I am interested in Monrovia CA on the Pasadena sub and how that area around the tracks may have looked in the 50's. There are many of images of the depot available on the web which is great but not much else of that stretch of track. I found an historical aerial photograph from 1952 but it's not clear enough to identify industries and spur arrangements. Can any one help or point me to some reference material? Thanks
Go to SFRHMS at www.atsfrr.net & have a look at the track charts for the 2nd District for your era. It became known as the Pasadena Sub. in mid '80s during the failed SPSF merger attempt. If you want general Santa Fe info check out: http://www.qstation.org/
Have attached part of Santa Fe's 2nd Dist. track chart showing Monrovia. It only shows a siding & 2 spurs so nothing complicated. Of late there was only the station & a grain elevator.
Thanks. Do you think that is a spur at the end of the passing track at the Magnolia Ave end? Hard to see, but it is just a little line extension obscured slightly by the signal symbol.
That dashed line on west end of the siding indicates a spur that used to be in use. There were four signals to govern the siding. One before each siding switch for staying on main or taking siding (diverging route). One on each end for leaving the siding. Here's a link to Santa Fe signal aspects: http://www.lundsten.dk/us_signaling/aspects_atsf1995/index.html
Just in case you're not on the Yahoo Group Citrus Industry Modeling Group: In 1927 there were three packing houses in Monrovia. 1. Valley Packing Company at the SE corner of W Chestnut and S Magnolia (along the SP Duarte Branch). On the Sanborn map it's shown as date packing. 2. Duarte-Monrovia Fruit Exchange at the SE corner of S. Myrtle and Railroad Av (along the Santa Fe). 3. E. F. Spence fruit packing just east of the Duarte-Monrovia Fruit Exchange. By 1942 the Duarte-Monrovia Fruit Exchange was gone; E. F. Spence was renamed Banks Fruit Company; and Valley Packing was unchanged. In 1929 the Duarte-Monrovia Citrus Ass'n was located on the SW corner of Oak and 3rd (along the Santa Fe) in Duarte. The packing house is covered here: http://scph002.home.netcom.com/scph_ la_duarte.html Jim Lancaster
Yes, I threw a question into that group too! My interest in Monrovia is connected with my next HO layout which I hope to base on Monrovia. Although I am not a stickler for absolute accuracy, it would good to get the track arrangement and the industries around the depot and along the line up to Shamrock ave reasonably accurate. Monrovia was only ever a flag stop but it's a classic depot and The Chief will look great flashing across Myrtle ave with the depot in the back ground. Martin Lindley Flinders View Qld
