Mt. Lowe Railway talk in San Marino Tues.

Got this message from Rex Mayreis, Altadena resident and a librarian at the Crowell Library in San Marino:

A free trip to the glorious past of the Mount Lowe Railway above Altadena

See historical pictures of the Mount Lowe Railway and hear about the marvelous playground that was developed above Altadena by Thaddeus Lowe in the 1890's. David J. Macpherson was the engineering genius that designed the inclined railway to Mount Echo. The Pacific Electric Railway red cars brought people up to the Rubio Pavilion in Rubio Canyon, where they boarded the incline cars for the exciting trip up to Echo. Guests could stay at the Echo Mountain House, where there was a small observatory and other recreation, or get on another railway for the glorious trip to beautiful Alpine Tavern, tucked away higher up.

Michael Patris, of the Mount Lowe Preservation Society, has gathered a wonderful array of photographs in his book, "Images of Rail: Mount Lowe Railway." He shares some of these pictures and gives a dynamic talk about how all of this came to be. He gave this excellent presentation for the Altadena Historical Society a couple of years ago. If you missed it, or would like to see it again, come to the Crowell Public Library in San Marino this Tuesday, March 2 at 7:00 PM to experience this impressive part of local history. Call the Library at (626) 300-0777 for information. The program is free and there is no need to register. The address is 1890 Huntington Drive, San Marino, just 5 or 6 miles down the hill. The Library's web site is http://sanmarinopl.org and the web site for the Mount Lowe Railway Preservation Society is http://www.mountlowe.org.