For the first part of 2004, ICTF had only one FRA reportable injury.  As of this time last year, there were 4 injuries with a total of 5 in calendar year 2003.

Below two photos courtesy of Robert Leabow.

   

Union Pacific employees are a cross section of what makes up this great country and come in all colors and sizes one can imagine and others beyond imagination.  Everyone who took the time to attend this event must have gone home or to their next part of the day with a smile on their face and some tasty lunch happily lodged in their stomachs.  ICTF was established by the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and the Southern Pacific Transportation Company in 1987 in a bold move that has become a core business for most railroads.

   

   

The facility is across the street from the Alameda Corridor and close to the Union Pacific Dolores Locomotive Facility at Interstate 405 and Alameda Street.  It is also just 4 miles from the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles which are accessable via Alameda Street and the Terminal Island Freeway.  The main terminal at ICTF is 1.3 miles long by 900 feet wide, about 226 acres.  Family day was set up at the south end of the ICTF by the office complex and vehicular entrance gate.  Organizations represented included Union Pacific Police Canine Unit, Long Beach Police Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Transloading Services hazmat response team, Pacific Transportation Federal Credit Union, Health Track-a health maintenance organization and Operation Lifesaver.  At 10 a.m. just a few people were at the event and then many showed up, at least 700 people.  At check in , visitors signed a release form and employees got large plastic covered cups with the U.P. logo as well as a two sided white tee shirt sampling nicely from the U.P. logo treasure chest.  Everyone got either a white or purple raffle ticket.  Inside the lobby, a Health Track gave out free cholesterol and blood pressure checks.

       

U.P.'s booth had a variety of gifts for playing tic-tac-toe.  I had my heart set on what they called a conductors hat which is pin striped with the U.P. logo embroidered on the front.  Many friends and family of Union Pacific employees stopped by the Operation Lifesaver booth.  Operation Lifesaver is a national non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public regarding highway-rail grade crossing safety.  At least one person said that the Operation Lifesaver booth was the most important one there.  O.L. had a kids scale village complete with warning lights and gates.  About  seven persons manned the booth and kids area.  Booth personnel directed families with kids to tour the kids through the Metrolink Village where they were instructed to stop, listen, and look both ways after a train has passed.  Then they visited the booth where they were rewarded with a bag full of useful information and assorted goods.


Below four photos courtesy of Robert Leabow.

   

   

Most bags included paper Metrolink trains, hats, activity books with crayons, nice insulated lunch bags, pencils, two pieces of adult O.L. information and a slap bracelet.  One other detail to help demonstrate railroad safety was the beautiful train that Union Pacific and Metrolink put together and brought from Los Angeles that very morning.  Visitors were encouraged to stroll through the Metrolink coach that was sandwiched between Metrolinik F-40 number 800 and U.P. 5013, a recent SD-70 which was also open for cab visits.

Below two photos courtesy of Robert Leabow.

   

Every quarter or half hour, the freight locomotive's horn would sound with a few seconds of bell.  This special train was run from Metrolink's Central Maintenance Facility to ICTF via the Alameda Corridor.  Several times during the day various U.P. intermodal trains crept north on the Pacific Harbor Line Manuel subdivision.  A large tent was set up in the middle of the lot (for dining) between the train on the west and a building on the east.  This is where the master of ceremonies introduced a few managers and then called out raffle tickets for an hour and a half, ending with a wide screen television.  All the while this was going on, ICTF had a buffet going that was very good.  I passed up the hot dogs for a tortilla filled with shredded beef, great salsa,  a side of beans and a huge bowl of salad.  Canned drinks were in tubs filled with ice while dessert was cake.  They had copious amounts of everything including the legendary Southern California weather.  Today ICTF was a busy terminal hosting a morale building and social event.  Number 2 in command at ICTF, terminal manager John Yettaw deserves a round of applause for a successful event.  Many employees helped Mr. Yettaw make the Family Day a success.  I heard people cheering when their friends won a raffle prize.  At least one nice U.P. safety employee from the Dolores Locomotive Facility recognized me and commented on my Dolores Locomotive Facility Family Day story.  The event peaked after 2 p.m. and by 3 p.m. most people had moved onto the next part of their day post Family Day.