I am interested in modeling the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal on my layout. I have begun to do some basic research on the terminal itself and the terminal’s track plan. I am anxious to dive deeper into my research, but I am hoping that some knowledgeable forum members can accelerate my learning process.
As I have determined so far, the terminal was built in 1939 and the track plan was a series of stub end tracks directly behind the terminal. There was no pass through provision for passenger trains as I understand it.
Here are my primary questions:
Are there any existing HO scale kits for the terminal or will I have to go the scratchbuilt route?
Am I correct that the track plan is a series of stub end tracks?
Did trains pull head long into the station, or did they back in?
Did trains pull head long out of the station, or did they back out?
Can anyone provide a detailed track plan set in the 1940s - 1950s?
I look forward to any information that anyone can provide, and I appreciate the assistance.
Wow, I just found out that Walthers had a kit that replicates the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, but it has been discontinued. It was priced at $199.99. Ouch!
They do sell NIB on eBay for $400 or so. That answers question #1. I will have to scratchbuild it.
Maybe there’s some help there? There is a link to a decent book on the subject in that thread. It is primarily about the station building itself and doesn’t cover much of the railroad operation.
“The Last of the Great Stations: 50 years of the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (Interurbans Special No. 72) This fascinating book about the Los Angeles Union Terminal was published in 1979 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the station. The book covers every aspect of the terminal, from a look at the prior railroad stations, the planning and architecture (with plans), construction, operation, and the struggle to keep the station alive in the era of airplanes. Illustrated throughout with B&W photos from all eras. w/ arrival timetables. 120 pages.”
We arrived at Union Station on the UP City of Los Angles December 21, 1949 from Salt Lake City. I was in a vistdome car as we pulled in to the station, we didn’t back into the station. We left the next day on the SP Golden State headed to El Paso Tx, we didn’t back out of Union Station.
We were delayed on Donner Pass 19 hours stuck in snow and they had to send a snow blower from Roseville to open the tracks. The delay screwed up our UP to SP connection causing us to stay over night in LA.
Based upon Mel’s recollections, let me ask if anyone has a track plan that includes the coach yard and engine servicing facility for the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal.
Thirty-one years ago! My — where did the time go? Even then, look at the people swarming around the equipment. I think everyone would have been roped-off today.
At the moment, I don’t have anything substantial to add to the discussion. It looks like the research phase is well underway, and there is plenty of info available. Those architectural plans are gold!
But I can offer my enthusiastic support of the scratch-building project to be undertaken. Good luck, Rich.
Thanks, Robert, for your encouraging words. I cannot hope to even come close to quality of workmanship that you have accomplished. But I will give this scratchbuilding effort a try.
Thank you for this thread and the links it has generated. Coincidentally, I am in the planning stages of placing a facimile of the LA Union Station on my layout. Mine will not be prototypical and the station itself will be scaled down and may need to be adapted to fit the available space. It will be on a raised terrace and I was trying to figure out a detail for a retaining wall and once again Ed comes through with exactly what i was looking for.
It may be a long shot, but Discontinued from Walthers sometimes means they stopped production but may bring it back. The same thing happened to the carfloat kits, which commanded absurd prices once Walthers stopped making them. Production restarted, though, and I found one at Trainworld for significantly below list price.
If you’d rather not scratchbuild it, do something else for a while and wait.
