Angels Flight

It was fun to paint in downtown Los Angeles on a recent Saturday with the plein air group.  The subject was Angels Flight.  Such a nostalgic landmark for myself and the city.  

Angels Flight is "The Shortest Railway in the World", 298 feet.  It was built in 1901 to take people the two blocks up and down the steep hill between Hill St. and Olive.  For four years I drove to art school through the Third Street Tunnel, under the hill, which was next to the incline railway.  I found a postcard of how it looked then (below).  On one our first dates, my husband and I rode it one evening.  Still a special memory.  Then in 1969 Angels Flight was dismantled for "urban renewal".  It was rebuilt and returned in 2010 for all of us to enjoy.  Our small group just had to take a round trip.  There are two orange and black cars named Olivet and Sinai.  We had an exciting and short ride in Sinai.  I've added a photo from the station at the top of the hill.   

There was a nice place for plein air painters to sit across the street from Angels Flight.  I tried a small gouache again (5x7") since I thought it might be a busy morning.  The colorful orange and black station elements might also turn out better with gouache.  Angels Flight is an essential Los Angeles experience.