L.A. Live Steamers, Griffith Park

February 2011 my wife, kids and I got a chance to visit the Los Angeles Live Steamers railroad in Griffith Park.

The small, "live steam" trains are open Sunday afternoons. Train rides are just $3 a pop. 

The L.A. Live Steamers is a non-profit volunteer organization of hobbyists, who open up their outdoor train layout to the public on Sundays. In contrast to the elaborate worlds of Disneyland, Universal Studios, and Six Flags Magic Mountain, it's a simple, yet refreshing, diversion. 

While the layout originally consisted of "live steam" trains, it now includes diesel style locomotives. You sit on them, and they haul you around the track. 

My kids and their cousins. Our in-laws left a couple of days after this to live semi-permanently overseas. This was part of a larger "good bye" weekend. We hit the California Science Center the day before. Fun - but also sad. 

I LOVE this picture: my kids and their cousins, along with my wife and me. 

The train got going - and we were off. 

"Live Steam" layouts are NOT unique to Los Angeles. They can be found all over the USA in public parks, and even in some people's backyards. 

What is unique to the Los Angeles Live Steamers is one of their original charter members. Here's a hint (pictured below):

Can you see it? The little white sign says "Disney Tunnel." 

Walt Disney was one of the charter members of the Los Angeles Live Steamers. Part of the track we were riding over was originally part of his backyard train layout. 

YES, Walt Disney actually had a similar layout in the backyard of his home in Los Angeles. A friend of mine from our church in Los Angeles got a chance to ride on his backyard train as a child. THAT would have been an amazing experience. 

Here's a link with a layout map and several other photos. Notice the barn in the center of the photo?

Here it is, today. In addition to the track, the Disney family eventually donated the barn that was part of the backyard layout. It was in this workshop that Walt Disney used to tinker with his steam trains . . . and dream of a little project called Disneyland. 

Here's another view. 

The barn is open to the public the third Sunday of the month, and we had a chance to visit it a few years before (subject of one of my very first blog posts).  

Heading back into the station. Good memories. It's worth a visit, especially if you can also see the Walt Disney Barn. 

Just a few minutes walk is Travel Town. Griffith Park has several other attractions, including the Los Angeles Zoo, The Autry National Center of the American West, and the Griffith Observatory. Click on any of these links for thoughts from some previous blog posts. 

All part of experiencing L.A. 

Here's a link to the Los Angeles Live Steamers' website. 

© 2013 www.experiencingla.com
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Travel Town: The Effects of Time (Part I)

Back in 2009 I took my kids and some visiting family members over to Travel Town in Griffith Park. Here's a link to their website. Admission is free.


Travel Town began in the late 1940's when steam trains were being decommissioned and replaced by diesel engines. Charley Atkins, a Parks and Recreation employee, and some friends wanted to create a playground of sorts, a "petting zoo for trains," where children could climb on top and play on these old train engines.

Over the next few years, Los Angeles Parks and Recreation was able to obtain a couple dozen engines, as well as freight and passenger cars. According to their website, the engines pictured above were built in 1899 and 1904 - and donated in 1953 and 1952 respectively.


Travel Town also has a unique collection of Pacific Electric rolling stock andpassenger cars. The Pacific Electric was a huge electric rail system that at it's height included over 1,000 miles of track stretching from the Inland Empire to the Pacific Ocean.


Here's a great example of a Pacific Electric "Red Car". These cars carried millions of passengers throughout metro Los Angeles from the early 1900's up until the early 1960's. Los Angeles, which now has the nation's worst traffic congestion, can only dream of a system like that today.


At closer inspection, it's obvious that the effects of time and elements have taken their toll on the old PE "Red Car" - as well as everything else at Travel Town.


By the 1980's Travel Town had evolved from a playground into a museum. A large covered shed was eventually built at the southern end of the park, protecting a few of the engines and rolling stock from the effects of time and damage from the elements.


Perhaps more importantly, it allowed a space for volunteers to begin the restoration work on the individual cars and engines.


I have fond memories of visiting Travel Town in the 1970's. As kids, we were able to not only climb into the cab of these engines, but literally climb on top of and explore them. They were like giant jungle gyms.

Dangerous? Sure, a little. But that's what made it fun. There were a few railings and handholds, but for the most part we kids just had to use common sense.

Today, there are large "KEEP OFF" signs preventing anyone from climbing on top of anything. Why?

First, the threat of lawsuits. Los Angeles, like every other city and corporation in America, is afraid of being sued by someone getting hurt.

Second, the effects of time: a few of the engines have deteriorated so much that it would be dangerous not just to climb on top of them, but literally walk around in the cabs.

Third, what were considered unique climbing toys in the 1940's today are now considered museum pieces. Most of these engines are now over 100 years old, and Travel Town is working to restore them for future generations. If not to climb on top of like a jungle gym, at least to at least to step inside and look at.

The effects of time: a San Francisco Cable Car (above) awaits restoration.

I heard that there was some sort of operating trolley car just a few miles away at a new outdoor shopping center called "Americana at Brand" in Glendale. Having never been there, we decided to check it out, see what it was all about. You can read about it in Part 2.

© 2011 www.experiencingla.com - originally posted 12/5/2009

Seeing Stars Above Hollywood: An Hour at the Griffith Observatory

In September 2009 I had a chance to make a brief visit to the Griffith Observatory, located in Griffith Park in the Hollywood Hills.

The Observatory originally opened in 1935 and recently underwent a massive restoration project.

It's back to it's former glory and well worth a visit. Plus, admission and parking are both free. Nice.


Outside of the Observatory is a large statue featuring Newton, Copernicus, Galileo and other astronomers.


Inside you'll find a Foucault Pendulum. It's movement is based on the earth's rotation.


There's also some incredible murals, including this ceiling fresco in the central rotunda.


There are numerous displays on the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and the universe.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" wrote the Psalmist.

As a Christian, I'm reminded how the night sky and the universe itself points to a Creator.

One hundred years ago, the majority of astronomers believed the universe to be eternal. The Big Band theory, now the accepted understanding of the origin of the universe, shattered that long held belief in an eternal universe, and sounds strangely like Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."


Over the years, I've appreciated hearing from and interacting with university level scientists who've found that the scientific evidence actually points to a Creator.

While the Griffith Observatory doesn't formallly make mention of the existence of "The Beginner" - that is, the One who began it all - it does acknowlege "The Beginning" - what is known as the Big Bang.

In terms of the history of science, this is both a relatively new, yet very ancient, understanding of the origin of the universe.

More displays, this section on the sun and stars.

I understand the Observatory is at lot more crowded in the evenings, especially on weekends. The last time I was up here at night was for "Laserium" (anyone remember that?) in the mid-1970's.

Still more displays downstairs. This focuses on our solar system. There's a lot more to see, including an excellent planetium show which my wife and kids and I saw last year.


Outside, much of the building is accessable. The Observatory sits on a hillside on the eastern edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, and is visible for miles away.


There are also some incredible views of the city, which alone make it worth a visit. This is looking past Hollywood towards downtown Los Angeles - about eight miles away.


A group of German tourists enjoying a view of the Hollywood sign on nearby Mt. Lee.

Twenty five years ago I actually hiked up to the Hollywood sign, something I would absolutely not recommend today - it's illegal and the police will respond.

Here's another link to a previous blog post on the best place to (legally) view the sign.


A final thought from one of the statuary astronomers standing at the entrance to the Griffith Observatory:

"No sciences are better attested to than the science of the Bible ... This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.... This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all; and on account of his dominion he is wont to be called Lord God." Sir Isaac Newton; Principles.

Here's a link to the Griffith Observatory website.

© 2011 www.experiencingla.com - originally posted 10/3/2009

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Griffith Observatory at Twilight

photo credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

The Griffith Observatory, located in Griffith Park, is six miles - and yet worlds away - from the office towers of downtown Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Times photographer Wally Skalij did an amazing job capturing the lights of both the observatory and the city in this shot.

Here's a link to a previous blog post on the Griffith Observatory from a visit in 2009.

With some outstandinging displays, including a telescope that more people have looked though than any other telescope in the world, free admission and (yes!) free parking, the Griffith Observarory is a definite "must see" for both locals and visitors.

© 2011 www.experiencingla.com

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The West & Westerns: an afternoon at the Autry National Center

The Autry National Center, located here in Los Angeles in Griffith Park across the street from the L.A. Zoo, is an internationally recognized museum and study center focusing on the exclusively on American West. It's one of the largest such museums in the world.

Yes, it does rain in California. It was a perfect afternoon to take my kids and their three cousins to explore the Autry.


I liked the question posed at the entrance: "Is the West a place or a way of thinking?"


Inside, the center of the museum has a huge three paneled mural covering the history of the West. The first panel covers the native peoples, the Spanish explorers and missionaries, and contact with Anglo-Americans.

The next - and largest panel - covers the period from the California Gold Rush to the closing in the frontier around 1890.

The third panel covers the perception of the West, from early painters and photographers to Hollywood's various versions of "the Western."

So the museum covers both the actual history of the West and how it's been portrayed over the past 100+ years.


Currently the museum has a extensive (and I found beautiful) collection of contemporary artwork on the West.


Cameras - unfortunately - we not allowed anywhere inside the gallery. I took this from the lobby looking in with a zoom lens. That's OK, right?

I can honestly say it was worth going to the Autry just to see these paintings. I've take my kids to art museums before, and they're usually bored after 5 minutes. They really like the artwork on display at the Autry, especially as the style emphasized realism. In several cases the paintings looked like photographs - which my kids loved.

Elsewhere in the museum was other artwork, equally as impressive (and where it was OK to take photographs). This reminded me of a scene from "The Last of the Mohicans."


Lots of landscapes, animals, scenes native peoples (American Indians). My apologizes for not getting the names of the artists or the paintings . . . but I had five kids in tow. As I said, the artwork alone was worth the visit.


Of course, my kids had to see the "Family Discovery Center" downstairs. The Autry - including the staff - is very accommodating to both children and parents. The family area has a special focus on the immigrant experience of a Chinese-American family.


There were costumes the kids could dress up in.


And a 1940's style Chinese restaurant to play in. They LOVED this place. There's a kitchen and tables and chairs - they call it Sigh-Fong's (from the book "Cricket in Times Square").


No trip to the Autry is complete without a visit to the Western jail. Nearby they have some of the actual firearms used in the actual "Gunfight at the OK Corral" and the sketch that Wyatt Earp made of the event.

There is also an extensive section devoted to Hollywood's depiction of the West through movies and television. Very appropriate as the museum is located just a few miles from Universal, Paramount, Disney and Warner Brothers Studios.

I could have spent hours here, but being there with five kids ages 7-11, that'll have to wait for another day. And I'll hold off on more serious reflection and commentary on "The West and Westerns" until then.

As the Gene Autry, the singing cowboy use to say "happy trails to you . . .until we meet again."

Here's their website with more information: www.theautry.org

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