotives wrapped in bunting and flags that represented each of the railroads to share LAUPT. These were ATSF 2-10-4 5006, an SP GS-2 or GS-3 (number is covered in photos), and UP Challenger 3939.
Author:  rock island lines [ Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
A street running Cab Forward... holy cow, what a sight. I bet it was spotless for this parade.
Author:  Brian Norden [ Fri Apr 25, 2014 1:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
wilkinsd wrote:
The open car behind the SP shop switcher is, I believe, a former LARY open car that lived at Travel Town for a while, I think
I think it is a Pacific Electric car. I'd have to do some research. It might have been used as the West Hollywood shop switcher and later sold private. If that is the case the car was later fixed up and on display in the LA County Museum of Natural History.
Author:  atsfm177 [ Fri Apr 25, 2014 12:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
wilkinsd wrote:
The open car behind the SP shop switcher is, I believe, a former LARY open car that lived at Travel Town for a while, I think.


That's what i thought too, but looking at the side supports holding up the roof in this video and comparing them to the parts we recently removed when we had to dissassemble much of the car to keep it from collapsing don't match.

Greg
Author:  yankingeorgia [ Tue Apr 29, 2014 3:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
Rock Island Lines,

There was nothing unusual about ACs operating on Alameda Street. Before the opening of Union Station SP trains operated up and down Alameda, to and from Los Angeles Central Station which was located a number of blocks south of LAUPT, on the opposite (west) side of Alameda.

ACs handled the heaviest varnish, especially the ones that operated via Soledad Canyon and the Tehachapis.

The link below takes you to an Otto Perry shot of the 4110 hauling #58 the "Tehachapi" down Alameda in 1937.

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/54495/rec/34

If you haven't perused the Otto Perry Collection, do so. It's a treasure.
Author:  rock island lines [ Tue Apr 29, 2014 4:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
yankingeorgia -
Thank you for that information. That is a nice photo. I always have a two part reaction to Cab Forward pics and videos -- big adrenalin rush followed by depression. Heartbreaking that one pulled an excursion in 1957 and was scrapped a year later. It's hard to look at that excursion footage and not feel the loss.
SP 4274 near the end -
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/r ... 10,1546846
Author:  p51 [ Tue Apr 29, 2014 4:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
yankingeorgia wrote:
There was nothing unusual about ACs operating on Alameda Street.
I'd think polished like a new penny, pulling coastal artillery was truly a once in a lifetime event in itself....
Author:  S. Weaver [ Wed Apr 30, 2014 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Los Angeles Union Station Grand Opening 1939 Film
Yeah, Lee. I knew you'd notice the tube ... What a parade!
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