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Angels Flight Railway

The railway’s orange arches and 298 feet of track have held a special place in Los Angeles lore, a quirky landmark for tourists and a reminder of a bygone era in a city where history is too often erased. And fans have lamented its silence.

The railway’s orange arches and 298 feet of track have held a special place in Los Angeles lore, a quirky landmark for tourists and a reminder of a bygone era in a city where history is too often erased. And fans have lamented its silence.

  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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L.A. business and cultural leaders want to see an Angels Flight plan to reopen the funicular.

Angels Flight in Los Angeles

Today, the downtown funicular’s cars — Sinai and Olivet — are perched motionless, halfway up. Trash has accumulated underneath the railway supports, and graffiti has appeared on the side of a car.

  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Angels Flight in Los Angeles

A woman descends the stairway alongside the Angels Flight, which has been closed for two years.

  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Angels Flight in Los Angeles

A young man takes a photo of the closed Angels Flight funicular.

  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Angels Flight in Los Angeles

Downtown buildings are reflected in Angel’s Flight, which has been closed for two years.The growing clamor to restore and reopen Angels Flight reached the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, even though the rail is regulated by the state’s utilities commission.

  (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Dawn's early light

The Angels Flight Railway -- known as “the shortest railroad in the world” -- opens early Monday, nine years after being closed in 2001 following a deadly accident. Angels enthusiasts were on hand at 6:45 a.m. as the approximately 300-foot-long railway cranked up again.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Commute

Vanessa White heads to her job at Grand Central Market after riding the orange Angels Flight funicular to Hill Street from Bunker Hill. She usually takes the stairs, but opted to try the just-reopened train instead.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

First ride

Television crews shine their lights on William Daniel, 67, aboard Angels Flight as it cranked up for its first ride in nine years. “It’s great, as much fun as when I was a kid,” Daniel said. “I think it’s going a little faster now,” he added. “It’s wonderful they didn’t change the trolley much. It’s virtually the same, except for the electric door. And more warning signs.”  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

189 steps

Bill Thornton walks down the stairway adjacent to the railroad tracks, counting the number of steps (189) from the top to the bottom. The 71-year-old Santa Ana resident was the first to board Angels Flight as it set off on its first journey after being moribund for nine years.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Back in operation

The rail line was designed to connect downtown L.A. with the residential community on Bunker Hill.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Sunrise

The orange funicular’s first trip early Monday was not the smoothest, and the rail cars shook a little bit, but Angels Flight was restored to ride like it did in 1969, said John Welborne, president of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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