The Southern Pacific Railroad’s 22 mile long line
between Chatsworth and Burbank junction was built to tap into the large
wheat farms of the San Fernando Valley.
Other towns of note along the line early in the last century were Lankershim (Now known as North Hollywood),
Marian (Now known as Reseda) and Owensmouth,
which is today’s Canoga Park.
Owensmouth was a few miles south of Chatsworth,
and was located on the northeast corner of Sherman
Way and Canoga Avenue.
The old SP “common standard” freight building with its original yellow
paint is still standing along next to its still intact main and siding
tracks just to the south of Sherman Way.
The Pacific
Electric’s line through the San Fernando
traveled from downtown Van Nuys and ended on Sherman
Way one block west of the Owensmouth
Depot. Not only could people take the PE all the way to Downtown Los
Angeles, but SP’s Burbank Branch had its own local passenger trains as
well, including the “Toluca Flyer”.
