FULLERTON RAILWAY PLAZA ASSOCIATION
MODEL RAILROAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY

WANTED: PICTURES & INFORMATION

Can you help us to locate historical pictures or infrmation regarding any of the following?:

If you have pictures of these items please contact:
Larry Boerio
714-995-1855
E mail: larrybemail@yahoo.com

General:

Information and/or pictures should be circa 1940's and 1950's. Other time periods may be useful. Note: "?" below indicates that we are unsure if this business was in place 1945 -1955, but it did exist at one point.

Fullerton Santa Fe Depot General Area

1) Our greatest need at this point is for pictures of packing houses, and other business along railroad right of way from Lemon Ave. to Highland Ave in Fullerton.

Some business currently known: American Fruit Growers (Blue Goose Association), Eadington Packing (?), Ward & Harrington Lumber, Crystal Ice Refrigeration Co., Hegblade & Margolius Packing (?), Borden Frozen Concentrate (?), Minute Maid (?), Elelphant PackingHouse (? perhaps different name at same location -e.g Randolph Marketing Co.- FruitPacking House) , Evans Brothers Packing, Fulleton Placentia Walnut Association (?) Sears & Roebuck Merchandise Warehouse, Benchley Packing Co (?), Granda Packing House, Fullerton Packing Co. (?), Golden Citrus Juices, Osborne Fruit and VegetableCo. (?), Orangethorpe Citrus Assoc. (?), Fullerton Mutual Orange Association (?), Standard Oil Company. There are some unamed businesses- a carpet warehouse, an electriacal products warehouse, an auto parts and/or repair center, an auto body/auto repair center, a retail merchandise sales building , an auto body and spray paint building, a roofing material warehouse, a sheet metal shop, a building materials warehouse. This list is not complete.

2) We need pictures of Spadra (Harbor Blvd) grade crossing which show the track signals, crossing gates and the Santa Fe watchman's tower.

3) Pictures of the S.F. Watchman's tower at Spadra.

4) We need pictures, drawings or maps which show the location of the switch engine spurs for Fullerton. Believed to be just east of Highland. We're not sure if they were there circa 1950.

5) We believe there was both a public scale and a S.F. scale for weighing cars. Pictures/maps or drawings are needed.

6) Pictures of Union Pacific Buses.

7) Pictures of the Crystal Ice House “escalator” truck and ice truck.

8) Any aerial photo of the area

9) Any information pertaining to the history of the businesses above or below.


MAJOR STRUCTURES

1) Sunny Hills Packing House.

This was a large packing house that once stood just west of the current location of  St. Jude’s hospital. It was serviced by the Santa Fe, Union Pacific and Pacific Electric. This makes it extremely interesting. Dave Norris of the Orange County Historical Society just advised me that there is a photomural of the historic Sunny Hills area in the old lobby of St. Jude’s. I do not know what is contained in the mural.

2) Union Pacific Station:

Currently, the Old Spaghetti Factory. It was formerly located on the south side of the main line just west of Harbor Blvd (formerly Spadra Blvd.), at Truslow.

3) Pacific Electric Station:

Currently Il Ghiotto Restaurant. Its location has changed very little, if at all. . It serviced freight and passengers. However, passenger service ceased in 1937. It continued to serve freight for the PE, and then housed Railway Express and later Greyhound bus services.

4) Crystal Ice House:

This building is currently Calvary Chapel. Per Dave Norris they used (picture needed!) a truck, referred to as “The Escalator” to move ice on a conveyor belt into the railroad’s refrigerator cars.

5) Santa Fe Engine Facilities:

There were (are) some engine facilities just east of the current station.

6) Allen Hotel:

This hotel was located south of the tracks, west of Spadra (Harbor)  Blvd. This is where ATSF crews and employees stayed when they were “overnighting” for the railroad.


Any help you may be able to provide in this research will be greatly appreciated.
© 2001 Fullerton Railway Plaza Association. Inc.