Portion of 1902 USGS topographic map showing the Southern Pacific Whittier Branch from Stuebaker to Whittier. SP’s Whittier Branch By John Nestegard ocated about 12 miles southeast Southern Pacific Railroad Co. on May munity that founded the little town of downtown Los Angeles, the 14, 1888. It had no rolling stock of its nestled against the Puente Hills how- city of Whittier does not often own.” This brief entry in the corporate ever, the arrival of that first train from come up in railroad discussions, yet it history section of Guy Dunscomb’s Los Angeles was cause for much L A Century of Southern Pacific Steam rejoicing. Contrary to conventional was served by three systems, wound up with an unusual track configura- Locomotives describes Whittier’s first wisdom of the time, the Quakers chose tion after 1942, and is the location of railroad, the Long Beach, Whittier & a townsite in 1887 that proved to the only remaining Southern Pacific Los Angeles County Railroad. Given be removed from any of the large Common Standard No. 18 depot in that this 1963 seminal work addressed railroad construction projects planned Southern California. a corporate entity that, at its peak, for Southern California in the lat- “Incorporated December 17, encompassed 16,000 miles of right-of- ter part of the 1800s. What initially 1887, this was the name under which way linking eight states and the repub- prompted the mighty Southern Pacific the Southern Pacific Co. constructed lic of Mexico, and was the product of to provide this link is unknown, but the 5.9 miles from Studebaker to Whit- consolidating some 300 predecessor $40,000 put up by local business inter- tier, California. Opened on March 16, companies, this cursory entry is under- ests was definitely an added incentive. 1888, it was operated by the Southern standable. A 5.9-mile route was surveyed from Pacific Co. and consolidated with the For the “Society of Friends” com- Studebaker (actually Studebaker Junc-

26 S•P TRAINLINE SPRING 2017 This Common Standard No. 7 passenger and freight depot was built at Los Nietos, MP 500.6, in 1888. –SP photo, courtesy Western Railway Museum

A 2-story 12-lever mechanical interlocker was built at Los Nietos Tower (SP Tower No. 3), MP 153.4, in 1889 where the Whittier Branch crossed the Southern California Railway (later AT&SF 3rd District). The interlocker was rebuilt in 1901 and eliminated in 1942, the year this photo was taken. –James N. Spencer photo, courtesy Western Railway Museum

tion), a flag stop on SP’s Santa Ana Branch, following a general northeast- erly course across the flat but gently rising coastal plain to a terminus at Whittier. Total distance traveled from Los Angeles was 12 miles. This Common Standard No. 7 passenger and freight depot was built at Evergreen St., Published timetables for the peri- MP 502.2, in 1888. It was later converted into Packing-house for the Southern California Fruit Exchange. –SP photo, courtesy Western Railway Museum od identified three stations en route: Fulton Wells, two miles out of Studebaker, crossing at grade with Telegraph Road. Los Nietos, three miles out of Studebaker, crossing at grade with Los Nietos Road and the Southern California Railway (ATSF), and Evergreen Street, five miles out of Studebaker, crossing at grade with Evergreen Street (now Washington Boulevard). Between Fulton Wells (the pre- decessor of today’s Santa Fe Springs) and Los Nietos, the first appreciable grade—a short 1.5%—was encoun- tered. At Los Nietos a spur for inter- change with ATSF was provided along with a two-story, 12-lever mechanical interlocking tower to protect the busy Southern Pacific’s No. 18 passenger and freight depot at Whittier, California, MP 503.2 junction. Pacific Electric’s La Habra (Hadley St.), was completed in June 1888. This valuation photo dates from approximately line (completed in 1911) was inter- 1912. –SP photo, courtesy Western Railway Museum

S•P TRAINLINE SPRING 2017 27 sected at a point near present day Sorenson Avenue. From there into Whittier proper, a fairly constant 1.5% grade was maintained. Total elevation gained on the branch was 240 feet. Rail was 50lb English Sheffield steel (mill date 1881) spiked directly to redwood ties without the benefit of tie plates (tie plates were installed in 1900). With the exception of the area around Los Nietos depot and the ATSF cross- ing, the railroad was cinder ballasted. Los Nietos had gravel. Crossing the normally dry creek beds and drain- age ditches was accomplished with rudimentary open-deck timber trestles and culverts. The stations consisted of a passing siding and, in the case of Los Nietos and Evergreen Street, utilitarian, single story, combination passenger-freight depots to Common Standard No .7 plans. The Whittier In the early part of 1895, local service to Whittier con- facility was a more impressive, two- nected with through trains on the Santa Ana Branch story Stick/Queen Anne-style struc- three times daily, except Sunday. –John R. Signor collection ture (Common Standard No.18) with living quarters for the agent on the and more frequent service, and an even 1930, freight trains were operated as second floor. Passengers transferring to more direct route to Los Angeles via a extras on an as-needed basis, reflecting a Santa Ana line train at Studebaker paved, all-weather county road spelled both the Depression-induced decline were accommodated by a simple 24 x the ultimate demise of SP’s passenger in business and the increasing compe- 12-foot shelter shed. service to Whittier. tition from the San Pedro, Los Angeles Operations While passenger ridership never & Salt Lake Railroad (Union Pacific lived up to expectations, the role played system) Anaheim Branch, which was Passenger service over the line by the railroad in the economic devel- extended through Whittier in 1917. was initiated in the spring of 1888 opment of Whittier and the surround- Whittier and Environs offering morning trains directly to and ing area was significant. Although the from Los Angeles and evening accom- en-route stations provided some rev- Approaching Whittier from the modations via a transfer at Studebaker enue and traffic (Evergreen was the site south, the right-of-way skirted the to the Santa Ana line. Travel time to of an early fruit packing shed owned eastern boundary of the state reform Los Angeles was one hour and ten by Briggs Spence Co., and there is school for boys (later the Fred C. Nelles minutes. With the completion of other evidence that the depot itself was used School), crossed the county highway branch lines to Tustin and Westmin- primarily for fruit and produce ship- (Whittier Boulevard) and Philadel- ster, scheduling became more complex ping), the prime purpose for building phia Street1 before entering the yards and the Whittier Branch was often the branch was to tap into the fledgling bounded by Magnolia Avenue on the treated as an adjunct to the more orange and lemon industry in the area west and Hadley Street on the north. heavily traveled Santa Ana line. From surrounding Whittier. Initially the Southern Pacific agent 1905 to 1910, Los Angeles bound pas- Scheduled freight trains (typically was housed in a retired box car next to sengers were accommodated by a daily one round trip, five days a week) served the tracks, but after the new depot was mixed train with transfer to Santa Ana the growing city from the line’s incep- completed at the foot of Bailey Street Branch passenger trains at Studebaker. tion until 1930. Over the years the in 1891 he took up residence in the In 1910 passenger service was pro- routing and scheduling varied from second floor apartment. The yard was vided by a McKeen gas-mechanical a side trip on the Los Angeles-Santa initially comprised of the main track motor car that made a daily round Ana trains to dedicated Los Angeles- and two sidings with a crossover to trip between “downtown” Santa Ana Whittier trains. Often the schedule permit the locomotive to run around and Los Angeles with a side trip to dictated a nightly layover in Whit- the train for the return trip to Stude- Whittier. This service was abandoned tier, returning to Studebaker the next in 1913. The advent of the Pacific day. In addition, extra freights were 1. In 1903 a crossing was installed to acco- modate Pacific Electric tracks which accessed Electric line to the Quaker City, com- dispatched to provide timely pickup uptown Whittier running up the center of pleted in 1903, with its shorter route during the fruit harvest periods. After Philadelphia Street.

28 S•P TRAINLINE SPRING 2017 baker. A 60-foot manually-operated “armstrong” turntable was installed to preclude having to make the outbound trip in reverse.2 To accommodate scheduling that dictated an overnight layover, a single-stall engine house was erected. A standpipe connected to the municipal water supply assured that the tender would not run dry. SP also constructed a packing house across the tracks from the depot that was leased to various enterpris- es over the years. Initially it served the local walnut growers as a packing and shipping point, and later it was enlarged by the California Chemical Spray Co. as a distribution point for the various fertilizers and pesticides required by Whittier area growers. The freight house portion of the depot also doubled as an early fruit processing and packing facility until separate facili- A portion of a “Midget Map” of Whittier, circa 1928, shows the basic alignment of all ties were established by the Whittier three railroads serving Whittier at the time. –John Nestegard collection Citrus Association and the Murphy Ranch operations. larger locomotives being assigned to duction of citrus horticulture to the In 1903 a crossing was installed to the Santa Branch but, interestingly, the area promised growth and prosperity accommodate Pacific Electric, which original table remained in place for a for the Quaker community. The one accessed uptown Whittier via a track number of years. fly in the ointment was the lack of running up the center of Philadelphia The Smell of Orange Blossoms adequate water supply to service both Street. the growing community and irrigate Sometime in the 1920s, a 75-foot When the Pickering Land and the groves of oranges and lemons that turntable was in place to accommodate Water Co. began development of the were being proposed. The water table 1,200-acre site that would become was too low for economic drilling and 2. Sometime in the 1920s a 75-foot turn- Whittier, it touted the almost idyllic pumping and efforts to build dams table was put in place to accommodate larger locomotives being assigned to the Santa Ana environment it offered for homestead- in the Puente Hills to store rainwater Branch but, interstingly, the original turntable ing and agriculture. The soil was rich, proved futile. What little agriculture appears to have remained in place for a number the Puente Hills guaranteed an almost that was accomplished required the years thereafter. frost free climate and the recent intro- hauling of water overland from the San Sanborne Co. fire insurance map of the Bailey Street yard and depot circa 1925 shows the original turntable and engine house as well as the later 75-foot table. It was from this turntable lead that the connection to the PE was extended in 1942.

S•P TRAINLINE SPRING 2017 29 UP to

Wh iier Junction

Whiier Bl

PE-SP Connection .

built 1942 ve vd. Hadley St.

Whiier Whiier Select Brick Co. Packing house Magnolia A

SP Depot Bailey St. Former ve. turntable PE downtown line location abandoned 1942 cific Electric Pa enson A to Los Nietos Sor Philadelphia St.

UP Depot

Whiier State School College St. . ve Murphy Ranch Co. packing house ering A ick SP Whiier Branch Penn St. P abandoned from Evergreen to Studebaker Junction August1942 Whiier Sunny Slope St. Citrus Whittier Detail Assn. Summer 1942 Whiier Walnut UP to Anaheim SP to Studebak Growers Assn. Whiier Blv Gabriel River. Two events provided the impe-

tus for the development of the citrus d. er industry in Whittier. First was the completion of rail lines linking South- ern California with the rest of the the first packing house constructed on ily a passenger hauler, PE did serve nation by 1883, The second was the the southwest corner of Penn Street the Whittier Select packing house at construction, in 1892, of a 10-mile and Whittier Boulevard. To tap this Gretna and Whittier Boulevard, and a flume to bring artesian water from new source of revenue, SP extended a bulk oil dealer at the corner of Magno- the banks of the San Gabriel River to spur track one-half mile south of the lia and Whittier Boulevard. Simon Murphy’s 2,000-acre develop- yard paralleling Whittier Boulevard. More serious competition arrived ment just east of Whittier. The avail- In 1916 the Murphy Ranch proper- when the Los Angeles & Salt Lake ability of a dependable, year-round ties established its own facility on the Railroad (Union Pacific) extended source of irrigation water benefitted northeast corner of the same inter- its Anaheim Branch through town not only the Murphy Ranch proper- section and the railroad reciprocated in 1917. The LA&SL provided the ties, making them one of the most by adding a track to serve it as well. Murphy Ranch house with a double- profitable in the district, but also the Southern Pacific provided the only rail tracked spur and accommodated the citizens of the city itself who were able freight service to Whittier until Pacific Whittier Fruit Exchange—which affil- to purchase any excess. Electric extended a branch off its La iated with the Sunkist brand in 1921— By 1902, the Whittier Citrus Habra-Los Nietos line in Los Nietos with a spur on the south side of its Association had been chartered and in 1903. Although at the time primar- facility. The 1919-1920 crop year saw

30 S•P TRAINLINE SPRING 2017 Aerial view of SP’s Bailey Street yard in Whittier on August 28, 1945. In this view from the southwest, the connection between the Pacific Electric and SP passes over the old turntable pit (barely visible) then behind the freight house before curving to the left and crossing Whittier Boulevard. Note the fresh pavement in Whittier Boulevard marking the location of the recently removed PE line to downtown Whittier. SP’s Whittier depot is at the center, opposite the SP freight house. –UCLA Department of Geography, Benjamin and Gladys Thomas Air Photo Archives, Spence Air Photo Collection a total of 3,281 carloads of citrus, with operations consisted of washing, wax- tier Branch. The “packinghouse spur” a market value of $4,842,570, shipped ing, grading, tissue wrapping and pack- saw the comings and goings of a num- from the district. By 1925, 10,000 ing the fruit into wood shipping crates. ber of businesses that required rail acres of trees were under cultivation. Colorful labels, often incorporating access, such as Globe Mills feed mill, The peak production of oranges and original artwork, were affixed to the the Edmund Pecke Fruit Packing Co. lemons occurred in the 1935-36 crop crates proudly identifying the point of (later Mutual Mfg. Co.–mattresses and year when 4,000 cars were shipped to origin. The products of Whittier’s cit- pillows) the Citrus By-products Facil- market, while 1942-43 boasted the rus orchards were loaded into 40-foot ity (juice concentrates) the Whittier highest dollar value—in excess of $7 ice-refrigerated rail cars of the Pacific Ice. Co.3 the Whittier Fruit Cannery, million. Ironically that was also the last Fruit Express Co. for movement East. a Union Oil storage facility, a shipping season for the SP branch. Other Industries and Revenue Picking season for Valencia orang- Sources 3. There has been some conjecture as to wheth- es was mid-summer while Navels rip- er the ice manufacturing facility, later affiliated with the Puritan Ice Co., provided icing services ened in fall/winter. Lemons and grape- Over its relatively short 54-year for refrigerator cars prior to loading of fruit at fruit could be harvested at various time life span, a number of commercial the packing houses, a process known as pre- throughout the year. Packing house enterprises developed along the Whit- cooling.

S•P TRAINLINE SPRING 2017 31 Another view of Whittier on August 28, 1945, with the Puente Hills rising in the distance. The structure opposite the SP depot was composed of a freight house and a packing house, that latter portion by this time being occupied by the California Chemical Spray Co. –UCLA Department of Geography, Benjamin and Gladys Thomas Air Photo Archives, Spence Air Photo Collection

crate manufacturer and a lumber yard. Across Philadelphia in the Bailey Street yard, there was the San Pedro Lumber Co., a cement manufacturing plant, and across Hadley the Whittier Brick Co. One of the sidings in front Pacific Electric EMD SW1 at Whittier depot in August 1950. The locomotive was leased of the depot performed an important from parent Southern Pacific for freight service as electric motive power was phased function as a team track. Railroad cus- –John Nestegard out. The trolley poles were used to activate crossing gates. tomers that did not have a spur track

32 S•P TRAINLINE SPRING 2017 Aerial view from the southwest in December 1939 shows the SP line along Whittier Boulevard serving the Murphy Ranch packing house, Whittier Citrus Assn. and the Whittier Walnut Growers Assn. The line at lower right is all that remained of the original line to Evergreen from which spurs were extended to serve industries locating in the large grove in the foreground during the postwar era. The Union Pacific Whittier station can be seen center left. –UCLA Department of Geography, Benjamin and Gladys Thomas Air Photo Archives, Spence Air Photo Collection to their place of business could unload tier. The Pacific Electric had been a as to whether the ice manufacturing and load freight directly from their wholly-owned subsidiary since 1911 facility, later affiliated with Puritan Ice wagon, hence the term “team” or motor and its right-of-way into Quaker City Co., provided icing services to refrig- truck to a rail car. A number of car was newer, constructed to heavier stan- erator cars prior to loading of fruit at dealers in Whittier received their new dards and was approximately three the packing house, a process known as automobiles in such a fashion aboard miles shorter (downtown Los Angeles pre-cooling. specially-equipped box cars. to Whittier). The decision was made Postmortem End of the Line in favor of the PE line and the original SP trackage from just north of Ever- With the end of World War II, The 1930s and the disastrous eco- green depot all the way to Studebaker the citrus industry in the Whittier dis- nomic downturn were not a good time Junction was pulled up in August 1942. trict began a dramatic downsizing. The for the SP and its Whittier Branch. The rail and ties were later used to reasons for this were two-fold: Although the citrus industry in the enlarge the port facility on Termi- Trees in many of the groves were Whittier district was in its prime and nal Island in support of the recently- over 25 years old and yields were decreas- record crops were being achieved, the declared state of war with Japan. ing. To remain competitive, growers bounty had to be shared with the Connecting the PE main track were faced with rooting up the old stock LA&SL—in fact the LA&SL served with the Hadley Street yard was accom- and planting new trees, an expensive two more packing houses in Whit- plished by the simple expedient of a proposition that also meant not seeing tier, Mutual Orange on Hadley and crossover installed near the intersec- a harvest for a number of years until the Gregory Streets, and Sunset-Sternau tion of Magnolia and Whittier Boule- orchards reached maturity. Foods on Whittier Boulevard, south vard. PE electric locomotives took over Service men returning from the of Sunkist—and there was mount- freight duties from Southern Pacific Pacific campaign, particularly from ing competition from trucks utilizing steam engines. Overhead wire had to be the snow belt, having experienced the the all-weather state highway (Whit- strung to allow pickup utilizing trolley wonders of the Golden State, decided tier Boulevard) that had been recently poles on the roofs of the locomotives. that here is where they wanted to put completed all the way to Los Angeles. This also enabled PE to bring its electric down roots. The results was a tremen- With the recession, other sources of box motors directly to the ex-SP depot dous demand for new housing and the traffic, both in and out bound, were and provide Railway Express service to developers of Southern California were shrinking or disappearing altogether. Whittier customers. A PE freight agent more than happy to accommodate. The depot and freight house at Ever- took over duties in the depot and it From 1945 to 1955 the num- green Street was retired in 1938 and wasn’t long before a fresh coat on insti- ber of acres removed annually from it became obvious to SP management tutional blue-grey paint replaced SP’s farming—mainly citrus—to real estate that it could no longer maintain two, Colonial Yellow and brown scheme. development increased almost seven almost identical rail lines into Whit- There has been some conjecture fold. Whittier was in the process of

S•P TRAINLINE SPRING 2017 33 By the time this Southern Pacific Spins map was issued September 28, 1979, tracks serving packing houses along south Whittier Boulevard had been removed, only to be replaced by several spurs serving industries off the stub track that led toward the former station of Evergreen. Within slightly less than a decade, all these tracks would be gone. –Clifford Prather collection changing from an agricultural center Whittier Boulevard east of the Nelles uptown Whittier trackage was pulled to a Los Angeles bedroom community. School. Several manufacturing plants up about 1990 and another era ended. During that decade the number of car- required spurs off of the former SP As Whittier moves on into the loads of oranges and lemons shipped main track, including an aerospace 21st century, there is scant evidence of from the Whittier district dropped supplier called Modine Manufactur- it pioneering little railroad. A walking from 3,448 to 750 per year. ing Co. In the northwest corner of the path follows the old roadbed along the PE’s electric locomotives contin- Bailey Street yard a rather impressive east boundary of Nelles School, the ued to serve Whittier but gradually facility was built by the Kieckfefer “sweat room” of the Murphy Ranch their duties were taken over by diesel Container Co. for the manufacture packing house is used as a cold storage locomotives. Beyond the citrus indus- of paper dairy cartons. The Whittier facility, the original 1902 building of try, which included support materials Citrus Assn. packing house had its last the Sunkist (Whittier Citrus) packing such as lumber for shipping crates, season in 1951 and the Murphy Ranch house is now the home of an antique fertilizers, insecticides and fuel oil for house closed its doors in 1954. PE mall and, of course, the restored Bai- smudge pots, Whittier had little in soldiered on until 1965 when it was ley Street depot reign supreme as a the way of industrial enterprise that totally absorbed into parent Southern regional transportation center in it new required rail service. In the 1950s Pacific, which continued to serve a location opposite the Hilton Hotel on an industrial zone was created along diminishing customer base until all the Greenleaf Street. It should ne noted that the south- ern portion of the Whittier Branch was reincarnated in 1954 when the old right-of-way from Studebaker Junc- tion to Los Nietos was incorporated into SP’s new Puente Cutoff from City of Industry, utilizing trackage rights over the UP to Bortolo Jct. then, on its own tracks following the San Gabriel River to Los Nietos and on to PE’s La Habra line. This route provides a bypass around the congestion of down- town Los Angeles for freight moving to and from Los Angeles/Long Beach Harbor and Orange County. Thanks to Elna Sue Johnson, Wil- The SP depot continued to serve Whittier until January 30, 1967, when agency per- liam Church, Carolyn Rory, Whittier sonnel were moved to Los Nietos. The depot was then occupied by a succession of Public Library, Stephanie Breaux, Whit- industrial tenants until the mid-1980s. The City of Whittier took possession of the depot tier College, Stephen E. Donaldson, and in 1996 was awarded a $1.2 million grant from Intermodal Surface Transportation Henry E. Bender Jr., Clifford Prather Enhancement Act funds. The depot was moved to 7333 Greenleaf Avenue, and restored and Matt Zebrowski for help in the –Google Street View that year as Whittier’s Transit Center. preparation of this article.

34 S•P TRAINLINE SPRING 2017