On the right track

Ben Godar, the Burbank Leader, Aug. 13, 2003

Some local historians want to preserve parts of rail line being removed for the Chandler Bikeway Project.

Burbank-As the railroad tracks along Chandler Boulevard are cleared away to make room for a bike path, some local historians are hoping to hold onto a small piece of the old rail line.

JDK Railroad Materials began dismantling the track in January, and since then, Joy Forbes,the city[s principal planner of the Chandler Bikeway Project, said she has received about 20 calls from people interested in what would happen to the old equipment. She said the level of interest on this project has been much higher than on a typical development.

"People have more of a historical bond witht the railroad than they might with a building," she said.

Burbank Historical Society Founder Mary Jane Strickland contacted JDK, seeking to get a piece of the rail for the society's collection, but has not received anything.

Burbank Aviatiom Museum Director Ron Dickson is hoping to get one of the signal lights still standing along the tracks for the museum's collection.

"I think is's a fit for the aviation museum because Lockheed used the tracks to ship raw materials into the plant." he said.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority owns the signal lights, according to city officials. MTA officials said they were unsure when they will be removed and what would be done with them.

The railroad ties have already been removed, and Forbes said she believes construction of the bike path will begin in November. Completion of the 3-mile path is expected sometime in June.

The path, which was originally conceived about a decade ago, will run along the old rail line from Clybourn Avenue to Mariposa Avenue, and thn continue on to the Metrolink station. The city of Burbank is paying about $1.7 million toward the $2.7-million project, with the rest coming from the MTA, which jointly owns the land the tracks are on.

The track was built in the late 1930s and regular rail traffic there ended in the 1950s, city officials said. Because it was a branch line, it was built with materials left over from the ain line, and Forbes said some of the materials date back as far as the 1910s.

Other than the age of the line, Strickland said there was little that tied it strongly to the history of Burbank.

"We had someone walk along the length of the track, but they couldn't find anything that said 'Burbank' on it," she said.

J. Ron Dickson, director of the Burbank Aviation Museum, leans against one of the railroad signal lights on the tracks at Hollywood Way and Chandler Boulevard. He wants to preserve the lights, which will be taken out when the bike path is constructed

Photo by Scott Roby.

The path, originally concieved about a decade ago, will run along the old rail line from Clybourn Avenue to Mariposa Avenue, then continue on to the Metrolink station.

File Photo