noirish Los Angeles

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

You mean there was another incline we didn't know about?

So, what is the known total thus far?

1. Angels Flight
2. Court Flight
3. Mount Lowe incline

link

4. Mt Washington incline

link

5. The Island Mountain Railway on Catalina Island

link

6. The Playa Del Rey incline

link

7. Palisades Incline

link

Are these the only ones we know about?

Here is a link to a good article about Court Flight, Mt. Washington incline, and the Catalina incline: https://www.kcet.org/shows/lost-la/t...fornia-history

[Scott Charles]

Check out this book:

Incline Railways of Los Angeles and Southern California

$39.95

Incline Railways of Los Angeles and Southern California by Donald Duke presents a look at all commercial or proposed inclines of the Southern California region.

All inclines are not the same, nor is the track they run on. Angels Flight, the Mount Lowe Incline, and the one that ran up Mount Washington, were all two-car, three-rail systems, with a passing track in the center. Court flight was also a two-car system, but with a separate wire rope attached to each car. So one car was independent from the other. The Island Mountain Railway on Catalina Island, was a single-track system, with one car going up on one side of a mountain, while the other car went down the opposite site.

Incline Railways of Los Angeles and Southern California by Donald Duke presents for the first time a look at all these commercial or proposed inclines of the Southern California region. Learn which was the shortest railway in the world, and one which was nearly a mile in length. A dozen inclines are presented in this book. Learn how they came about, who built them, and why some of them were abandoned.

http://www.goldenwestbooks.com/produ...-79d0952f-cf04

Here's one of the illustrations from the book. I don't recognize it, does anyone here know where this was?



Perhaps (as per the title of the book) it was in Southern California, but not in LA?

[HossC]

It appears to be a photo of the Price Hill Incline in Cincinnati.


www.cincywhimsy.com

[HossC]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

So, what is the known total thus far?

1. Angels Flight
2. Court Flight
3. Mount Lowe incline
4. Mt Washington incline
5. The Island Mountain Railway on Catalina Island
6. The Playa Del Rey incline
7. Palisades Incline

Are these the only ones we know about?

There's a funicular railway for golfers at the Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms Resort, City of Industry. I think that's within our usual scope.


wikimedia.org

[oldstuff]

Originally Posted by HossC

There's a funicular railway for golfers at the Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms Resort, City of Industry. I think that's within our usual scope.


wikimedia.org

There was a fairly short one in Burbank at DeBell Golf course. It ran up the backside of the hill where the Castaway restaurant is located down to the road on the backside, which is called DeBell Drive. There is something called the "Luau Grounds" back there, and it may have taken food and people from the restaurant down to the Luau Grounds. The parking for the restaurant is at the top of the hill. All that is left now is some kind of Gunite sort of stuff on the side of the hill and some rails. It just had one car, and not a double track since it was so short, maybe 100-125 feet in all.

[Handsome Stranger]

Originally Posted by Scott Charles

Check out this book: Incline Railways of Los Angeles and Southern California

Looks interesting, and the Los Angeles Public Library has it! Thanks for the suggestion.

[Scott Charles]

Originally Posted by HossC

It appears to be a photo of the Price Hill Incline in Cincinnati.


www.cincywhimsy.com

Thanks, Hoss!

(kind of an odd choice of image to use to promote a book about LA/Southern California)

Originally Posted by oldstuff

There was a fairly short one in Burbank at DeBell Golf course. It ran up the backside of the hill where the Castaway restaurant is located down to the road on the backside, which is called DeBell Drive. There is something called the "Luau Grounds" back there, and it may have taken food and people from the restaurant down to the Luau Grounds. The parking for the restaurant is at the top of the hill. All that is left now is some kind of Gunite sort of stuff on the side of the hill and some rails. It just had one car, and not a double track since it was so short, maybe 100-125 feet in all.

I've been to the Castaways a million times, but I never knew that! I'd love to find a photo of the incline.

Originally Posted by Handsome Stranger

Looks interesting, and the Los Angeles Public Library has it! Thanks for the suggestion.

Glad to be of service, please let us know how you like the book!

[ethereal_reality]

Wasn't there an incline running from the parking lot up to the Victoria Station restaurant at Universal City in the 1970s?

or did I just dream that?

[Martin Pal]

I can't find any photos of it, but I found a couple references to it.

The Studio Tour website says:

Victoria Station had a trolley car from the parking lot up to the restaurant which was taken out when the tour expanded in the late 1980's. Victoria Station was open for twenty years, 1977 - 1997.

This artists rendition gives the flavor of the establishment which will feature a five story dome, four railroad cars from the "Flying Scotsman" and a two-car inclined railway to carry diners to and from the parking lot.

Artists rendition, 1975-76

The Studio Tour

This is from the Universal Studios Tour Brochure, 1986.
The Studio Tour

I ate there a couple times in the late 70's, once on Easter Sunday. I do not remember how we got there, but I don't recall riding the incline.

The Cable Car Guy website has notations on this incline, too, but no photos.

"Originally there was an incline to bring diners up a steep hill from a large surface parking lot directly into the restaurant. As I recall it was a 'Westinghouse horizontal elevator' and had a single car with a counterweight that rode rollers in the trackway passing beneath the car at midpoint. The car was user-operated by elevator-style pushbuttons and an automatic car door. I believe the incline ran for about 15 years before being replaced by an enormous parking garage whose top deck was level with the restaurant. Patrons simply rode conventional elevators to the roof level then walked a short distance to the restaurant."

I haven't checked anything else out on that site, but this page link has information and occasional photos on area inclines (Griffith Park?), including a couple that have been recently mentioned here.

http://www.cable-car-guy.com/html/cclafun.html

[SHERIFFPAUL]

Originally Posted by corriganville

Re the Griffith Park Zoo and the year 1912. It is amazing how many sources quote 1912 as the start of the Griffith Park Zoo when in fact it was after 1922 when it began. In late 1922, my great grandfather and several others began an association for many different area concerns (Los Feliz area) and one of them was the selection of Vermont Canyon for the zoo. Because of their concerns regarding traffic and noise, they were able to convince city officials to build the zoo where it was finally built (the old zoo).

Info from The Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens:

The Los Angeles Zoo was the fourth zoo to serve the city.

1885: The City-owned Eastlake Zoo opens in East Los Angeles Park.

1912: The Griffith Park Zoo opens (a few miles from the current Los Angeles Zoo site) with 15 animals.

1915: “Colonel” William Selig opens his combination movie studio and zoo, the Selig Zoo, in Lincoln Park.

By 1956, the citizens of Los Angeles realized their city had outgrown the small Griffith Park Zoo and passed a $6.6 million bond measure to help build a new one.

[unihikid]

Originally Posted by HossC

There's a funicular railway for golfers at the Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms Resort, City of Industry. I think that's within our usual scope.


wikimedia.org

Hubert Eaton who founded Forest Lawn had one that went from the grounds of the Glendale location to his backyard. On findadeath.com under his obit, they have a few pics of what remains of the incline taken from his former house in Glendale.

[HossC]

I nearly forgot that the Chemosphere has its own funicular.


www.funimag.com

[ethereal_reality]

Good catch Hoss! We could have easily overlooked this one.


Thanks for confirming the Victoria Station incline at Universal City Martin Pal.

This Bill guy remembers it. [chuckles]


oldrestaurants.com

LOL at the tourists eating all the cheese like locusts.

[ethereal_reality]

When I happened upon this interior slide of Clifton's Pacific Seas this afternoon, I immediately flashbacked to the old Los Angeles Zoo.


EBAY


OLD LOS ANGELES ZOO

weirdca

I wonder if, by chance, the same faux-clift designer was involved in both projects?

are my commas in the right place?

__

[ethereal_reality]

re: Clifton's Pacific Seas Cafeteria.

just for fun...

This is pretty much the same view of the interior (showing the main waterfall) except there are people dining in this shot.


flickr

It looks like Clifton's hijacked that plant on the left from Munchkinland.

__

[ethereal_reality]

I hope I'm not giving you all 'subject' whiplash.....

but I just found this nifty illus. of the funicular at Victoria Station/Universal City.



I'll post this part a bit LARGER so you can read it.


To see the other pages of the menu go HERE

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[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

When I happened upon this interior slide of Clifton's Pacific Seas this afternoon, I immediately flashbacked to the old Los Angeles Zoo.


EBAY


OLD LOS ANGELES ZOO

weirdca

I wonder if, by chance, the same faux-clift designer was involved in both projects?

are my commas in the right place?

__

Based on the text of this sign at the Old Zoo, I'd say the chances are pretty good.

_SAM0114.jpg by BillinGlendaleCA, on Flickr

[ethereal_reality]

I meant to THANK YOU earlier for posting your fine photographs of the old L.A. Zoo.

[ethereal_reality]

'mystery' motel


"1944 PICTURESQUE MOTEL in LOS ANGELES - Long Beach Blvd S. Gate - ORIGINAL SLIDE"


EBAY

At the bottom of the ebay ad the seller adds this additional clue..'Rest E Z Motel'.

Does that eound familiar to anyone?
__

[BillinGlendaleCA]

Originally Posted by ethereal_reality

I meant to THANK YOU earlier for posting your fine photographs of the old L.A. Zoo.

Thanks, it's a short drive and an enjoyable walk over there.