After an excellent meal, the bus took us to the Metro Rail R21 Gold Line Shop entrance in Los Angeles along the Los Angeles River. This was the first Gold Line shop and was being phased out due to its extremely small and limited space, something the R22 Metro Rail Foothill Shop has plenty of room and very well designed by comparison. But at least we are getting to see where it started. We exited the bus and would walk in to see it all.
The shop entrance.
The sign in front.
The trucks of Metro Rail.
This truck is used to get rail cars over deactivated wire.
This cab pulls a trailer used in movie filming.
Thank You for 25 Years of Metro Rail sign.
The Paint and Body Shop building.
A Metro Gold Line train passed by during the tour.
The Gold Line stop for workers.
The view towards the Car Wash building.
Another Gold Line train went by.
The famous Southern Pacific advertising sign on the wall that was designed so the riders of the old Santa Fe trains could see it and make a choice of trains to take in their future.
Looking into the Metro Rail R21 Car Wash building.
Metrolink 266 was on its way to LAUPT from Lancaster.
Another Gold Line train.
R21 Shop view.
The Metro Rail Running Inspection Shop.
Interior of the Metro Rail Running Inspection Shop.
R21 Shop view.
Yet another Gold Line train.
R21 Shop view.
Gold Line trains were very frequent.
Metro Rail Car 725.
Metro Rail Car 121.
The Metro Rail Main Shop R21 building.
Metro Rail Car 710 and 743.
A look into the Metro Rail Main Shop R21 building.
The Gold Line Can Do sign.
R21 Shop view.
The shop inspection pit.
Metro Rail Car 736.
A Metro Rail Main Shop R21 building scene.
Metro Rail Car 711.
Metro Rail Main Shop R21 building scene.
Metro Rail Car 704.
The north end of the Metro Rail Main Shop R21 building.
The trackage at the north end.
A trolley pantograph.
The trolley wheel truing machine at R21 Shop.
We were given a demonstration of the turning of the Armstrong turntable.
This fork lift moves trolleys around this shop building.
A shop scene.
Another Gold Line trolley went by.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner 777 bound for San Luis Obispo from San Diego.
More Gold Line trains on the walk back to the bus. Once everyone was aboard, the bus returned us to the Patsaouras Transit Plaza, bringing this fantastic Metro Rail tour to an end. We debussed and walked back to Robin's car.
Trying to get home was harder than going this morning and when we entered California Highway 101, a freeway sign said "Interstate 5 closed at Long Beach Freeway" from that same event last night. We turned onto the detour route, encountering bumper-to-bumper traffic, then Chris Parker called and was too tired to go to the show with us tonight. We finally made it home, freshened up and I drove Robin to the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano and we sat with Mike Haines, the excellent 4th grade teacher with whom I work at Heninger, and his wife. Caroline Boullon joined us and we all had a great time seeing the excellent Young Dubliners. I returned home just after midnight and immediately went to bed after a fantastic day.
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