Re: Redondo Jct. Tower destroyed by fire yesterday
Author: DCA
Date: 05-29-2017 - 14:02
Too bad about that tower, but I suppose it can be expected when it comes to most abandoned railroad buildings...some jerk likes to burn things down or a transient gets careless.
My first railroad job, switchman on the ATSF LA Division, often included coming off the Third District main and whistling (one long and one short) to have the Redondo Tower line us for the Harbor District, heading down toward Malabar Yard and beyond. Though the engines and cabooses usually had radios back then, it was still the era of whistle signals, hand signals and fusees. No portable radios for the ground crew.
The switching district portion of the Harbor District, where yard crews on ubiquitous Alco high-hoods and S-2's were used, extended eight miles past Redondo Jct. to Hyde Park, and occasionally a bit farther if race horses in their private car needed to be taken to Hollywood Park in Inglewood in a hurry, and no road crew was immediately available.