The nine-story, 1.8 million-square-foot Sears store and warehouse in Boyle Heights, just southeast of downtown Los Angeles, has been an architectural and commercial beacon for residents and commuters in LA since it opened on July 23, 1927. 84 years later, it continues to dominate the skyline east of the LA River.
Just north of it, the new bridge that will replace the iconic 1930s-built Sixth Street Viaduct, seen in countless films, television shows and commercials, has been under construction since the original closed in early 2016 due to seismic concerns. (After several delays and cost increases, the latest completion date for the new bridge is set for Summer 2022. But they still have a lot of work to do on it.)
Parallel to, and just north of, the Sixth Street Bridge is the Fourth Street Viaduct, also built in the early 30s. This bridge has also been seen in a lot of Hollywood productions, but usually from the rail yards and street that pass underneath.
And below the bridges on the eastern bank of the Los Angeles River is Union Pacific’s 4th Street Yard, which this day has UP GP40-2s 1394 (ex-SSW 7638) and 1403 (ex-SSW 7648) sitting idle. It appears that some hardware store in the area is making a killing on spray paint! (Los Angeles, California – July 6, 2021)
