I have to admit; I am getting a little bored with the Disneyland photos, as there are only so many different Castle, Hippo, Train Station, and Moonliner shots that can be posted before they start to lose their luster. So, starting this week, I will be doing 5 days of Disneyland and 2 days with alternate features. Thursdays will showcase my travels & photography and Saturdays will be about my love for Hollywood & Classic Cinema. If I’m still bored with that...well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. Today’s first post will be about this little Los Angeles gem I discovered quite by accident because of a stray slide in a batch of Disneyland images that I'd purchased. Originally called The Los Angeles Incline Railway, it ran NW from the west corner of Third and Hill Streets, and consisted of two carriages named Sinai and Olivet, operating for 68 years with a good safety record. It closed in 1969 when the Bunker Hill area was redeveloped and all the parts of Angels Flight were placed in storage. In 1996 it was rebuilt half a block south of the original site; four years later it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 13, 2000. On February 1, 2001, one passenger was killed and seven others injured when Sinai reversed direction and crashed into Olivet near the lower terminus. The cars were removed and stored for a number of years until the railway finally reopened again on March 10, 2010. The first two vintage photos here are from December 1965.
And some present day shots, taken before it resumed operations again:
See more Angels Flight photos at my main website.
12 comments:
A favorite spot of mine in Los Angeles. I definitely enjoy tourist spots throughout the world and look forward to your pictures and stories of these spots.
I agree with Matterhorn...I love looking at photos of any kind. Angels Flight was literally right in my back yard but it took me 54 years to ride the darn thing! I was lucky enough to ride it the first weekend that it reopened.
Great info and pics on this historic site, Dave! I rode Angel's Flight once back in 1999, but I want to go back and ride it again now that it has reopened.
I also look forward to these Dave. I think it will be a nice change of pace.
I AGREE with you about the Disneyland burnout, I'm definitely there! I love Angel's Flight and am so glad that it is up and running again. Thanks for the pics!
Very, very nice Dave. Great historic pics of an LA Icon.
BTW: LENA was a great LADY. A true favorite of mine.
Ditto with the DL burnout - however it does seem to pass...
I rode Angeles Flight in the late 90's and loved it, reminds me of the Funicular at Magic Mountain (which amazingly is still there & operating).
Thanks for the diversity Dave, we needed it!
Great post my friend. I remember KTLA Morning News showcasing Angel's Flight when it first reopened. I had no idea it had closed for so many years after the accident! Glad to see it's reopened ~ I'll have to make it a point to get up there and take it for a spin... :)
I remember KTLA's show "City at Night". It ran live shows all around southern California. The Angels Flight show was one of my fav's, and inspired me (and friends) to drive up to LA (lived in Santa Ana) just to make the ride.
Later "City at Night" transmitted from the Balboa Pavilion (Newport Beach) when I was staying with my Aunt for the summer. She lived one block away on the bay front, and when I saw it on TV, I ran down to watch the live broadcast in person. Everyone liked Stan Chambers, and the show developed after the live broadcast of the failed attempt to rescue Kathy Fiscus.
A lot of TV water under the electronic bridge.
Great idea to expand your scope, Dave. Looking forward to it.
Well Dave I observe your Disneyland pic hunting did/does pay dividends too, 'cause it's in that journey that you also encounter different things like these you wouldn't have known about or seen otherwise. I look forwards to seeing a more diverse selection of things in addition to the central common grounds. :)
I have no idea how you post every day, heck if I could've hung in there so long I'd probably have just posted once a week or on weekends or something along that line. But I've enjoyed every one. I tend to few interests but intensely and enduringly on each, generally. DL may be a lifetime hobby interest but it will still undoubtedly be a good idea to ease on it.
By the way classic Hollywood is also something I have some interests in but I can only do so many blogs - so the idea of adding it here is particularly welcomed by me!
I'm so glad Angel's Flight's re-opened 'cause with the way it's always re-building, So Cal in general could certainly do with more points of historic interest. That it's a practical one is of course a big plus. I'd like to see & ride it and if I'm anywhere near there I will be.
As a wittle kid I remember a few "glimpses" of taking a ride on a much bigger one in Colorado. Manitou Springs Incline Railway:
http://www.inclineclub.com/incline/
which was removed in 1990 and may never be back. It was very steep and thus very scary in parts. I gather there are other, more extensive such railworks in other countries, incl. Austria, doing fine.
Chiana - You are correct; my blog has opened up a number of unexpected doors for me. Glad you all enjoyed the change of pace!
When I was small my grandmother used to take me on this as well as the last of the trolley's downtown. I now enjoy old films where you can see this in action in the background or as a featured member of a scene.
http://www.electricearl.com/af/index.html
It is nice to know it is coming back!
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