Story and Photos by Carl Morrison, Carl@TrainWeb.com
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San Pedro Nights
Near the AAPRCO Convention Site in San Pedro, CA, is the Vincent Thomas
Bridge and new Fountain.
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First Car Party
Two especially
themed car parties on Monday and Tuesday evenings starting at 6
pm. On Monday, we’ll salute old California with Mexican fare and
the melodic and likable sounds of the Jalisco Matriarchies. On
Tuesday, we’ll share a little southern hospitality with Soul
food, Creole, and Cajun cuisine, and we’ll tap our feet to the
Dixieland rhythms of the Hyperion Outfall.
--From
the AAPRCO Website/Convention
Cars that AAPRCO Members could visit this first of two Car Party
Nights were: Caritas, Pony
Express, Colonial Crafts, Silver Lariat, Tolani, city of Angels,
Overland Trail, Salsbury Beach, Chapel Hill, the Observatory, Birch
Grove, Northern Sky, Northern Dreams, and City of Spokane.
(Double click any photo to see
a double-sized copy; Click BACK in your browser to return to this page.)
One-Way Traffic
was set up through the cars with the first car visited, Caritas, where
we were welcomed with Music
by: Jalisco Matriarchies
Early attendees
were (L. to R.) Steve Grande and Barbara Cepinko, TrainWeb.com, and Tom and Shelly
Marshall, Depot Inn and Suites,
La Plata, Missouri.
Caritas
Pony Express
Pony Express (above and right).
Vicky Collins,
Bruce Holberg, and Wendy Frank from the Birch Grove.
Scenes
from inside the cars involved with the first Car Party Night.
Caritas, Pony Express, Colonial
Crafts, Silver Lariat, Tolani, city of Angels, Overland Trail, Salsbury
Beach, Chapel Hill, the Observatory, Birch Grove, Northern Sky,
Northern Dreams, and City of Spokane.
Mackenzie and Connie from The
Observatory.
The Observatory
The Observatory
The Observatory
The Observatory
Chapel
Hill
Chapel Hill
Birch Grove
Birch Grove
Birch Grove
Birch Grove
Birch Grove
Northern Sky and Northern Dreams
City of Spokane
Overland Trail
Overland Trail
Bruce Holberg (above)
remembered the writing desk, and how you could mail your letter after you wrote
it, right on the Overland Trail.
The Overland Trail is a
unique Barber/Lounge car.
Overland Trail
Overland Trail
Thomas C Pearson, Salisbury Beach
Second Car Party
Cars that AAPRCO
Members could visit the second Car Party Night were: Scottish Thistle, Palm Leaf, Bella Vista,
Virginia City, Burrard, Two Rivers, Colorado Pines, Hollywood Beach,
Point St. Charles, and the Louis
Sockalexis.
The Dixieland rhythms of
the Hyperion Outfall
Scottish Thistle
Scottish Thistle
Scottish Thistle
Scottish Thistle
Bella Vista
Bella Vista
Bella Vista
Bella Vista
Virginia City
Virginia City
Virginia City
Virginia City
Virginia City
Burrard
Burrard
Burrard
Burrard
Burrard
Burrard
Burrard
Burrard
Burrard
Hollywood Beach
Hollywood Beach
Hollywood Beach
Louis
Sockalexis
Louis Sockalexis
Michael Salwitz
Louis Sockalexis was the Penobscot Indian after whom the Cleveland
Indians were reportedly named.
Long Beach Passenger Terminal Water Fountain
Six blocks due north of the placement of the AAPRCO Rail Cars in
San Pedro are two massive black granite fountains holding nearly a
half-million gallons of water. Water-jets, synchronized with music,
launch spurts several stories into the air. It recently opened,
on Friday, July 25, at First Street and Harbor Boulevard as part
of a waterfront improvement project.
I had no knowledge of this spectacular fountain when I went to the
Passenger Terminal Entrance to photograph the Vincent Thomas Bridge
after the Car Party. Having seen the bridge lighted with its blue
lights earlier in the week, I wanted a night shot of the bridge.
As I was photographing, I heard, "A Summer Place" playing behind
me. I turned and saw that the music was syncronized with water
jets. I went to the fountain and took photos. In 15
minutes, an Italian Opera began and the fountains began again with
their syncronized display. The resulting photographs:
Vincent Thomas Bridge (Before the Music Played)
The San Pedro Fountain between musical performances, with Vincent
Thomas Bridge in the background.
The pools have
a walkway so you can walk between them with water pouring over the
granite.
The music and
display begin. The walkway with lighted waterfalls sending water
below
the walkway.
You can imagine my
surprise when, while shooting photos of the Vincent Thomas
Bridge, I heard the music and saw the fountains in the video below:
