Irwindale station

The original train track through Irwindale were built by the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad. The A Line uses the old right of way of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad who built the first train tracks through Irwindale in 1887. The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was founded in 1883, by James F. Crank with the goal of bringing a rail line to San Gabriel Valley from downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad was sold on May 20, 1887 into the California Central Railway. In 1889 the rail line was consolidated into Southern California Railway Company. On January 17, 1906, the Southern California Railway was sold to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and called the Pasadena Subdivision. Amtrak-Santa Fe ran the Southwest Chief and Desert Wind over this line through Irwindale, but relocated the Desert Wind to the Fullerton Line in 1986. The Santa Fe line served the San Gabriel Valley until 1994, when the 1994 Northridge earthquake weakened the bridge in Arcadia and the track was closed until the Gold line was built. The rail line crosses the San Gabriel River on a long girder bridge, then passes through the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area (how it received its name). The rail line intersected the north end of the former SP Azusa Industrial Track at Irwindale (MP 118.2). Irwindale had a 6,165 foot rail siding that passed the Miller Brewing Company's Irwindale brewery. From there the tracks continued and crossed beneath Irwindale Avenue.[5][6][7]