I don’t know whose idea it was for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railway to run its tracks through the center of Pasadena, but it even with that long gate (on the right) it looks like an accident waiting to happen as the Chief service, outbound to Chicago, trundles across Colorado Blvd, squeezed between two buildings. On the left we can see an elevated flagman shanty armed with a warning bell—let’s hope it was enough to warn distracted motorists and pedestrians.
@SF_Historian on Twitter says: Pasadena grew up around its railroads, and as new structures were built they had to conform to the tracks. On this 1893 map, the Santa Fe Line runs between Raymond St & Broadway. The line is still there, but has been routed underground for a few blocks near Colorado Blvd.”
This is that same alley as it looked in June 2022. The railway tracks are long gone, and for some reason it has been named after a TV show and is now known as “Big Bang Theory Way.”
The ‘ Right of Way ‘ is still in effect, but there is sub-level trolly service underground through most of downtown Pasadena ( Metro L Line ‘ Gold ‘ ). Memorial Park Station is just to the north, then bends off to the east running down the center of the 210 / 134.
Oddly, the apartment for the Big Bang Theory is shown to be 2311 N. Los Robles Avenue which is a false address as the street ends at E. Woodbury Road with a smaller street number. The alleyway crossing E. Colorado would be a tribute to the show as they did live in Pasadena.
And, also, Sheldon is very much into trains!
Good point. Sheldon is into trains so that must be the connection.
In the modern photo there’s a Barney’s Beanery. I don’t think I knew that there were more locations than the original one in West Hollywood. The website says there are five total, in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Burbank and Westwood.
I never knew it either. I just think of the WeHo one.
The West Hwd Barney’s was the original and only during my 1932-1955 girlhood years…perched near the old red car streetcar line, beloved hangout for curative and greasy post-binge foods (notably the finest chili-con-anything) and a notable sighting oppo for Humphrey B. and St. Henry of Fonda who used Barney’s as a kind of get-well after hours joint. The late and beloved Ernie Kovacs took his last fatal auto crash about a block away from the Beanery, and (lesser known) also where my parents told me all about how they were getting divorced…over a bowl of Barney’s chili, it didn’t seem all that bad. They can build 20 more of ‘em, but in my heart/mind, there is still only one Beanery worth the name.
I recall checking out the Santa Fe cut just north of the alley in the late ’70’s. Probably with my ancient folding bellows camera in hand, and caught short by some glare of sunlight, I walked smack into a low posted metal road sign thwacking my head pretty good. So maybe that’s how it came to be known as “Big Bang Yada Yada” Alley, in my book at least…thankfully, no one else seemed to be there to witness that ka-thump.
The City of Pasadena, California, proud of its comedic and scientific association with The Big Bang Theory sitcom, celebrated the show’s milestone 200th episode on February 25, 2016, by proclaiming it “Big Bang Theory Day.” The city named the alley in Old Pasadena that was created above the underground tracks “Big Bang Theory Way.” The subterranean Santa Fe tracks run next to The Brookmore Apartments, at 189 North Marengo Avenue, two blocks north of this photo. Two of the show’s writers had once lived at The Brookmore, and TBBT’s apartment building was partially inspired by the building (especially the temperamentally functional elevator).