LAX by the Tracks - 1963
Bob Bogash
Bob Bogash

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In the early 60s - that's the 1960s, not the 1860s - I spent summers in Los Angeles while I was going to college (RPI in Upstate NY.)  I was working as an intern at Douglas Aircraft.  In my spare time, I did a lot of airplane watching and photographing. Lots of new stuff for me.



There was a spot along Sepulveda Blvd where the road ran under the runways and taxiways.  It was good for some limited pix, but mostly, the gang headed for Aviation Blvd, off the ends of the runways.


Sepulveda

Aviation Blvd was my favorite spot on the east end of the Los Angeles International Airport runways, where I, and other airplane fans hung out on the Western Pacific railroad tracks, watching airplanes land. 

We called it LAX on the Tracks.  Many decades later, while I was talking with my good friend Jon Proctor (now sadly deceased), it turns out we were there doing the same thing at the same time!  Aviation Blvd was the place to be.


Notice how wide open everything was in those "Good Old Days"


Yep - in those Good Old Days, people were interested in just watching airplanes.
Nowadays, they hire lawyers to sue airports to shut them down due to noise, pollution,you name it.
Until they want to go on vacation, that is......




They don't call it Lax on the Tracks for nothing.
Sometimes you better watch for trains.


Check out those old cars.
Bet that '56 Chev would be worth a few bucks these days!


Watching for the "new" airliners - like this Western Electra


A big step up from this DC-6B


or this Connie

I'm amazed to see how close to the wires some of those airplanes came - the runways were plenty long.
And watching the recips "dive" for the runway!


Occasionally, you get a "Good One"!


Western Electra.... and PSA

Electra's were "OK", but....



We craved "modern" airplanes, especially JETS!!!





Now yer talking' !!!




Even a JetStar

Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end....

BTW - These days, the tracks have been dropped into a cut and tunnel, and the street has walls, and no shoulders for today's Lax on the Tracks bunch of fans to stop and watch the action.
Same story everywhere - and no more Observation Decks either.


Aviation Blvd and "the Tracks" today.


Copyright 2024 Robert Bogash.  All Rights Reserved