A Southern Pacific freight heads west (which in this case is north, but on the SP anything heading toward San Francisco is westbound), passing the carrier’s Taylor Yard, its main yard in Los Angeles. As was not uncommon on the Espee, SD39 5319 is leading an eclectic assortment of power - SW1500s 2475, 2460 and 2550, three SD35s, two early EMD SDs (SD7s or SD9s) and a pair of Alco switchers. (Note the variations in color on these diesels, caused by grime and sun-bleaching, phenomena not unheard of on the SP.) Being across the street from the large Taylor Yard, the neighborhood on the east side of San Fernando Road is solidly lower-middle-class. Most of Taylor Yard, as with the SP, is now gone (a small portion remains as Metrolink’s main facility), replaced by a large park and some new apartments, but many of the buildings seen here are still in place in 2024, some 49 years after this photo was taken. (Check GoogleMaps for 1160 North San Fernando Rd 90065 and then use their Street View to see how much remains ... as well as how much has changed.)
