By Bruce Petty
Views of Taylor Yard taken during the early 1960s.
This was the Southern Pacific’s Taylor yard facility. Freight cars were sent over the hump
yard tracks to be sorted and made into new trains or for local freights. The diesel facility
seen here next to the LA River was the main shops for SP here in Southern California.
Looking North, at the left of the picture, freight cars are pushed towards the
crest of the Hump where they are inspected for defects and the journal boxes oiled.
Cars are uncoupled at the crest of the hump. At the right is the caboose track.
After the cars are uncoupled they roll down off the Hump
and switched onto one of the many yard tracks seen in the distance. The switches for all
these tracks are controled from the towers seen along side the yard.
Baldwin diesels like this 1200HP, S-12 switcher were used to switch
freight cars here in the yard and local switching jobs out on branch lines around Los Angeles.
This diesel engine is a 1500 HP, Baldwin AS-616, it was used to push the cars towards the hump.
Notice all those old oil switchman’s lanterns in front of the engine.
If any freight cars are found to be defective, the Car Shop is
where they are repaired. Other railroads are billed for these repairs.
Southern Pacific began receiving the new diesel motive power 1947 to replace steam during the next decade.
At that time also built their the Los Angeles Diesel Shop in order to handle them. The following
pictures re are views around the Taylor yard Engine Facility where repairs are made to diesels.
The The Taylor Hook, a 250 ton steam operated wrecker, SPMW 7110 was used well into the diesel years.
See the Big Hook working the Coast Daylight Wreck at Northridge, CA. 1963
During the mid 1970s the 5021 was moved from the Santa Fe shops where it was stored,
to Taylor Yard for a few years and then moved to the Pamona Fair Grounds for display.