ca_up_pasadena

This view is on Humboldt Street facing northeast. San Fernando Rd crosses at the traffic light. These tracks are out of service, and end at the beige building in the distance (Avenue 26), where they used to make a jog to the left (still in Humboldt St.).Photo from July 2003 courtesy Mike Palmer.

This view is on York Blvd. facing east. The UP track entered this street to access the bridge across the Arroyo Seco Parkway (now Pasadena Freeway), Ca. Rte. 110. Photo from July 2003 courtesy Mike Palmer.

This branch was connected to another UP branch, from Los Angeles to Glendale. The Pasadena branch had a lot of street trackage, much of it in long-established business districts and neighborhoods that have not been redeveloped. The branch curved east from the junction on the east bank of the Los Angeles River, and almost immediately entered Humboldt St. for several blocks of street running. The Humboldt St. section was the last part abandoned (1970s) but the track remained intact until at least 1982. There are several sidings still in place in the street, but all of the industrial buildings appear to be abandoned. East of Humboldt St. the track paralleled Santa Fe's Second District line for the first of three bridges over the Arroyo Seco Parkway [L. A.'s first freeway, opened around 1940]. Once across the bridge the tracks ran parallel to the Santa Fe a few blocks to the east, then crossed the Santa Fe at grade near Highland Park. Further east the track entered York Blvd. for the second Arroyo Seco Pkwy crossing, then entered South Pasadena. The track paralleled Arroyo Drive then turned east and ran down the center of Grevelia St. for a few blocks. The track then turned northeast and paralleled the Santa Fe for the third crossing of the Arroyo Seco Pkwy. The track continued on next to the Santa Fe for a few more blocks, passed the site of 'Raymond', then turned north and west to Pasadena and ultimately Linda Vista. Very little of the right of way an be found within Pasadena city limits, as that area has been updated with new buildings. Much of the end section near Linda Vista is now used by freeways. Except for the street trackage in the top left photo, most of this line was abandoned by the 1960s.

This is the third Arroyo Seco bridge as it appeared in July 1982. The left span was for the former UP; the right span was the then-active Santa Fe line. This is at Grevelia and Fremont facing NE in South Pasadena. . The UP had entered the bridge from street running in Grevelia (pavement patch barely visible). Photo courtesy Mike Palmer.

Same bridge, 21 years later. (The Santa Fe ended service in early 1994 on this route).Trains will return to the UP and Santa Fe routes here! This is the MTA Gold Line, scheduled to open July 26, 2003. The sign on the center pole states "Caution - Train Testing in Progress". Photo from July 2003 courtesy Mike Palmer.

This was an interesting find when I first explored this route: an old tell-tale that had outlasted the track by more than ten years.This was in South Pasadena; the still-active Santa Fe was behind the berm at the right. Photo from July 1982 courtesy Mike Palmer.