Re: White stuff Coming out of the Malabar Switcher
Author: DCA
Date: 02-19-2011 - 20:09
That's correct...the freighthouse had "Wingfoot" signs on it, and there was short house track (spur) entered from the eastward direction (timetable direction) just east of the building, which was on the north side of Slauson. It seems pretty likely that the station took its name from the nearby Goodyear Industrial District on the south side of Slauson. I have no idea whether passenger service ever operated on the Harbor District, but the Wingfoot building looked to me at the time as if it had only been used as a freighthouse.
There was enough business then in the eight miles of Harbor District main and its various spurs and industrial tracks that lay within the LA switching boundaries to keep an afternoon and night job working most days of the week out of Wingfoot. Since I rarely worked days (not enough seniority) I don't recall whether there was a day engine. But given the vehicle traffic during daytime it might have been advantageous to not operate a day crew.
I recall that an afternoon job coming out of First Street worked Malabar Yard and the nearby industries but usually did not go east of there on the Harbor District.
I wonder if the freighthouse at Wingfoot still sits on railroad property or whether BNSF sold off that parcel. Certainly they'd have little use for that old building today and it no doubt is used (if used at all) by someone else.