Tag: trolley station

Old train posters between Santa Fe Depot and MCASD.

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.
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 Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) downtown Jacobs Building, which used to be the historic train station's baggage terminal.
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.
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, the Carriso Gorge Route, which included possible destinations Chicago, New Orleans, Kansas City, El Paso, San Diego.
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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Signs and omens…Comic-Con is around the corner!

Superman was spotted walking through the Gaslamp two weeks before San Diego Comic-Con!
Superman has been spotted walking through the Gaslamp two weeks before San Diego Comic-Con!

Two weeks to go until 2015 San Diego Comic-Con! Signs and omens of the super popular event’s coming are popping up around downtown, especially in the Gaslamp Quarter. Here’s what I spotted in the past couple days…

MTS has Comic-Con trolley passes that can be purchased with your smartphone.
MTS has Comic-Con trolley passes that can be purchased with your smartphone.
Game of Thrones advertisement at a trolley station. A Conan Live at Comic-Con trolley wrap passes by.
Game of Thrones advertisement at a trolley station. A Conan Live at Comic-Con trolley wrap passes by.
The latest Comic-Con trolley wrap promotes The Muppets! Yea!
The latest Comic-Con trolley wrap promotes soon to debut The Muppets television series on ABC!
Kermit drives a trolley full of Muppet fun. Naked frogs. Egotistical pigs. Welcome to Hollywood.
Kermit drives a trolley full of Muppet fun. Naked frogs. Egotistical pigs. Welcome to Hollywood.
Miss Piggy gets her own personal section, because she's such a big star.
Miss Piggy gets her own personal section, because she’s such a big star.
Who attending Comic-Con wouldn't love to have Kermit driving them on the San Diego trolley?
Who attending Comic-Con wouldn’t love to have Kermit driving them on the San Diego trolley?
Shops in downtown San Diego have stocked up on superhero gear for coming throngs of pop culture fans and cosplayers.
Shops in downtown San Diego have stocked up on superhero gear for coming throngs of pop culture fans and cosplayers.
Shirt in store window features Darth Vader saying: "Soy tu padre, mijo."
Shirt in store window features Darth Vader saying: “Soy tu padre, mijo.”
Here come Batman, Thor, Wonder Woman and other powerful heroes. Villains in San Diego, beware!
Here come Batman, Thor, Wonder Woman and other powerful heroes. Villains in San Diego, beware!
Trust me. I'm a superhero. The San Diego Trading Company on Fifth Avenue will have lots of Comic-Con deals, so swing on by! The lady at the counter is really nice!
Trust me. I’m a superhero. The San Diego Trading Company on Fifth Avenue will have lots of Comic-Con deals, so swing on by! The lady at the counter is really nice!
Comic-Con Weekend at the Onyx Room is an unofficial party many will attend!
Comic-Con Weekend at the Onyx Room is an unofficial party many will attend!
The House of Blues asks whether you're ready to rock. San Diego will be rocking big time in a couple weeks! I can't wait!
The House of Blues asks whether you’re ready to rock. San Diego will be rocking big time in a couple weeks! I can’t wait!
The Hulk is busting loose! He's coming to San Diego!
The Hulk is busting loose! He’s coming to San Diego!

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Hundred year old photos of Santa Fe Depot.

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of San Diego's Santa Fe train depot!
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.
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 construction, dated August 17, 1914.
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. Photo dated September 3, 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 old depot tower being demolished in 1915.
Photo of the Victorian depot tower being demolished in 1915. A locomotive pulled the old tower over to great public fanfare.
Color postcard from around 1920 features inviting image of San Diego Union Depot.
Color postcard circa 1920 features inviting image of San Diego Union Depot.
The Santa Fe Depot as it appears today, with modern high-rise buildings nearby.
The handsome Santa Fe Depot as it appears today, with modern high-rise buildings nearby.

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Mysterious morning shadow at trolley station.

Waiting at Little Italy trolley station, I see a strange shadow climbing up the opposite wall.
At the Little Italy trolley station, a very strange shadow climbs up the wall.

Early this morning, shortly after sunrise, as I waited for the San Diego Trolley at the Little Italy station, I was confronted by a momentary mystery. A very odd spidery shadow was climbing up the wall on the other side of the tracks.

I walked toward the shadow and turned about. A few photos show the mystery solved!

Construction crew is building a large new parking garage next to busy trolley station.
Construction crew is building a new parking garage next to busy trolley station.

The rising parking garage, at the corner of Cedar Street and Kettner Boulevard, will provide 645 spaces for those who work at the nearby County Administration Center, in addition to paid public parking for visitors to Little Italy. The project is supposed to be finished this summer.

The ten-level parking structure will serve many county employees who work nearby.
The ten-level parking structure will serve county employees who work nearby.
Silhouette of worker as morning sun lights the downtown San Diego sky.
Silhouette of worker as morning sun lights the downtown San Diego sky.

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Take a cool ride on an old, restored streetcar!

Here comes the San Diego Trolley's cool Silver Line, approaching America Plaza!
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 lovingly restored President's Conference Committee streetcar.
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.
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.
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.
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 long ago.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I turn around to enjoy another glance at this classic example of public transit.
There goes PCC 529. That was one super fun ride!
There goes PCC 529. That was one super fun ride!

Thanks for joining me. That was fun!

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A look inside San Diego’s old Santa Fe Depot.

Approaching the front of Union Station in San Diego.
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.
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 look inside the large train station in downtown San Diego.
A cool photo of the arched ceiling of Union Station.
A cool photo of the arched ceiling of Union Station.
Looking back toward the front entrance from inside.
Looking back toward the front entrance from inside.
Coaster train can be seen waiting outside on one track.
Coaster train can be seen waiting outside on one track.
Blue and orange tiles form classic Santa Fe design.
Blue and orange tiles form classic Santa Fe design.

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The cool America Plaza trolley station.

San Diego Trolley stops at cool America Plaza station.
San Diego Trolley stops at cool America Plaza station.

There are a few San Diego Trolley stations that are unusual and especially interesting. One is the partially enclosed station at America Plaza. Every busy day, long red trolleys snake through the skirt of the tall, glassy building. One America Plaza is the highest skyscraper downtown, and stands just across Kettner Boulevard from the Santa Fe Depot.

Looking outward from the partially enclosed trolley station.
Looking outward from the partially enclosed trolley station.
Silver Line trolley stops at America Plaza.
Silver Line trolley stops at America Plaza.
Taking a walk through the shady station on a sunny day.
Taking a walk through the shady station on a sunny day.

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Early morning light touches East Village.

Morning look toward East Village buildings from trolley station.
Morning look toward East Village buildings from trolley station.

These photos were taken a few weeks ago in the early morning.  I was on the way to work and feeling energized, so I walked about the 12th and Imperial trolley station to enjoy the views.

Buildings near Petco Park touched by early morning light.
Buildings near Petco Park touched by early morning light.
San Diego Central Library dome gilded by rising sun.
San Diego Central Library dome gilded by rising sun.
Early morning in San Diego.
Early morning in San Diego.

Clock tower at 12th and Imperial trolley station.

Clock tower at 12th and Imperial trolley station reflected in windows.
Clock tower at 12th and Imperial reflected in windows.

I got some unusual photos of the clock tower that stands next to the transit center at the 12th and Imperial trolley station downtown.  The clock is one cool San Diego sight that can be seen from many points in the city.

Looking up the interior of the clock tower structure.
Looking up the interior of the clock tower structure.

You can stand inside the base of the tower and look outward!

Clock tower above musician on Harbor Drive bridge.
Clock tower above musician on Harbor Drive bridge.