After entering we
queued up to purchase tickets for our train ride.
Passengers board under the covered platform.
After boarding and getting seated on our car, we were
soon off on our amazing thrilling train ride. No
sooner than we had just left the station when it was
time for "Watch your head" time.
Stationary steam engine display.
Platform for the members' use.
After finishing
our stimulating ride on the Live Steamers, we drove
to the parking lot on the other side of the venue.
Although only a few hundred yards away, there was no
safe walkway to our next stop. This stop was my main
reason for coming here on this the third Sunday of
the month.
And although my time here was short and there was much
more to see, I will plan a return trip to see more.
Steam engines on display next to Walt's Barn.
Restored baggage car next to Walt's Barn.
A nice small steam engine display, part of model train
display.
As this train continues on to its destination, we say
good-bye to the L A Live Steamers and Walt's Barn.
Click for Los
Angeles Live Steamers. Click back button on your
browser to return to this page.
Leaving the
parking lot we return to the L A Live Steamers side
and their next door neighbor, Travel Town. Our
arrival time at 11:30AM meant that the museum would
be open by now.
Travel Town Museum
Travel Town is an outdoor
transportation museum dedicated primarily to the
history of pre-World War II railroading. It is an
operational unit of the Griffith/Metro region of the
Department of Recreation and Parks, and is owned by
the City of Los Angeles.
Travel Town was born in 1952, the
invention of Recreation and Parks employee Charley
Atkins. Charley was a big fan of railroading, and
his original vision of Travel Town was as a haven of
retired steam engines and interesting old railroad
cars, and for an other antique transportation
equipment that might be donated.
Today, Travel Town is truly a
museum in motion. Model railroads move in on the
weekends, the miniature railroad ride cruises the
perimeter daily, and they have full-sized equipment
operating around the Museum grounds.
So let's take a stroll around
this campus and look at their equipment displays.
Pacific Electric #1544 "Electra." Built: 1902 by the
North Shore Railroad.
A blacksmith exhibit demonstration.
Wooden Iron Horses by Jackie Hadnot.
Email: jackie.hadnot@yahoo.com.
Next I took a tour of several
passenger cars on display, open for a walk through.
Several cars on display were operated on Union
Pacific's growing fleet of first-class passenger
trains running between Chicago and the Pacific Coast,
via the "Overland Route."
In 1921,
the Pullman Company completed an order of fourteen
steel dining car for the Union Pacific Railroad;
number 369 was the first car on the order. Each car
featured table seating for thirty-six passengers in
a posh surrounding of rich Mexican mahogany. The
tables were set with crisp white linens, polished
silver and sparkling china. The cuisine served was
on par with the finest metropolitan hotels.
In 1938, Dining Car 369 returned
to the Omaha Shops where it was renovated for
"Coffee Shop" service on
The Challenger. As
part of this renovation, the car's beautiful
mahogany paneling was painted over, producing an
interior which appeared less opulent and more in
keeping with the clean lines and simple details of
the newer streamlined cars. At this time, the Union
Pacific was also renumbering all of its dining cars,
giving the 36-seat cars 3600-series numbers and the
48-seat cars 4800-series numbers. Diner 369 became
3669.
Dining Car 3669 is now undergoing
a complete cosmetic restoration as part of the
American Southwestern Railway Association's
Rail
Heritage Southwest Program at the Travel Town
Museum. When completed, the restored car will be
used as an interpretive educational exhibit, tracing
the history of passenger rail travel in Los Angeles
and the Southwest. The completed exhibits will
include a wide variety of dining car china,
silverware and other artifact from America's
railroad past.
Ceiling of Dining Car 3669
The next car
to visit was the Union Pacific Dormitory/Club
Car (#LA-701) "The Little Nugget."
The wonderful Mae West in Club Car.
Dorm room made up for night time.
Made up for day use.
Some busy work while traveling on the
Los
Angeles Limited.
Exiting
the passenger cars, I headed over to the
station to meet up with Chris and to ride
the train. Adjacent to the station were two
buildings. One was for the Fred Harvey
exhibit.
The other building housed tender
vehicles that needed an enclosed locale.
On the far side of the building was a
glass enclosed room housing a model
train layout.
Now it was time to meet Chris and go
for my train ride. As Chris had
already ridden the train, I was to
ride alone and he was going to take
photos of me on the train. The train
will make two loops on its track
around the park.
Patrons waiting to tour UP Dining Car
369.
Today there was a high school band
play off in this great venue.
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe # 664.
Built: 1899 by Baldwin 2-8-0.
Having a picnic lunch in high style.
After completing my ride on the
train, I met Chris and we decided to
call it a day and head home. After
leaving the parking lot, we found
the on ramp to the 134 close and
nearby. Entering the 134 and then
quickly entering I-5, we then headed
south to Orange County.
And so readers
this is the last story and adventure
of looking for
Little Gems in Our
Neighborhood. Chris and I both
enjoyed our quest these past
weekends for somewhat unknown trains
so we urge all to get out and
discover gems in your own
neighborhood.
Text and
Photos by Author
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