Whenever I see a photo like this, I’m often amazed to see a locomotive pulling a line of passenger carriages along a track laid out along city streets. Maybe it was a common sight back then, but it still makes me wonder how many accidents this sort of thing caused. Or maybe pedestrians always saw that big shiny round headlight casing coming from a mile away. This locomotive was Southern Pacific GS-3 class, 14 of which were made in late 1937. This photo was taken at the intersection of Alameda and Aliso Streets in downtown Los Angeles. That tower in the background is part of Union Station, which had opened on May 3rd,1939, so I’m guessing the photo was taken later than year, when the station was still a brand-new addition to the LA skyline.
Matt H. said: “Alameda remained a heavy freight line even into the 1980s and beyond. Also, given we’re seeing it cross Aliso Street, we’re seeing it cross the P.E. tracks – a main corridor here, too. That crossing diamond surely took quite a beating from those super-heavy locomotives.”
Gary H. said: “It was mostly the other way around…surface streets grew next to rail lines, which explains the crazy intersection at Fairfax and Olympic. The train went down as San Vicente.”
This is roughly how that view looks these days:
https://martinturnbull.com/2022/07/22/southern-pacific-train-coming-up-alameda-st-at-second-street-downtown-los-angeles-circa-early-20th-century-2/#comment-408126
I recall being told that Pacific Electric (which had freight services) and
Southern Pacific both ran on Standard Gauge tracks. LA Railway was Narrow Gauge tracks. But your article referenced above indicates only SP used Alameda St tracks
I didn’t mean to imply anything other than that’s a SP locomotive in the picture.
What a cool looking locomotive. How it must have looked going through the city. I have memories of running up the street when we lived on sparks in Burbank to see the trains go by. I was around 3 or 4 and still remember them.
Good timing on your post, Martin, it is San Luis County Train Festival this weekend.
Wow! Things really change over the years!
So, do Aliso St. and Alameda actually still intersect? I see Arcadia St. at that intersection, and where Aliso used to be (I think) is now part of the busway. That famous picture of the locomotive that broke thru the south wall at Union Station, I believe that was also Aliso St. which seems to be part of the current busway.