Vertical Disintegration

The Regent Park rejig continues, with the entire populous of Belshaw Place moved to other quarters while their former cul-de-sac is wiped off the map.

Photos taken at the former site of 35 Belshaw Place, near Dundas and River Streets, Toronto, Ontario on April 18, 2011

Metrolink and Amtrak California

If some of these look familiar, it's because they're made at the same Thunder Bay, Ontario plant that trains in Miami, Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto are made in. Well, the Metrolink ones are at least.

Photos taken at the Anaheim, Fullerton, Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs, LA Union and once more with flare, Anaheim Metrolink Stations in Anaheim, Fullerton, Norwalk and Los Angeles, California on April 11, 2011.

LA Metro Red/Purple Lines

Union Station Concourse

Peek-a-boo at Union Station

Hollywood/Highland Station

Hollywood/Vine Station

Union Station

Photos taken along the Red Line of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority in Los Angeles and Hollywood, California on April 11, 2011

LA Metro Blue Line

Photos taken at Imperial/Wilmington Station and 7th/Metro Center Station on the LA Metro Blue (Long Beach) Line on April 11, 2011

LA Metro Green Line

Artwork at Wilmington Station

Where highways and rapid transit meet at Crenshaw Station

Beneath the bee's knees at Norwalk Station

Redondo Beach Station, which ironically is nowhere near a beach

Geek Time

LA Metro's Green Line, a train that doesn't quite go to the beach, doesn't quite go to LAX, doesn't quite go to the Metrolink station at Norwalk, but DOES go down the median of I-105, is shown here at various locations in Norwalk, Hawthorne, Redondo Beach and Los Angeles, California on April 11 and 12, 2011

Station 51

Being a child of the 70s, I watched a lot of lousy TV. One exception to all this was Emergency! which supposedly ran on Saturday nights on NBC, but I remember watching it weekdays at 5 on CFTO-TV, Channel 9, Cable 8, right after Star Trek. The show was very cool not only for the bright red trucks, but also for this thing they called a "Mantooth". Anyway, I was a devoted watcher and even wanted to be a paramedic when I grew up. (Then I realized there was blood involved, which you didn't see much of on TV, so there went that idea)

I always wanted to see this mythical "Station 51" even if there weren't any Roy or Johnny to show me around, and on this trip, I finally got to. Station 127 of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, located in the city of Carson across from an Arco oil refinery on the western edge of L.A. County, played the role of Station 51. The station was renamed the Robert. A. Cinader Memorial Fire Station after the co-creator of the series in 1985.

Photos taken at 2049 East 223rd Street, Carson, California on April 12, 2011

The Beach Boys Historical Monument

(Spot the tourist)

In order to add another traffic jam and underused rail line to the greater Los Angeles metroplex, the home of the Wilson family of Hawthorne, California (and a few others, albeit likely less prodigious) had to be demolished. Fortunately since 2005 the site has been commemorated by an impressive monument on the vacant side of 119th Street.

Photos taken at the former site of the Wilson family home on 119th Street in Hawthorne, California on April 11, 2011.

Santa Anita

Where punters play the ponies. Also, where people still dress up to go to the Club House! Take THAT, Woodbine!

Photos taken at Santa Anita Park race track, Arcadia, California on April 15, 2011