Robert Gaddie Photography
A friend of Corona Heritage Park, Bob Gaddie donated his collection of Corona pictures for future generations to enjoy. His childhood home, the Call Ranch House, was relocated to our Park. Bob had the foresight to salvage the original depot signage which is on display at Corona Model Railroad Society.
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILWAY
June 1963
CORONA
This work train is located at the junction of the south Corona spurs that diverged toward the intersection of Ontario, Garretson and Magnolia Avenues. To the left and out of the photograph is the spur that went to Compton Avenue and Chase Drive. During the summer of 1963 the track from this junction to Ontario, Garretson and Magnolia Avenues was removed. This included the track that went south of the Ontario, Garretson, Magnolia intersection to Chase Drive (marked K on the map). As the track was removed it was carried to the location in this photograph in speeder car trailers. It was then loaded onto flat cars using the crane shown in the center of this photo. Tie plates, joint bars and spikes were loaded into the gondola seen in the distance. Each day the local would come from Corona with two empty flat cars. The empty cars would be exchanged for loaded ones. This was repeated until the spur was dismantled.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILWAY
June 1963
CORONA
This view was taken just west of the intersection of Ontario Avenue and Garretson Avenue (point H on the map of the spurs south of Corona). The view is looking east toward the intersection.
The junction for the spur going to the Foothill oil storage tanks (K on the map) is behind and to the right of the camera. Beyond the crane is the run around track / team track. The automobile is parked in a turn out in the street that was made so trucks could pull up next to rail cars for unloading.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILWAY
June 1963
CORONA
This photograph was taken at the spot marked H on the map of the Santa Fe spurs south of Corona. This view looks east. To the left is Ontario Avenue, Garretson Avenue crosses Ontario where the cross buck can be seen in the right center of the photograph. Magnolia Avenue is in the trees to the right of the cross buck. The spur crosses the intersection on a diagonal and passes through orange groves on its way to the junction near the intersection of Compton Avenues and Temescal Avenue. The machine in the foreground was used to remove the rail on the spurs.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILWAY
March 1964
CORONA
This is the east end and north side ofthe Corona depot. As can be seen in this photograph the porch contained a bench for waiting passengers. The large arch in the center of the building contained a small open area. In that area was a door that opened into the ticket office and waiting room. There was another door to the right in this open area that opened to the freight office. Next ot the large arch is a bay window that was occupied by the telegrapher. In front of the bay window is the order board mast.
Beyond the order board mast is a small door that led to the trainmen's room. The next door is a sliding door that opened to the baggage room. The two doors on the dock lead ot the freight room.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
ATCHISON, TOPEKA &SANTA FE RAILWAY
July 5, 1965
CORONA
Train number 23, the Grand Canyon is departing Corona for Los Angeles. To the left of the train can be seen the locomotive and caboose assigned to the local crew. Note that by the time this photograph was taken the order board had been removed. The mast remained.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
ATCHISON, TOPEKA & SANTA FE RAILWAY
July 5, 1965
CORONA
It is 2:55 in the afternoon and train #24; the Grand Canyon is approaching the Corona depot. This train left Los Angeles Union Station at 1:45 PM and will arrive in Chicago at 3:15 PM on July 7. The train carries coaches and a sleeping car to Chicago and another to Dallas. The Dallas sleeper will be set out at Winslow, Arizona and handed from train to train until it reaches Dallas.
There is no diner or lounge car on this train. The train will stop at Barstow for 45 minutes so passengers can eat supper in the depot restaurant. Tomorrow morning at Winslow a diner and lounge car will be added to the train for the remainder of thetrip to Chicago.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
ATCHISON, TOPEKA &SANTA FE RAILWAY
June 1963
CORONA
This is the south Corona spur about a mile south of its junction with the Elsinore District. The track going straight proceeds south past a quarry, and the Verity Packinghouse. At the intersection of Compton Avenue and Ontario Avenue the spur parallels Compton Avenue to Chase Drive. The American Fruit Growers packinghouse was located at Chase Drive and Compton
Avenue. Right of center in this photograph can be seen a cross buck that marks Compton Avenue. The spur diverging to the right goes in a southwesterly direction to the intersection of Ontario Avenue, Garretson Avenue and Magnolia Avenue. At that point the spur splits again with one portion paralleling Ontario Avenue as far as Lincoln Avenue. The other portion travels south to Chase Drive. The location shown in the photograph is marked B on the map. The I 15 freeway covers this area.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY
November 1, 1964
CORONA
The Corona branch ends about 100 yards behind the camera. The end of the branch was at Cota Street. The "mainline" of the branch curves to the right where it then crosses Railroad Street. The spur in the center of the photograph serves the Jameson Company packinghouse. The refrigerator cars were spotted under the wood awning seen in the distance. To the left of the P. E. line is the Santa Fe spur that also served the Jameson Company packinghouse. To the left of this spur is the Santa Fe main line. At the left of the photograph is the Corona Citrus Association packinghouse. Notice the ice refrigerator cars spotted at the C.C.A. packinghouse.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY
May 1960
CORONA
This is the south side of the depot. The first arched window is the waiting room. The walk in door leads to the freight office. The second arched window is in the freight office. The sliding door leads to the freight room and the freight dock can be seen at the end of the building. The paint scheme below the windowsills was a dark gray while above the window sills of the building was a light gray. There is a Railway Express Agency sign under the CORONA sign and on the door to the freight office. The building in the right of the photo was once a feed mill/feed store. A short spur off Third Street served the building.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY
February 1961
CORONA
This is the east end of the depot. There was an open freight dock at the east end of the building. Behind the freight dock is the freight room. It can't be easily seen in this photograph however there was a spur track that came off Third Street and served the dock and freight room. To the left out of the photograph was a small feed mill and feed store. This building was served by its own spur off Third Street.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY
May 1960
C O R O N A
This is the west end of the depot located on the southeast corner of Third and Main Streets. The passenger waiting room was located in the southwest corner of the building. At the northwest corner was an open porch. The building was stucco with a tile roof. The Southern Pacific truck backed up to the freight door is delivering less than carload freight to the office. While the line was electrified an electric box motor would travel to Corona daily from San Bernardino delivering package freight.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY
February 1961
C O R O N A
This is the north side of the depot. The large door in the center opened to the freight room. The two smaller doors to the right open to the freight office and men's restroom respectively. The notice posted on the freight door is the announcement that the agency would soon be closed.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAŸ
May 1960
CORONA
This is the northwest portion of the depot. A porch was located at the northwest corner. Behind the porch and at the southwest corner of the building was the waiting room. The first walk in door leads to the men's restroom. The women's restroom was inside the waiting room. The second door leads to the freight office. The bumpers for the depot spur can be seen in front of the doors. The roof was red clay tile. At the peak of the room was a Pacific Electric emblem.
Miles Blum photograph, Robert Gaddie collection, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY
November 1963
CORONA
This view is taken looking west from Third and Washburn Streets. On the left is the team track, which occupied a strip of land that extended from Washburn to Belle Street. A team track was an area where any customer who did not have direct access to the P. E. could receive or ship freight. This team track was principally used by Corona Lumber Company, which was located at Fourth and Main Streets. This team track was closed in 1964. Shortly after the team track was closed. Corona Lumber Company moved its retail store and yard to vacant land on Third Street east of East Grand Boulevard.
Ira Swett's book, LINES OF THE PACIFIC ELECTRIC, indicates that the track on Third Street in Corona was rebuilt in 1929. From the condition of the track in this photograph it is likely that this is the 1929 track.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY
December 1963
CORONA
This view is taken from East Grand Boulevard and Third Street. The view looks east. At the left is a petroleum distribution facility. Occasionally cars of petroleum products would be delivered via the spur shown in the foreground. Farther east is a siding that became the Corona team track in 1964. Behind the camera the track enters the center of Third Street. Freight trains on the Corona line originated at Pacific Electric's San Bernardino yard. This yard was P. E ' s only Eastern District freight yard. Electric locomotives provided the power for freight trains until 1943 when diesels took over. The trolley wire was not removed until the summer of 1944.
The Corona freight train was nocturnal. The city of Riverside prohibited freight trains from operating on Market Street or Magnolia Avenue between the hours of 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY
December 1963
CORONA
This view is taken looking east from Third and Belle Streets. On the right is the team track, which extended from Belle to Washburn Street. Carloads of lumber destined to Corona Lumber Company who occupy the track.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park
PACIFIC ELECTRIC RAILWAY
November 1, 1964
CORONA
After leaving Third Street at Merrill Street, the P. E. track made a gentle curve on private right of way behind the Corona Foothill Lemon Company pumping plant. Then the track crossed West Grand Boulevard and proceeded north. A few hundred feet north of Grand was this siding. The siding extended almost to Railroad Street.
Robert Gaddie photograph, Corona Heritage Park