vsmith I thought the extension was going to bypass the PE ROW through Cheviot Hills because they were making a major NIMBY stink up? Glad it is going through there, makes reuse of the old PE route.
I thought the extension was going to bypass the PE ROW through Cheviot Hills because they were making a major NIMBY stink up? Glad it is going through there, makes reuse of the old PE route.
That was the case several years ago, but long story short, the NIMBYs lost the battle! The NIMBY alternate route through Venice would have ended up costing more, with a lower ridership and a slower travel time.
Have fun with your trains
Another external web site link and update:
The EXPO LINE FAN site (link) is updated fairly frequently from multiple contributors.
FYI to fellow construction geeks - one of the pics mentions the use of the GERB vibration control system.
Sept 9 update: more new photos on the EXPO LINE FAN site. No change in LACMetro Flickr set.
Links to my Google Maps ---> Sunset Route overview, SoCal metro, Yuma sub, Gila sub, SR east of Tucson, BNSF Northern Transcon and Southern Transcon *** Why you should support Ukraine! ***
After a two month hiatus the great photographer Alan Weeks has uploaded some more photos of the Expo Line phase 2 construction. No change in Flickr behavior, the only sort is by upload date so here is the latest (last) page of the set:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/metrolibraryarchive/sets/72157631956525976/page10/
Just realized since my last visit, the non-rail traffic on Colorado Blvd west of 17th Street will be one lane in each direction.
K. P. HarrierIf you have any historic background information about the line you are now post covering, I sure would like hear about it in comprehending your coverage area.
The Wikipedia article on the Santa Monica Air Line gives a good historical synopsis. Unlike most of the Pacific Electric, this line has a freight heritage - it was built by the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad to bring ore to ships at the new Santa Monica harbor. The new Los Angeles harbor in San Pedro brought about the formers decline after 1897 and the parent Southern Pacific swapped the line to the Los Angeles Pacific (later PE) in 1908.
The east end of the original line turned north along San Pedro St and ended at a depot at 5th Street. After the 1877 purchase SP extended the line east to Alameda St (SP main) and what is today 'J' yard. Today the section of the line east of Flower St is unused for railroad purposes.
MikeF90 (4-13):
Thanks for starting this thread.
I am vaguely familiar with the Pacific Electric route map of old from downtown Los Angeles to the Santa Monica area. There were two (sometimes three) lines between those points.
Recently, I had opportunity to traverse Venice Blvd. west of the I-405 Freeway and noted that that is a divided roadway, obviously the route of one of those decades ago PE lines. I take it the line you posted about was the one some distance north of Venice Blvd.
If you have any historic background information about the line you are now post covering, I sure would like hear about it in comprehending your coverage area.
Thanks,
K.P.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
Looking east from the Barrington Ave grade crossing, it is surprising how two LRV tracks make the narrow PE ROW look spacious:
The bridge over Bundy Drive looks pretty complete, squeezing by some newer office buildings:
East of Stuart Street the new EXPO line maintenance yard is being built. Cars will no longer have to overnight at the Blue line yard in north Long Beach.
Further west (no photo taken) the EXPO ROW changes from the old PE to the center of Colorado Blvd and continues to the end at 4th Street. At this time, it does not look like Colorado will be widened by demolishing adjacent buildings - most are built close to the lot edge.
This ends my April 2014 update.
The design challenge I wanted to see was how the ROW will pass under the wide I-405 freeway and then over Sawtelle Blvd immediately to the west. It still looks like a tight fit:
Just to the west, the long bridge over Pico Blvd is mostly complete:
Due to construction interference and very limited parking to begin with, many areas cannot be photographed by 'civilians' at this time.
The first pic looks east from the Palms rec center pedestrian bridge toward the I-10 tunnel.
The center wire/light pole bases don't look centered in the ROW, but that could be an illusion. The last occupants of this ROW were Southern Pacific locals serving a few customers west of the I-405 and, at one time, even a branch along Sepulveda north and then east on Santa Monica Blvd.
The RR bridge over Sepulveda Blvd has been built but not the east ramp, where the ROW is occupied temporarily by LA city parking nazi vehicles.
The future entrance to the Sepulveda Blvd platform:
This topic will cover construction updates and related information for the Los Angeles County METRO Expo Line. Phase 2 includes building stations, trackage and other facilities west from Culver City to the terminus in downtown Santa Monica. The extension should be 'ready for use' by early 2016-ish. By contrast to the first phase build from downtown where most of the adjacent neighborhood is single family homes, this part of the county has more 'medium rise' office building new in the last 30 years. Many entertainment and tech businesses call Santa Monica home.
Google map overview of LA Metro rail stations including EXPO (link)
BuildEXPO project web page (link)
LA Metro Library EXPO photo set on Flickr (link) This extensive collection includes other photo sets related to Metro projects and predecessors like the Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Railway. WARNING - you may spend many hours browsing here.
Friends 4 Expo web site (link) - more construction photos and history
EXPO LINE FAN site (link) - more construction update photos
Personal photo updates will follow.
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