Angels Flight

SPELTER SOCKET ATTACHMENT TO THE SAFETY CABLE, 1/7/09 Now begins one of the final phases of the project: installing the permanent end fittings on the two ends of the second, safety cable (or safety rope) that connects the two cars. For Angels Flight, a spelter socket is used at each end of the safety cable. For the installation of the spelter sockets, a team of specialists was called in to do the installation, and that's what this album is about. Legal Notice The name "Angels Flight" and the images of the Angels Flight® Railway and cars are copyrights and registered trademarks [...]

TRACK BED PREP, 1/7/09 It's early January, 2009, and there is still much preparation to do: the cables must all be properly adjusted, speed sensors must be operational, and permanent connections must be made from the cars to the cables. Everyone is out working on all of this early in the morning. Legal Notice The name "Angels Flight" and the images of the Angels Flight® Railway and cars are copyrights and registered trademarks of the Angels Flight® Railway Company and are used with permission. The content of this website, www.picturetrail.com/afrp (this "Site"), including but not limited to the text and images [...]

A SUTTON SOLUTION, 12/18/08 We had passed the CPUC's track inspection with flying colors. But their criteria have nothing to do with how things run. It turned out that the cables were moving around in ways that didn't help, and parts were banging on other parts, and that needed to be fixed. John Welborne was muttering about "I wish we could see under the cars while they're moving. That would be helpful!" So I mentioned that one of my cameras had a camcorder feature; would that be of any help? Yes, it would! "Bob," said John, "Can you rig something up?" [...]

TRACK INSPECTION COMPLETED, 12/4/08 This is the first of a number of inspections made by government organizations. By the way, the inspector regaled us with tales of the history of railroads in Los Angeles, and was exceptionally pleased with the state of Angels Flight's tracks! Legal Notice The name "Angels Flight" and the images of the Angels Flight® Railway and cars are copyrights and registered trademarks of the Angels Flight® Railway Company and are used with permission. The content of this website, www.picturetrail.com/afrp (this "Site"), including but not limited to the text and images displayed herein and their arrangement (collectively, the [...]

RETURN OF THE GEARBOX; TRACK INSPECTION, 12/4/08 The gearbox has come back, put into perfect shape, and the men have to work hard to reinstall it. At the same time the inspector from the California Public Utilities Commission has come to inspect the tracks. So after the gearbox is reinstalled, John, Bob, the track inspector and his assistant all go outside and begin the inspection of the track bed, starting at the bottom of the trackway by the Arch. Legal Notice The name "Angels Flight" and the images of the Angels Flight® Railway and cars are copyrights and registered trademarks of [...]

GETTING THE GEARBOX OUT, 12/2/09 As I said in the last album, the gearbox needed fixing. For that, it had to be unbolted and taken down to the loading dock where a waiting truck would ship it off to the shop. And for that to happen, the evacuation motor which is secured to the top of the gearbox, would have to be unfastened and winched into suspension over the spot where the gearbox used to be. The first challenge was that the bolts were so tight that a heavy-duty "bolt turner" was brought to bear after several other methods proved not [...]

FINAL PREPARATIONS BEGIN, 11/5 & 12/1/08 All the big drama and hoopla are over until Angels Flight actually reopens. Everything has come together now, the system is complete: The Drive Assembly is partially operational, controlled by the Electric Control Package. The cables are attached to the cars, and the attachments are approaching permanency. So we have the cars, the cables, and the power. What remains are thousands of tweaks, fine tunings, emergencies, setbacks, errors, and of course tons and tons of sheer drudgery and paperwork. We have entered the final phase, and immediately something has gone wrong: the gearbox has decided [...]

OLIVET & SINAI COME HOME! (Pt. 4) 11/1/08 Legal Notice The name "Angels Flight" and the images of the Angels Flight® Railway and cars are copyrights and registered trademarks of the Angels Flight® Railway Company and are used with permission. The content of this website, www.picturetrail.com/afrp (this "Site"), including but not limited to the text and images displayed herein and their arrangement (collectively, the "Materials"), are copyrighted © by Leonard Auslender, whether or not they bear © notices and warnings. The Materials on this Site and any other World Wide Web site owned, operated, controlled or used by Leonard Auslender for [...]

OLIVET & SINAI COME HOME! (Pt. 3) 11/1/08 Now things get really busy: The Murray-Latta team up in the Machine Room is configuring the Drive Assembly to haul Olivet out of the way so that Sinai may be returned to the tracks. At the same time there are men out on the tracks preparing the cables, and still others who are fastening the cables to the underside of Olivet, and in time, Sinai. It's all happening at once, and it's a race against time, and must all -- and will -- be done perfectly. Legal Notice The name "Angels Flight" and [...]

OLIVET & SINAI COME HOME! (Pt. 2) 11/1/08 In the last album, Olivet was put on the tracks and the cable fastened to its underside in a temporary configuration so it can be hauled to the top. In this album, the action continues: the truck comes back with Sinai. But before it can be placed on the tracks, Olivet must be hauled up out of the way. Legal Notice The name "Angels Flight" and the images of the Angels Flight® Railway and cars are copyrights and registered trademarks of the Angels Flight® Railway Company and are used with permission. The content [...]