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| Re: Not-so old school: Rail pics from the 90s (496635) | |||
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Re: Not-so old school: Rail pics from the 90s |
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Posted by FYBklyn1959 on Sat Sep 29 12:58:20 2007, in response to Re: Not-so old school: Rail pics from the 90s, posted by FYBklyn1959 on Sat Sep 22 11:22:26 2007. OK, haven't found my Blue Line, but here are a few from the opening day of the Green Line. The Green Line opened for service on August 12, 1995 (I think). I had things to do that day and couldn't ride, but later in the afternoon, I was able to drive by some of the stations on the western end (the part not on I-105) and take these pics: This is at the southern (western?) terminal at Marine Ave in Redondo Beach. It is above the now-BNSF Harbor Subdivision ROW.  This is a northbound/eastbound car rounding the curve heading into El Segundo station.  This is that same car berthed at El Segundo station. If those cars look like Blue Line cars, that's because they were, basically. Originally, the Blue Line was going to be fully automated, since it is entirely grade-separated, but that technology was proving to be too expensive, so at the last minute, LACTC/RTD/MTA ordered 15 cars from Sumitomo/Nippon-Sharyo, who had built 54 identical cars for the Blue Line. (Ironically, 54 cars were ordered back in the late 80s, with the intention of assigning 32 to the Blue Line, and the rest to the Green Line. That's all they thought they would need. But the Blue Line proved to be an immediate hit, so they had to keep all 54 for the Blue Line and order the additional 15 (154-168). For the first few weeks, to accomodate the curious crowds, the Blue Line sent 3 of its cars (100, 126 and 136) to the Green Line, so a few 2-car trains could be operated (indeed when I did first ride on 8/20, it was on a 2-car train). Actually, they didn't have to send them anywhere, as both the Blue and Green lines operated out of Division 11, which is the rail yard by the Long Beach freeway, just north of the 405 freeway and just west of the Blue Line ROW and L. A. River. Eventually, 100/126/136 returned to Blue Line service, and the Green Line used 154-168 until the Siemens P-2000s went into service in 2001 (I think). At that time, 154-168 were assigned to Blue Line service as well, and the P-2000s starting operating out of Division 22 (aka Hawthorne Yard and Shops). |
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