La Mirada, CA Industial Complex - Galen Maybe you can help?

[Trucklover]

This is for anyone who may be familiar with the Industrial Complex in La Mirada, CA

Galen, I seem to remember that you lived or still live in the area?

I went there to take some pictures of the tracks and structures in the complex last Monday. I saw 2 BNSF GP60M's (both in the old Santa Fe Red/Silver Paint) and I also saw one of the old ATSF Cabooses. I got some pictures, these were all parked on a siding right next to the Airgas Facility. I also saw 2 more locomotives and another caboose near the Airgas Facility, just passed the yard down one of the branches, they were also parked. One of the locomotives looked like another GP60M with the same Red/Silver Paint, and i couldnt tell what the other one was (my eyes are bad) but it was either in the orange/green Heritage I or Heritage II paint scheme. I couldnt get to them easily without walking down the tracks and I didnt want to be caught trespassing LOL so maybe ill catch them next time

Here are some pictures I got














BNSF GP60M #'s 153 & 158






















These pictures were taken while the 2 GP60M's were parked next to the Airgas Facility





Now to my question, does anyone know if these locomotives stay in the area permanently? I got pictures of roadnumbers 153 and 158, but couldnt see what roadnumbers or for sure what the other 2 locomotive models were. Also couldnt really see the other caboose.

I want to make a couple small modules for a few of the structures I took some detail shots of, including the Airgas Facility, and would like to model all 4 of the locomotives plus both of the cabooses to switch my modules with. If anyone has any additional pictures of the locomotives or the cabooses, or any other information about this area and the locomotives, please feel free to share, and thanks in advance!

[Russ Bellinis]

Galen used to live down here, but he has moved to Washington State. BNSF has down graded the Gp60m's to local switching service. I believe the B units have been retired, but I don't know if they are sitting dead somewhere or have been traded in on new power. They may even be cannibalizing the B's for spare parts for the M's. I don't know for sure, but suspect that the locomotives you see in local service will stay there until they need to be shopped, at which time the railroad may transfer other locomotives that have just come out of the shop to exchange with the one(s) needing to go in for repair.

[ocalicreek]

Josh,

Thanks for thinking of me, but Russ is right, I've moved up the coast a ways.

And, sorry to say, I have no information about the facility there or the status of the engines.

I DO remember seeing a few units (not those GP60s) around the wye area along Stage Rd. But that's about it.

Good luck.

Oh, and I was going to point you to Russ, but I see he already found you!

Galen

[Gary S]

Great photos Josh.

[Trucklover]

Galen used to live down here, but he has moved to Washington State. BNSF has down graded the Gp60m's to local switching service. I believe the B units have been retired, but I don't know if they are sitting dead somewhere or have been traded in on new power. They may even be cannibalizing the B's for spare parts for the M's. I don't know for sure, but suspect that the locomotives you see in local service will stay there until they need to be shopped, at which time the railroad may transfer other locomotives that have just come out of the shop to exchange with the one(s) needing to go in for repair.

Thanks for the reply Russ!!

I didnt see any B units while i was there poking around, but I think they would be neat to model. Athearn made them, now sold out but i see them all the time on ebay in the red/silver paint.

The possibility of the locomotives I saw possibly being pulled into the shops anytime makes me want to really get back over there and try and snap some shots of the 2 locomotives and the other caboose so I can model them as well. I really liked the GP60M's that were there

[Trucklover]

Josh,

Thanks for thinking of me, but Russ is right, I've moved up the coast a ways.

And, sorry to say, I have no information about the facility there or the status of the engines.

I DO remember seeing a few units (not those GP60s) around the wye area along Stage Rd. But that's about it.

Good luck.

Oh, and I was going to point you to Russ, but I see he already found you!

Galen

LOL Thanks anyways for the reply Galen. I had thought you said you moved away from the area, but wasnt for sure

BTW, Thanks Gary for the picture comments

[ocalicreek]

No problem, Josh. Seeing those photos does take me back. It's a nice little bedroom community nestled up next to (or bounded by) a great industrial park in Santa Fe Springs and Norwalk.

I wish we could have stayed there longer...the great club that Russ belongs to, the beautiful sunshine, Disneyland close enough to be a date night...but then I think about that miserable heat in the 100 year old parsonage where we stayed, and the smog and the traffic, and I like a little more rain than you get there two months out of the year.

If I ever go modern era on a layout, La Mirada/SoCal is a great location to model, imho. The other might be central Florida(Ocala) where I grew up, with one of those red & black Florida Northern or Florida Central CF7's prowling around town. It's not Miami, with the pastels & concrete box warehouses, but an old brick city with a heavy dose of big oak trees and horse farms.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do with this fascinating area.

Galen

[Trucklover]

Thanks Galen

I picked a few of the structures around Airgas to model on 4 modules that I would like to build and work on. I also got a reply from a BNSF Crew Member that has worked the La Mirada Industrial District recently.

Here is what he said:

Hey there Josh... I've worked a couple of the "La-mi-lala" jobs recently (1-2 weeks ago) as both the brakeman and conductor. That local you phoographed with the Warbonnet GP60Ms next to AirGas was tied down on the D Lead which runs down to Spartec Plastics. The track running along the south side of AirGas (outside their spot track) is the C Lead servicing US Gypsum, a second plastics plant, and occasionally Monad Railway Equipment (a private passenger car/equipment owner).

There are six GP60Ms stationed at La Mirada Yard, I can't recall the numbers off hand. The units stay there except for their 90 day Barstow inspections. Fueling takes place at the yard. The two cabooses, one ex BN, one ex ATSF, are also captive for La Mirada. They are used strictly as shoving platforms, ETDs or air pressure gauges are used for any mainline air testing.

I can answer more questions, but I'm currently on a weekend trip to the Bay Area typing via iPhone, so answers may be a little slow.

Rob

From what he said, I found out there are 6 GP60M's! Now I just have to model all 6 of them LOL

[Trucklover]

BTW, here is a link to the plan:
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