40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PASSING OF THE PACIFIC ELECTRIC
Easter Weekend Swap Meet Activity in So. Ca.
George Huckaby -
Southern California Model Railroaders and Train Lovers had a double header over the Easter weekend. Mother Nature supplied textbook gorgeous weather for both days. On Saturday, April 14th, the Pomona Valley Model Railroad Club held one of their twice-a-year swap meets in front of their clubhouse on First Street. Not only is this a great swap meet but it is held adjacent to the Union Pacific / Amtrak tracks and there is a considerable amount of train watching during the meet. Below is just one of the many trains passing within yards of the meet.
Considering the holiday weekend, there were several vendors and train lovers on hand for this meet. The writer went to the meet looking for two specific items and found them both.
On top of that, there is a traction portion of the club layout, which steadily is making progress. Seen in the model town, below right, were two San Francisco ‘F’ line PCC cars belonging to Trolleyville Merchant Custom Traxx.
Easter Sunday “sunrise services" took place in front of the All Aboard Model Railroad Emporium in Torrance. Due to noise abatement ordinances, tables were not allowed to be set up prior to 7:00 A.M. The photo below was taken at 7:01 A.M. and the swap meet was bustling by 7:45 A.M.
This annual spring event, which just happened to be scheduled this year on Easter Sunday, drew much more than expected. Not even this holiday stops model railroaders from looking for bargains. All Aboard Model Railroad Emporium was the birthplace of the Southern California Traction Club in October 1995. Three of the clubs modules were on operational display in the store in 1996 and all three are still used today in club displays.
All Aboard Model Railroad Emporium (AAMRE) will have served South Bay model railroaders for eleven years this June, having opened for business in 1990 in a smaller store just east of the present location. The current location was acquired in May 1995. Mike Smith, shown below left, is the founder and owner of AAMRE. George Jones, below right, of the Southern California Traction Club checks out an Illinois Terminal flat car in one of the many well stocked aisles of the store.
But the bargain hunters were out early and in force as shown below left. Traction lovers should always check with AAMRE as they often have those unusual pieces in their brass display cabinet. There were two nice pieces on hand that day as shown in the below photo:
AAMRE has an ample selection of model railroad and prototype railroad books and offers a large selection of large-scale items for the garden railroader in addition to the normal complement of N, HO, and O tinplate items.
AAMRE is definitely worth a visit when in the Torrance area. They have very good prices on every item in the store and are open almost every day, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. They are located at 3865 Pacific Coast Highway just two blocks west of the intersection of Hawthorne Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway (310) 791-2637.
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LA Metro Authority Celebrates with PE Colors
George Huckaby -
The last Pacific Electric Red Car ran from Los Angeles to Long Beach on Sunday, April 9, 1961. Forty years later minus one day, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority celebrated the occasion with the two P-865 light rail vehicles painted in the 1940’s Pacific electric livery last July. Cars 109 and 148 were out on the Blue Line all day, Sunday, April 8th. Below are the two cars preparing for another trip to Long Beach and northbound approaching Rosa Parks station.
The Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California had introduced most of us to these two cars last July and it was reported in the Times. This time is was not a scheduled charter trip. The ERHA of SC made all-day passes available to those who wished as the main purpose was to take photos of the cars in the same place where photos had been taken 40 years ago for then and now comparisons. In a novel arrangement for a mainly adult group, attached these passes to large chains to be worn around the neck, reminiscent of Bill Cosby’s famous ‘idiot mittens’ comedy skit of over thirty years ago. Although not reported previously, the interior of these cars also got some special treatment. The seats were reupholstered green and there are many pictures of Pacific Electric cars and facts about the old Pacific Electric throughout the two cars.
As we reported last August, the cars are equipped with E-flat whistles and center headlights as shown below. The whistle, now tarnished from over six months of the elements is located over the left windshield below the classification lights.
Enjoying the day are Akihisa Saitoh of the Southern California Traction Club and Anne Sekino. They are in one of the other P-865 light rail vehicles, most of which have now had their ten year overhauls and sport a new white paint scheme with yellow stripes.
Anne and her husband (George Huckaby) took the Green Line from the Aviation Blvd station to get to the Blue Line for the days festivities and noticed that one of the new Siemens cars, 214, was out on the line carrying passengers. More on these new cars later as it appears that they will be taking over Green Line duties from the seven-year-old P-865 vehicles in the near future.
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