12-13-2011, 08:18 PM
I think what you're showing is that some tracks are neater than others, but even on the LAJ, there's lots of grass, junk, and weeds:
On main line track, it's common for section crews to pick up items along the right of way that fall off trains: grain doors, dunnage, steel strap, and so forth, since it's a safety hazard for crews who have to walk a train to inspect for defects. Here's what happens to that stuff:
It gets collected, put in drums, and if it's burnable, it's burned in the drums, especially in the winter. Scrap steel is picked up by work trains periodically and sold. But the point is, it's got to go somewhere: either it stays by the track (and thus becomes fun detail subjects) or it gets collected (and thus becomes fun detail subjects).
Here's a loading ramp in the warehouse area in the 1980s:
Note the dunnage and strapping. This could have happened just as well in the 1950s: some customers were good about cleaning this up, others weren't.
Here's a scene just north of the warehouse area, when SP tracks still ran down Alameda St (1980)
Even though the track is in or near the street, it isn't completely neat.
On main line track, it's common for section crews to pick up items along the right of way that fall off trains: grain doors, dunnage, steel strap, and so forth, since it's a safety hazard for crews who have to walk a train to inspect for defects. Here's what happens to that stuff:
It gets collected, put in drums, and if it's burnable, it's burned in the drums, especially in the winter. Scrap steel is picked up by work trains periodically and sold. But the point is, it's got to go somewhere: either it stays by the track (and thus becomes fun detail subjects) or it gets collected (and thus becomes fun detail subjects).
Here's a loading ramp in the warehouse area in the 1980s:
Note the dunnage and strapping. This could have happened just as well in the 1950s: some customers were good about cleaning this up, others weren't.
Here's a scene just north of the warehouse area, when SP tracks still ran down Alameda St (1980)
Even though the track is in or near the street, it isn't completely neat.