Tag Archives: Trains and Railways
Model aircraft display at Union Station, downtown Los Angeles, 1943 (WWII)
Los Angeles’ Union Station turned 75 this month (May 2014) so a number of old photos of it have been surfacing. I thought this one was particularly interesting. It was taken in 1943—the middle of WWII—and shows a . . … Continue reading
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Tagged Airports Aircraft Airlines, Downtown Los Angeles, Trains and Railways, Union Station, WWII
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The Union Pacific’s Astra Dome dining car, which debuted in 1955
In 1955, the Union Pacific railroad debuted its luxurious Astra Dome dining car. According to a Union Pacific promotional piece, the railroad’s new dining car would “offer you only the finest of freshly prepared foods, graciously served by attentive waiters.” … Continue reading
Super Chief “Train of the Stars” lost its brakes and came to rest above Aliso Street.
The Super Chief claimed to be “The Train of the Stars” because of the many celebrities it carried between Chicago and Los Angeles. On this day it lost its brakes at L.A.’s Union Station (in downtown L.A.) and crashed through … Continue reading
Union Station and downtown L.A. under construction in 1939.
Union Station in downtown L.A. under construction in 1939. It opened in May of 1939 bringing all three major transcontinental railway lines into Los Angeles under one roof. I’m happy to say that it still looks pretty much the same … Continue reading
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Tagged Downtown Los Angeles, Trains and Railways, Union Station
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Site of new Union railway station Terminal (enclosed by lines)
I’ve come across plenty of photos of what downtown looked like after Union railway station was built but photos of the area before the land was scraped clean are much rarer. This photograph was taken in 1934. The caption … Continue reading
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Tagged Downtown Los Angeles, Trains and Railways, Union Station
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Union Station under construction, downtown Los Angeles, 1938
Union Station at the edge of downtown L.A. was the last of the great railways stations to be built prior to WWII at what was then the peak of transcontinental rail trail. After WWII, air travel would quickly surpass the … Continue reading
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Tagged Downtown Los Angeles, Trains and Railways, Union Station
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Pacific Electric Railway’s Subway Terminal Building, downtown Los Angeles
Built by the Pacific Electric Railway, the Subway Terminal Building opened in 1925 and functioned as the terminus for the Hollywood-Glendale-Valley Subway line, which closed in the 1950s. Note the market, proving people shopped downtown for groceries back then. Although … Continue reading