Los Angeles Junction--Still Exists?

[BNSF4ever]

I know at one time that the Los Angeles Junction was a subsidiary of ATSF. Does it still exist? Is it a subsidiary of BNSF? Where is/was its track and what is/was its role?

[mudchicken]

LAJ still very much exists in Vernon/Maywood/Bell Gardens, CA.....serves industries on opposite side of LA River from the Santa Fe and was an early industrial park. It is an island to itself, surrounded now by UP.

Its role is to switch heavy industry in its pocket of Los Angeles. It is about 60 miles of industrial trackage crammed into a small area.

[BNSF4ever]

I did some further research and on both BNSF and UP's websites, it mentions LAJ as being a wholly-owned subsidiary of BNSF Railway.

[Anonymous]

LAJ not only exists, but recently added to its motive power roster, which now includes four CF7's - one is a hanger queen - and all four MK1200G LNG locomotives built by Morrison-Knudsen in Boise. Originally two went to BNSF and primariliy worked LAJ, the other went to UP for testing in their nearby yard in Commerce. UP returned them when their lease was up and they were stored in Boise for years. They were recently refurbished and wear BNSF green and orange.

[laj200]

Yes the LAJ is still very active but is only operating day & swing shifts M-F vs 24/7 in earlier days. They are only using conductor operated RCLs these days. Most of the Switch Leads on the Vernon side (west side of LA River) are inactive. But the Commerce side is more active.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Follow-up question:  Since I saw the LAJ CF7's in a dead line at Corwith a few years back, what is LAJ currently using for motive power?

[mudchicken]

Because of Southern California's wacky AQMD rules, there were a set of leased green goats over there along with a pair of BNSF owned and lettered NRE genset locomotives running on eco-diesel fuel (smells like french fries going by) .

LAJ is still something of an industrial island to itself, but in slow decline.

[SFbrkmn]

There are two seniority rosters on LAJ: 318 is for engrs, 320 is for ydmen.

318 holds 14 engineers. The senior man has a 1995 date, the bottom man 2011.

Ground service board 320 holds 17. Senior man is 1992 hire, junior man (that has no bump riights because there is no one below him) has a 2008 seniority date