Port of Los Angeles San Pedro Trolley Line Opens

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                After four years of planning and hard work from a small group of extremely dedicated individuals, the San Pedro trolley was opened to the public on July 19^th. With the usual group of dignitaries on hand in front of the Maritime Museum, the two cars, 1058 and 501 began what is hoped to be many years of carrying passengers and preserve the memory of the "one that got away", the Pacific Electric. Every knowledgeable person that has seen car 501 states unequivocally that is the most beautiful car, especially the interior wood work seen on any restored or reproduced trolley to date. The cars are shown below just before the first trips began.

Operators Bob Cook, Kurt (Skoot) Larson, Jay Radinsky and Jason Shegas began their intensive training almost 10 months ago with car 1058 and later with 501 and their expertise in handling the cars was superb. So if it looked like they had been operating these cars for months, it was because they had been. Herzog Transit Services, who operates the line for the Port of Los Angeles, spared no expense and detail in ensuring that these operators are the best trained transit operators on the continent. The third car, 500, should be operating prior to the end of the year.

                The line operates Friday through Monday, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM with two cars, which meet and pass each other just north of 6^th Street. The lines were long to ride at first and finally calmed down  into the afternoon.

                The special ticket used for the line is also chown below:

                Rafael Mejia-Lopez, shown in the next photo, a long time Herzog employee, now serves as Manager of the Streetcar Operation. After previous assignments in North Carolina and Florida, he makes no bones about his happiness with his new assignment and Herzog Transit Service, Inc., in general. In these times, it was refreshing to hear someone speaking in glowing terms of his job, his company and just life in general.

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_{New Gold Line Route Map}

Caboose Hobbies - The Worlds Largest Model Train Store

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      At the National Train Show in 2002, we were told by the representatives in the Caboose Hobbies Booth that we were not really true model railroaders unless we had been to Caboose Hobbies at least once. Two Trolleyville residents George Huckaby (Custom Traxx) and George Jones (Southern California Traction Club) were able to visit the now well-known Denver hobby shop, Caboose Hobbies on July 1, 2003. The store states that it is The World's Largest Model Train Store and we have no reason to dispute that especially after our brief visit.

 Both individuals decided to share their impressions of the store with Trolleyville Times readers. They were right!

                First of all, the store is located south of the central business district at 5800 South Broadway on the northeast corner of Virginia and Broadway.  It is housed in what was one large store and two slightly smaller ones.

                Second and most important. This store is big! big!!..big!!! The store is about almost 20,000 square feet and contains 12 aisles, each of which has 68 ft of display counters or shelves. In fact, with the checkout counters at the front door, it is sort of a "supermarket" of model trains.

                Third, they offer Service, Selection and Support. To give you an idea of the size of this operation, Aisle 1 contains scenic items, some model cars and aircraft and N scale track; Aisle 2 is totally N scale items. Aisle 3 is where you get to the Thomas The Tank Engine merchandise and N scale structures. HO scale rolling stock occupies Aisle 4. HO scale locomotives, more HO rolling stock and some O scale tinplate items are in Aisle 5. Large Scale items are found in Aisle 6. Aisles 7 & 8 are where the HO scale parts are located and there are plenty of them. This is one of the reasons why Caboose Hobbies enjoys the reputation that it has. Aisle 9 has the books and magazines and the selection is amazingly large. (We left with $200.00 worth.) Aisle 10 contains HO scale vehicles, structures and brass models.

Aisle 11 contains modeling tools and more brass. Aisle 12 had the "How-To" publications, the Repair counter (with 5 employees assigned) and the Brass On Sale Display.

                Duane Miller, the owner of the store, toured us through the mail order section, the shipping section, the clinic room, the webmasters office, the business offices, the offices of his buyers (yes, there are more than one, making sure that every conceivable model railroad product is in his store.) This is definitely a family operation with Duane's father (still going strong at 98 years of age), wife, daughters and grandchildren involved in daily operations. The store started in 1938 in downtown Denver and later moved to the current location when acquired by the current owner in 1983.

                The store is located conveniently close to exit 207 of Interstate 25 so when in Denver, don't miss it. Allow at least three hours!

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Pasadena Gold Line Begins July 26^th!

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            Late Item --- The Fourth electric railway line to be opened in Los Angeles in the last 13 years, began service on Saturday, July 26^th with free rides and celebrations all along the line. More in later issues on this line. Over 70,000 Angelenos ride on the first day of operation. The line largely uses the abandoned right-of-way of the ATSF Railway. See the map of the line to the left! For the first time in many years, one can ride from Sierra Madre to Redondo Beach totally on electrically powered rail transit!