Old poster highlights points of interest reached by past San Diego streetcar and railroad lines. Depicted are orange groves, Mexican bullfighting, an ocean liner and Balboa Park.
When I catch the trolley at downtown San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot, I often walk through an outdoor passageway that separates the hundred year old train station’s enormous waiting room from it’s original baggage terminal. The latter building was converted years ago into an interesting space used by the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD).
Recently, while strolling through the passageway, I paused to examine three eye-catching graphics created by the museum to promote one of its current exhibitions. Two of the images incorporate old train posters from San Diego history, which I find to be very cool. I thought you might enjoy a look!
MCASD’s exhibition titled “John D. Spreckels and The Impossible Railroad” concerns a railway project undertaken a century ago by one of San Diego’s most prominent entrepreneurs and benefactors. Perhaps Spreckels’ greatest accomplishment was to complete the logistically difficult San Diego & Arizona Railroad, our nation’s southernmost transcontinental railroad route. I haven’t visited the exhibition, but according to what I’ve read it utilizes interesting visual devices to demonstrate the near impossibility of building Spreckels’ railroad, which had to wind around and over deep mountain gorges. (Spreckels was also responsible for a large network of electric streetcars which traversed San Diego decades before our modern day trolleys.)
Outdoor passage between the Santa Fe Depot and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s downtown Jacobs Building, which years ago was the train station’s baggage terminal.John D. Spreckels and the Impossible Railroad is one of the current art exhibitions at MCASD. These interesting promotional graphics also incorporate historical newspaper articles.Old advertisement for the San Diego and Arizona Railway, called the Carriso Gorge Route, which included possible destinations Chicago, New Orleans, Kansas City, El Paso, San Diego.
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Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of San Diego’s Santa Fe train depot!
I was walking around today when I noticed a large banner hanging above the entrance of downtown’s Santa Fe Depot. This year the historic train station and San Diego landmark turns one hundred years old!
A friendly gentleman inside the waiting room at the information booth gave me a flyer about a special event tomorrow. The public is invited to attend a celebration of the historic depot’s centennial! The festivities take place between 11 am and 1 pm. The address of the Santa Fe Depot Union Station is 1050 Kettner Boulevard, just north of Broadway in downtown San Diego. I will be working, so I’ll probably miss it.
In the past I’d thought about posting cool old photos of the depot, but now seems the appropriate time! Check out the following photographs that I found on Wikimedia Commons.
First, a little background on the depot, with a few details taken from an informative handout…
A fine example of the classic Spanish Mission-Colonial Revival style of architecture, including Moorish influences, the Santa Fe Depot is on the National Register of Historic Places. Today it lies at the southern terminus of the nation’s second-busiest Amtrak rail corridor. In addition to the Pacific Surfliner trains, it also serves as an important station for Coaster commuter trains and the San Diego Trolley.
Built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, it opened on March 7, 1915. It replaced the California Southern Railway’s smaller 1887 Victorian depot. The beautiful new depot was designed to welcome rail travelers visiting the 1915 Panama-California International Exposition, which was staged in expansive Balboa Park, just northeast of downtown. You can see dozens of fantastic photos of Balboa Park from a century ago here.
The huge Santa Fe Depot waiting room is 170 feet long and 55 feet wide. The varnished oak benches are lit by 16 bronze and glass chandeliers. You can see pics of today’s interior here.
Old photo on today’s information booth shows large waiting room as it was once configured, with ticket counters, checkroom and shops in wooden structures on the west side.Historical photograph of Santa Fe Depot’s steel construction, dated August 17, 1914.Santa Fe Railroad Station under construction beside the old 1887 Victorian depot, which stood on the other side of the tracks. Photo dated September 3, 1914.Photo of the Victorian depot tower being demolished in 1915. A locomotive pulled the old tower over to great public fanfare.Color postcard circa 1920 features inviting image of San Diego Union Depot.The handsome Santa Fe Depot as it appears today, with modern high-rise buildings nearby.
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Art Deco relief work shows female flying above propellers of airplane.
“Through science and the toil of patient men, the nation’s thought traverses land and air and sea.” Those are the words inscribed along the top of downtown San Diego’s Post Office, on E Street between 8th and 9th Avenue. Beneath the words are nine terra-cotta panels created by Archibald Garner in 1937. The Art Deco images include a car, train, ship and airplane, the means by which mail has been delivered over many decades, transmitting the written word across the nation and around the world.
Titled “Transportation of the Mail,” Garner’s handsome panels were the result of a Department of Treasury competition. Like most Post Office public art created during the New Deal, the work was funded through the Treasury Department’s Section of Painting and Sculpture, also known as The Section of Fine Arts. The post office itself was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and stands across the street from the now closed old Central Library. You can see a few interesting photos of the library here.
View of San Diego’s downtown Post Office from Ninth Avenue.Steamship cuts through ocean waves on its way to deliver the mail.Distinctive Art Deco train can be seen near roof of San Diego’s old Post Office.Historically interesting panels, which appear at the top of high windows.Classic automobile in Art Deco public artwork in downtown San Diego.
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San Diego Bay scene graces a slowly fading mural in Mission Valley.
When you ride the San Diego Trolley’s Green Line between the Old Town and Linda Vista stations, an interesting mural can be glimpsed for a moment where the tracks span the San Diego River. The public art is best viewed when walking along the San Diego River Trail, between the rail and Pacific Highway bridges. The path down by the river is fairly popular with bicycles; it is also trash-filled and tagged with graffiti. I don’t know anything about this artwork. Faded a little bit by time and the elements, the images still impart a happy glow along the seemingly neglected river trail.
UPDATE!
Turns out this mural is called “On The River Trail” and was completed in 2008. The artist who designed it is Lori Escalera. The public art comes from the San Diego River Park Foundation.
Public art along the San Diego River Trail near Pacific Highway. The Coaster train can be seen passing across one of the rail bridges.Weathered by outdoor elements, artwork still glows like an impressionist painting.Dreamy yellow sunflower painted on old wall seen by those who walk along river.A hummingbird hovers above brightly sunlit vegetation.Happy painted bicyclist greets those who travel down San Diego River Trail.Art shows painter inspired by the river’s natural beauty.This artwork was lovingly planted for future enjoyment.
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Dad and son check out old steam locomotive on display at La Mesa Depot Museum.
I’ve driven past the La Mesa Depot Museum many times over the years, but have never stopped to check it out. Today I remedied that very unfortunate situation!
Here’s a ton of cool pics. The small display train and historic railroad depot are found along Spring Street near the center of La Mesa, in San Diego’s sunny East County. I walked from south to north with my camera.
A friendly volunteer told me a little bit about the locomotive, reefer (refrigerator) car and caboose on exhibit, plus facts about the old La Mesa depot and San Diego and Cuyamaca Eastern Railway line. The depot is La Mesa’s oldest building and the only surviving San Diego and Cuyamaca Railway Station. Over the years it has experienced a colorful history, serving as an antique store and a worm farm! Please refer to the interesting signs, and my captions. Hopefully you get an idea of how awesome this place is!
The La Mesa Depot Museum is operated by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, which displays many old trains in Campo, an hour’s drive east of San Diego near Mexico. I went there with my family when I was very young and took a fun train ride. I plan on going again one day!
Locomotive was donated after 43 years of service to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association.Looking up into door of steam locomotive Mojave Northern Railroad #3.Old No. 3 originally hauled lime from a quarry near Victorville, California.Part of the complex machinery and controls in the steam locomotive’s cab.Pacific Fruit Express reefer car on display at old train depot in La Mesa, California.Southern Pacific Railroad caboose can be boarded free by visitors on Saturdays, 1-4 pm.I saw a bunch of people during my short visit. There were many excited kids!Entering the caboose, to check out what life was like working on the railroad.The conductor had high windows to see around the train during operation.A freight train’s conductor or crew could sit up here to see in every direction.That’s quite a climb, even for a tall guy like me!The small La Mesa depot sits near tracks now used by the San Diego Trolley Orange Line.The depot opened in 1894, and this 44-star flag would’ve flown above it.Information sign outlines the early history of La Mesa’s train depot.Historical photograph of a train stopping at La Mesa.In the early 20th century the depot was sold and moved on various occasions.McKeen Car at the La Mesa Depot.This very small building contains lots of cool stuff!City of La Mesa Historic Landmark No. 6 on side of 1894 train depot.Ticket office in depot contains various old telephones and a telegraph.The telegraph key still works!Telegraphic messages were received here!Looking out through ticket window at the tiny train depot waiting room.In one corner of the office is an old-fashioned manual typewriter.This old wood stove still works and provides a lot of heat!Signs bring to life the old train time table and Western Union office.An old railway hand cart for hauling freight or luggage.Sign tells complex story of the San Diego, Cuyamaca and Eastern Railroad.Here comes the San Diego Trolley, approaching the nearby La Mesa Boulevard station.The La Mesa Depot Museum is a fun place to visit on a Saturday afternoon!
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Here comes the San Diego Trolley’s cool Silver Line, approaching America Plaza!
Do you love riding on trains? I do! Please take a ride with me on a cool restored streetcar that runs in a circle through downtown San Diego!
Here comes PCC 529 now, coming down the track toward the America Plaza trolley station! This beautiful President’s Conference Committee car was built in 1945 and is an example of the sort of transportation common throughout San Diego during that era. Streetcars have run through San Diego’s history since the 1890’s. Today they’re making a bit of a comeback with this Vintage Trolley, which runs on a downtown loop called the Silver Line.
PCC 529, before it was lovingly restored by volunteers, sat rusting under some pine trees in South Lake Tahoe. How it got there, I don’t know. But here it comes now, getting closer to the station, so lets tap our Compass cards on the ticket reader and hurry up to hop aboard!
PCC 529 is a meticulously restored President’s Conference Committee streetcar.As we ride down C Street, a modern red trolley is seen on the opposite track.
We immediately head up to the front seat to watch the friendly MTS driver pilot this old streetcar down the track. Unlike modern trolleys or light rail, this vehicle really clatters and jerks along and makes you feel like your laboring forward! Whenever the door opens, a bell rings!
Turning around, we notice the beautiful streetcar appears almost empty at the moment.No, there’s one more passenger looking out the window at downtown San Diego.Images inside the Silver Line show streetcars on San Diego roads and bridges long ago.
Walking down toward the rear of the refurbished car, we check out some old black-and-white photos. It’s cool to envision the streets of San Diego filled with streetcars over half a century ago!
Here’s an old photo of a streetcar that was pulled by a horse–or is that a mule.Another passenger steps onto the restored trolley at the Fifth Avenue station.
The bells rings, the door opens, and another passenger steps aboard!
These windows open, so riders can enjoy the fresh air outside.
You can dangle your arm out a window if you like, I suppose. It’s fun to just sit and watch the buildings and people flash by. This is what I call riding in style!
As we get off at City College, other folks step aboard the historic streetcar.
Our short ride is over!
I turn around to enjoy another glance at this classic example of public transit.There goes PCC 529. That was one super fun ride!
Thanks for joining me. That was fun!
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Passengers arrive at San Diego station of the Balboa Park Railroad!A train is now pulling right on schedule into the station.All aboard! Wait! I see a huge gorilla off in the distance!I wonder if this huge gorilla escaped from the nearby San Diego Zoo.The train departs on another exotic, unexpected adventure.Yikes! Now it’s a tiger that I see! There are wild animals all over the place.A silent lion watches as the tiny train glides through Balboa Park.Giraffes seem to be enjoying some eucalyptus trees nearby.The folks riding the fun little train wonder what might come next.The tracks pass Tijuana! That was a very short trip!Who knows what might appear around the next corner…
Sometimes ya gotta have fun with a blog post’s title, just to get a little attention! I hope you enjoyed my silly little excursion.
The Balboa Park Miniature Railroad can be found a few steps beyond the north end of Spanish Village in Balboa Park. It’s sandwiched between the carousel and the San Diego Zoo. I remember riding the kiddie train back when I was an impressionable young whippersnapper. There were no animals sculptures back then. But it did have the same really cool tunnel near the end!
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Approaching the front entrance of Union Station in San Diego.
Walking into San Diego’s Union Station, more commonly called Santa Fe Depot, is like walking into the past. Or through some airy, sacred, vaulted cathedral.
The old train station seems utterly enormous when contrasted with the actual role that it plays in modern San Diego. Sure, it’s a reasonably important transportation hub, serving two lines of the San Diego trolley, plus the Amtrak Surfliner and Coaster trains. But today it seems to me more like a living memorial to a time long ago, when trains were a central feature of American life.
Here are a few cool photos of the Santa Fe Depot’s somewhat sparse but elegant interior. I love the tile work on the walls, the huge glowing windows, the beams in the arched ceiling…but most of all the classic long polished wooden benches. Whenever I walk through I feel like sitting down with the waiting passengers and pretending I’m off on some exciting transcontinental voyage.
Many years ago the depot held a large model of the USS Midway aircraft carrier under glass; I remember seeing that it was moved over to Petco Park. If memory serves, there was also a small pinball and video game arcade off to one side, by an exit to Kettner Boulevard.
Plaque dates Santa Fe Depot from 1915.
The above plaque is just outside the main entrance.
A look inside the large train station in downtown San Diego.A cool photo of the arched ceiling of Union Station.Looking back toward the front entrance from inside.Coaster train can be seen waiting outside on one track.Blue and orange tiles form classic Santa Fe design.
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HO Scale model train travels through Tehachapi Pass exhibit.
I could happily spend many hours at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum. Not only is it the largest such museum in North America, but it features some of the coolest, most realistic model train layouts you’ll ever see!
Located in Balboa Park, the model train museum contains five huge sections. The Cabrillo Southwestern exhibit is in O Scale, the same size as Lionel toy trains. The San Diego and Arizona Eastern, and the Southwestern Pacific-Santa Fe Tehachapi Pass exhibits are both in the popular HO Scale. The Pacific Desert Lines exhibit is in tiny N Scale. Finally, there’s a toy train gallery crammed with Lionel-type trains and many amazing moving accessories, including cars and people. One train is mounted with a Choo-Choo Cam which provides an engineer’s moving view of the dazzling layout.
I took lots of pics yesterday afternoon. Many of the shots taken through glass or in darkness didn’t come out so great. But I did get some fairly good ones. Enjoy!
Kids love the San Diego Model Railroad Museum.Windows to the big Cabrillo Southwestern O Scale exhibit.Large O Scale model train exhibit includes many detailed buildings.Rail yard action at the Cabrillo Southwestern exhibit.Tiny human figures at work near some trolley tracks.The elaborate O Scale exhibit is full of train action!Men work on unfinished San Diego and Arizona Eastern exhibit.HO Scale bridges and a detailed mountain scene.Attention to detail makes these model train exhibits lifelike.Tracks under construction climb to Tehachapi Pass Mezzanine.Pacific Beach Club Room with trains, videos and Lego exhibits.The famous Tehachapi Pass HO Scale exhibit is amazing.Train tracks meander through highly realistic hillside scenes.A stretch of desert highway in HO Scale.Model of a desert town at San Diego Model Railroad Museum.These huge train exhibits are a child’s fantasy come to life!Member of Model Railroad Museum attends to derailed train.
UPDATE!
Almost every day this blog post is receiving visitors from Pinterest.
Welcome!
I decided to visit the museum again in May 2017 to get more photos!
The layouts are so huge and detailed it would take some time to describe exactly what the photos depict and from what position they were taken. So I’m just going to insert a bunch of random photos for you all to enjoy.
Feel free to share any of these photos if you’d like. It’s all for fun! And if you ever have a chance, make sure to visit the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park. The place is truly incredible!
Are you a railroad or streetcar enthusiast? Do you love railway history?
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I happened to be at the Smart Corner building, the location of the City College trolley station, when a historic car belonging to the Silver Line came through! It was servicing the downtown loop.
This shiny, beautifully restored Presidents Conference Committee (PCC) trolley car was built just after the end of World War II. A whole fleet of electric trolleys like this one traversed San Diego until 1949.
Here are more pics of the same trolley taken on different days:
Cool restored Silver Line trolley at Fifth Avenue station.Silver Line trolley near the Convention Center.
Cool San Diego Sights! 