Del Mar Race Track specials
 

tovangar2, I'm glad you enjoyed "Because Mom Liked to Play the Ponies" but disappointed to hear of how Amtrak handled your trip. It will be of little consolation at this late date, but Amtrak’s race track specials are not high on the list of their crews. I have a friend who recently retired from Amtrak after a 37 year career. His last years were spent as a conductor on the Pacific Surfliners and he always tried, whenever possible, to avoid the specials to Del Mar and also events at Anaheim Stadium.

CityBoyDoug, sorry to hear that your trip was disappointing as well. There are possibly three contributing factors. The first “streamlined" San Diegan was delivered in 1938 and a second trainset in 1941. Each set could make two round trips a day. a third train, using heavy weight equipment from the discontinued Valley Flyer that ran from Oakland to Bakersfield allowed for five trains a day. Despite Santa Fe’s efforts to maintain first class service on all their passenger trains in the face of declining post-war passenger traffic, by the time of your trip the streamlined equipment probably getting a bit long in the tooth. If you per chance you rode the train with the Valley Flyer equipment, that consist was long past its prime and had been used to transport troops from LA to San Diego in WWII. Also, as we all know, everyone smoked in those days and it is virtually impossible to get the odor of smoke out of vehicles.

Great portrait of a good looking family!

Cheers,
Jack

Nice photo editing, HossC!

Cheers,
Jack

given their fire history, I hope so too.
I found I had this photo from about 1934 that shows the back of the building, with the fire escape.
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/k....%20George.jpg
source probably USC


I wonder if Higgins ever regretted going with the semi-fireproof plan rather than springing for the completely fireproof.
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/k...of12-18-04.jpg 12-18-1904

Thanks Jack for your astute report. The worst part of that old train to San Diego in 1954? was the Men's restroom. OMG, that was a trip into a nether world somewhere deep below Hades.....:rolleyes: "Long past its prime"...is putting it mildly!

But in 2014 I took the Surfliner to San Diego. The train was super clean and the trip was a pleasure. I went ''Business Class'' which was fun...sort of. Overall...I'd do it again.

Cheers, ....Doug

Wow, look at that, the Bisbee/St George, St Vibiana's and the Higgins, all in one shot. Thx

Two early views of Los Angeles Railway street-cars that I came across this morning on eBay.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...537/rEtRbr.jpg
currently on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Phot...3D252035231818


http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...537/9tmFZn.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Phot...item3aae78704a

:previous: I wonder who the older gentleman is....their boss?

That looks like an old bed-spring on the front of the car ;) (I just noticed there's one on the back as well)



below: "W. S. Service" is written on the reverse of both photographs.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...537/YzmUVh.jpg
eBay

Does W.S. Service ring a bell to anyone...HenryHuntington?......Wig-Wag?

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A fun little souvenir pin.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...538/CBGLpT.jpg
eBay

Concession Stand, Los Angeles 1942.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/128...540/a6qjgL.jpg
eBay

Wow! This photo is playing so many tricks with my mind. It really looks like an M. C. Escher painting. I friggin' don't know which way is up, the AC units seem to be mounted on the ceiling, the security camera is facing down as well as the ceiling lights inside the windows. :P

At one time Mission soda, in several flavors, was bottled all over the US. Its headquarters was in New Haven, CT. [ I believe that its no longer in production.]
They were made from 1929 to 1970.
Metal wall ad.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...pswsmkluus.jpg
ebay

Mission Orange is seen in an earlier post of mine:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...ostcount=22707

:previous: Thanks CityBoyDoug. The seller thought the sign was for "Orange Passion'.
-so I was looking everywhere for "Orange Passion".

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...540/H0E7tv.jpg

The seller also mentioned that the word "Cola" is visible on the man's hat.

Here's a strange image.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/538/JDxF5I.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/C-1920S-PHOT...item2ee41fe816

:previous: Chateau Art Studio L.A.


photographer's stamp on the reverse.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...910/S2LU38.jpg

Chateau Art Studios, 213 So. Broadway Los Angeles



The Chateau photography studio would have been on the third floor of this building.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...538/K8QuzA.jpg
gsv

:previous: If I remember correctly, this is an old building covered in a 'new' façade.


In fact, I think the vintage photo in the window shows the building before the renovation (the taller building on the left).

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...673/P1EvSq.jpg
detail / gsv



And there's another vintage photograph in a second window next door.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...538/5Imdvw.jpg
detail / gsv

As you can see, the building on the corner has been replaced by a taller building, and the building on the left now has a blade sign for Municipal Water & Power.


In fact, the building on the corner is still there as well, also with a 'new' façade.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800...913/sNYq4E.jpg
gsv


If any of this is incorrect et me know. I'm kinda winging it here. ;)
I'm pretty sure we've covered these building in the past on NLA.

The eBay seller just placed two more photographs of the L.A. City Hall groundbreaking ceremony online.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...901/ITynup.jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-1927...item280443fab9

:previous: Look at those huge stones in the back of the truck on the right.



http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...633/OHYu97.jpg
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0167...7i13312!8i6656



As a reminder, here's the photograph I posted yesterday.

The default setting is 20 posts per page, so 1500.
You must have your setting on 25 posts per page, so 1200.
I like to have mine on 10 posts per page, so I'm up to 3000!

Seems like a good suggestion.

That IS a good resemblance! In the service at 17, I can't imagine.
I hope he was able to keep that smile and disposition later on!

USS Marias in 1945:

Commisioned by the Navy in 1944, so it was a new ship.

USS Marias (AO-57) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler. She served her country primarily in the Pacific Ocean Theatre of Operations, and provided petroleum products where needed to combat ships. For performing this dangerous task, she was awarded eight battle stars during World War II.

After being in Philippine waters for 2 1/2 months, Marias next fueled the ships of the U.S. 5th Fleet as they bombarded Iwo Jima and conducted raids on the Japanese homeland. On February 24, 1945, five days after the landings at Iwo Jima, the tanker returned to Ulithi to prepare for the Okinawa campaign. She arrived at the fueling area off Okinawa March 16th, 1945, for the pre-invasion air and sea bombardment. For the next three months she serviced the ships engaged in the bitterly fought operation making fast runs to Ulithi for replenishment.

On July 3rd, 1945, the veteran tanker departed Ulithi for her last wartime operation. Nine days later she took up station in the fueling area east of Honshū fueling the fleet as it struck at the enemy's home islands delivering the final blows of the war. Following the signing of the surrender terms, Marias entered Tokyo Bay, remaining there, with the exception of a voyage to Ulithi for fuel, until departing for the United States on October 27, 1945. Marias arrived in San Pedro, California, November 10, 1945, underwent yard overhaul and departed again for the western Pacific, February 5, 1946.

It just occurred to me...with traffic like this I guess these people sure needed to start out to the Rose Parade quite early if this was May of 1939! :shrug:
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FYI:

1939 Tournament of Roses Parade Trivia

--The Rose Parade celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year.

--The Grand Marshal of the Rose Parade is Shirley Temple,
the youngest Grand Marshal to date.

(Not to date, I mean...to now, until the present, I mean...you know what I mean...) :haha:

--Richard and Pat Nixon enjoy their first date at the Duke vs. USC Rose Bowl Game. USC beats Duke, 7-3, with a famous come-from-behind touchdown drive as time runs out.

--The first telecast of a special event from the Tournament of Roses took place on station W6XAO of Los Angeles, with commentator Don Lee describing the evening preparations of the Royal Court.

--The parade and bowl game were held on January 2, 1939, upholding the "No Sunday" rule and tradition.

http://www.tournamentofroses.com/history/timeline

I saw a documentary about the history of the Rose Parade and one of the floats they had in 1939 was an art deco streamlined locomotive. I wanted to post a photo of that for you train enthusiasts, but the Tournament of Roses photo site is down for repairs and I couldn't locate it anywhere else. I did find this photo of a 1940 float entry, though.

http://cdm16237.contentdm.oclc.org/u...XT=&DMROTATE=0Pasdaena Public Library

Caption: 1940 Rose Parade -"Modern Transportation" was the entry of the
Brotherhood of Railway Clerks which won the theme prize. Special permission
was granted for the float to exceed the 40 ft. length limitation. The crew in
front of the locomotive and tender represents the six railroads participating.
The queen is Dorothy Mulligan the other five are unnamed.

Here's a rare color photograph of the interior of Ciro's. (interesting color scheme on the wallpaper) -note the staples.

Ava Gardner and Howard Duff.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/661/fLR8Ev.jpg
http://davelandweb.com/celebs/images...Duff_Ciros.jpg

Thank you e_r. I've had a lot of fun comparing your ebay pix (and the LAPL ones) with the 1921 Baist map. There's not many pix of the buildings of New High and old Spring through there, so it's great to get an inkling of those vanished streets (too bad I'm not better at it, no one can get turned around like I can)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i...35651%2BPM.jpg
historicmapworks/baist, 1921, plate No.3



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I don't do anything by default... ;)

I get on here yesterday morning, (I'm never on in the mornings), and I miss
the 1500 page turn-over by two posts.

Congrats, E_R on 1500 pages!!