DPD Productions - Railroad Gallery: Rat Hole

Railroad Gallery
Here's some photos for you train fans, including a collection of railroad radio related shots. The gallery is broken down into three sections. Please take a moment to check out our line of "TrainTenna" Rail Band Radio Antennas. DPD Productions TrainTenna antennas are designed specifically for the railroad radio band.
General Railroad Photos	Railroad Radio Related Photos	Remnants of the SP "Rat Hole"

What's "The Rat Hole"?

On the East side of downtown Los Angles, there once was an area known to Southern Pacific RR crews as "The Rat Hole". This area was a maze of tracks that led to dozens of door to door businesses that the railroad served. To reach those businesses, hundreds of tracks twisted and turned through the streets and alleys of the area, and even right through some of the buildings themselves. I've come to know this area very well over the last 15 years, and in that time, I've watched the last remnants of this vast railroad maze slowly fade away. Earthquakes and redevelopment have done away with the majority of tracks and buildings, but small hints still remain. The attempt to document this area is probably at least 10 years too late, but this will at least give an idea of what the area use to be like in its heyday. As you drive around and see all the little bits and pieces that are left, it starts to make you realize how truly massive the original system must have been. None of the tracks shown below have had any rail service for a number of years to my knowledge, and virtually all of them have been severed numerous times. Unfortunately, not nearly enough documentation exists of what these places originally looked like.

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Rat Hole Photos 6/19/05

2nd Street and Alameda St.

Most buildings in the area of 2nd St. and Alameda Ave. were served by sidings, but virtually all are gone now... Except for this one warehouse on the SE corner. You can still see the siding in place that came off the street running track down Alameda. This shot looks North.

Across the street and looking North, is this track that comes off Alameda and stops dead at what is now an Office Max parking lot.

This is the same track as above looking SE, back towards the warehouse across the street.

The Alameda track pops up again farther North on the same block, and turns into what is now a new condo complex.

RoW at Vignes Street

This is looking North at the beginning of an alley RoW that ran N-S near Vignes St. In this shot, you see two tracks that came from behind the camera, crossed 3rd St., and continued on between these two buildings. The track on the left served that building, and the one on the right continued on.

On the same block a little farther North, you see the track that served the building on the West side.

Here the second track continues North over 2nd St. to the next block. A switch in the street splits into two tracks as they pass between the buildings.

This shows the tracks entering between the same buildings shown above.

At the back of the property, the left track ends with a stop that's still in place.

Here you see what happens to the right track.

Spur West of Santa Fe

This track can still be seen running behind the buildings that are on the West side of Santa Fe Ave., between 2nd St. and 3rd St.

Avery St. at Traction Ave.

This shot is looking east down a little section of track that ran across Avery St., just North of Traction Ave. Behind these buildings is the old Santa Fe Warehouse, and where this track connected with the RoW that ran along the North side of the 4th Street Bridge off the river.

This is the reverse shot of the same track, which obviously ends abruptly now.

Looking North down Avery St.

Merrick St. at 4th Street

This is looking East at a track that followed along the North side of the 4th Street Bridge, and ended at a spur for a warehouse behind the camera. The white building in the distance to the left is the old Santa Fe Warehouse, and there were numerous tracks that ran through the empty lot in front of it. It appears that the track that followed along the bridge, also branched to the North, and eventually connected with the tracks at Vignes St. shown earlier.

This is the reverse shot showing where the track serves the building. The track behind the building is set in concrete, and is still in good shape.

Paint and sign for the crossing still survive.

Santa Fe Ave. at 7th Place ("Violet Alley")

This lead ran N-S between buildings along the East side of Santa Fe Ave., and was apparently referred to as "Violet Alley". As you turn down each side street off Santa Fe Ave., you can see where it crossed. On one cross street there was even a 90 degree crossing where this lead met another E-W street running track. Unfortunately that plant is covered with pavement. This photo shows "Violet Alley" at 7th Place, looking NW. Here's some info on this interesting track from Mapboy: "The most infamous stretch of this SP trackage was "Violet Alley". It paralleled Santa Fe Ave. from 7th St. to 37th St. with access at Violet St. and Butte St. (near Butte St. Yard, of course!). My late uncle worked it in the late 40's or early 50's, and said there were no sidings or spurs, just one long track between the buildings with lots of industry spots. You pushed along, coupling cars, closing doors, then moving to the next car, till you had them all together. Then you pulled back to where you could switch out and insert cars in the proper order, then shove back to the first spot and reverse the collection procedure. If I remember him correctly, it was such a sizable cut of cars and spots that, that is all the crew had time to do!"

Again on 7th Place looking NE. The building in the forefront use to be a factory, and is now a loft building. Most of these old sections of RoW that are left between buildings, are usually made into parking areas.

Looking North up "Violet Alley" from the same spot as above.

Closer shot of above.

Again at 7th Place, this shows the lead MoW continuing South.

Closer shot of the above spot.

Santa Fe at Bay Street ("Violet Alley")

This is the same RoW as shown above, only a couple blocks South on Bay St. Check out the covered car loading area in this building.

Shot showing the same building as above.

Alameda Ave. at 3rd Street

This is one of the many buildings served off the main street running track that ran down the middle of Alameda Ave. This is looking South on Alameda at 3rd St.

Alameda Ave. at 4th Street

This shows the main street running track down the middle of Alameda Ave., looking North just before 4th St. There was a switch just ahead in the intersection of 4th, that went into a business on the NE corner.

Alameda Ave. at Bay Street

Here's a spur that came off Alameda at Bay St., and ran into this business on the NW corner. This may have also originally been one of the entrance tracks to the huge SP warehouse buildings. You can see one of them that's been painted pink in the background.

Banning Street

This is a series of shots that show the tracks that ran on Banning St., between Alameda Ave. and Center St. This was apparently a busy rail street, as there are three tracks showing on a lot of it. This shot is looking East down Banning St. from Alameda Ave. There use to be big factories on both sides of the street on this block. They were torn down around the early 90's.

Looking West on Banning at Alameda Ave. The tracks apparently continued that way.

Another shot looking West.

An old crossing sign still up where the tracks on Banning St. crossed Vignes St.

Looking West down Banning St. from Vignes St.

Looking East down Banning St. towards Vignes St.

The Banning St. tracks went down to a single track here, where it crossed Center St. To the left of the shot is where Banning St. ends. The track then curves to the left there, and it appears to have connected with the main lines along the river. This may have been the entrance for the entire spur that ran up Banning St. and into downtown.

Looking East down Banning towards the L.A. River at Center St.

Reverse of the shot above.

Industrial Street at Mill Street

The area around Mateo St. and 7th St. was dense with tracks. This photo shows a track that ran South across Industrial St., then curved West as it passed between two buildings.

A closer shot showing the RoW between the buildings.

A shot looking East down Industrial St., with the same tracks that cross in the foreground.

This is the track as it exits from the same buildings shown above, and cross Mill St.

Numerous other tracks that crossed Mill St. on the same block. These tracks ran behind buildings along the North side of 7th St.

Jesse Street at Mateo Street

This shot looks NE and shows the remaining evidence of the tracks that ran down Jesse St. at Mateo St.

The same spot as above, now looking to the NW. The track that goes to the left use to enter what I believe was a wye that was here.

This shows the same track as above looking West as it use to move around the side of this curved building. This was originally the South leg of the wye.

This is the same collection of tracks as above, and would have been the North point of the wye in this area. This shot looks North as the tracks split and run between these warehouses. The track to the left served that warehouse. The next track to the right was possibly the lead that continued on. The next track to the right connects to a switchback for the buildings on the right. The track to the farthest right is the switchback spur, and it ends at the fence line.

Looking farther up the same area as above.

Here you can see the switchback to the right, and the car stop at the far end can barely be seen.

Another shot showing the same area as above.

Here's the wheel stops for the spur that ends at the fence line shown above.

This is the reverse shot from above, looking South across the area that once was the wye. The building in the background is the same curved one that is shown in one of the earlier shots.

Mateo Street at 4th Street Area

This shows a crossing sign left from the spur that ran across Santa Fe Ave. to the West behind Palmetto St.

There was a track that came off the river mains here and ran through the opening you see under the 4th Place Bridge in the background. The track continued along the side of the 4th St. bridge to the left.

This is the reverse shot of above, looking West along the side of the 4th St. Bridge, where the track was. As you can see, it eventually went to serve the building in the background, by squeezing between the bridge and the side of the building. This building looks like it's right out of the Walthers catalog.

Here's a shot of the spur for the same building shown above. You can just barely still see the rails. This track may have originally continued on further.

This shot looks SE down the old RoW that ran along the North side of the 4th St. Bridge. Behind the camera this track crosses Santa Fe Ave. and heads into the area around 3rd, 2nd, and Vignes Streets.

This is one of the only major pieces of equipment I could still find in the area. This stands at Santa Fe Ave. and 4th St. Bridge, at the same spot as above.

A crossing sign remains for a track that came West off the river area across Santa Fe Ave.

This is the same track for the sign shown above, looking East towards the L.A. river.

This is the reverse shot of the same track as it went into these buildings. It's unclear whether it originally stopped here, or continued.

Mesouit Street at Jesse Street

This is looking North down Mesouit St., between 6th Street Bridge and Jesse St. You can see where it curves to the right ahead, and may have led to the mains along the river.

This is looking South down the same section of Mesouit St. If you were to follow this track, I believe it use to turn right down Jesse St., and eventually end up where the wye was back at Mateo St. and Jesse St.

Palmetto Street at Mateo Street Area

This shot looks East down Palmetto St. from Hewitt St. Tracks ran down Palmetto here, past the Barker Bros. Warehouse.

Reverse shot as above.

Still looking East and moving a little further East along Palmetto St. The building on the left had its own spur.

The only evidence left of the track that served the building shown above, are these two wheel stops sticking up through the pavement.

Now moving further East on Palmetto St. towards Mateo St... In the early 90's there were cars still setout on this track. This is the last place I recall actually seeing rail service in the "Rat Hole" area.

Further East on Palmetto St., the track use to pass to the left of the old Starkman Warehouse in the background.

This is the reverse shot of the same track as above, looking West down Palmetto St. from Mateo St.

Sacramento Street at Santa Fe Ave.

This is looking East down Sacramento St. just West of Santa Fe Ave., which shows one of the many street running tracks that existed.

On the same block as above, this shows a business that had its own spur on the North side of Sacramento St.

The car stop for the same spur as shown above.

Old Southern Pacific Warehouses

These shots show the old Southern Pacific warehouses, which are off Alameda Ave., between 7th St. and Bay St. This shot looks SE from 7th St.

A shot looking South between two of the buildings. Many things have been filmed here.

This is one sign that still says Southern Pacific on the North side of the Eastern most building. There's also one that still shows on the South side of the Western most building. The others have been covered.

A wide shot showing all three warehouses. Someone with no taste decided to paint half the buildings pink numerous years ago.

Another shot showing the sign on the North side of the Eastern most building.