December 2011 Archives

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Flickr - Raincross Square photo pool

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2011
Hunter Hobby Park

2011
New station


2011
Arriving passengers


2011
Riding the rails


2011
New playground

Saturday morning marked the public reopening of Riverside's Hunter Hobby Park following nearly $7 million in renovations for one of the city's most unique parks. The reopening also means the public is once again invited to "ride the rails" with the Riverside Live Steamers.

Along with a new (and relocated) train station, the completely refurbished park includes two new lighted ballfields, basketball courts, children's playground, grassy knolls and walking paths, restroom facilities and expanded parking. We especially liked the train station fencing and the installation of two refurbished neon signs that were saved from the Magnolia Avenue railroad underpass project.

Located in northeast Riverside, the 40-acre park began life in the late 1950s as an adjunct "backyard" of sorts to local engineer -- and steam train enthusiast -- Joseph L. Hunter, who laid track down for a personal, small gauge steam engine. The track, which was initially 4,300 feet in length, soon began attracting other train enthusiasts.

Joseph and his brother Edwin started Hunter Engineering. The company was a pioneer of several key, industry-leading patents in the manufacturing of aluminum products (and is now part of worldwide Hunter-Douglas).

Following Joseph's death in 1965, the the park was donated to the city of Riverside, which set up a partnership with local train enthusiasts. Formed in 1966, this all-volunteer group -- Riverside Live Steamers -- immediately began operating, maintaining and expanding the facilities.

Today, with over 10,000 feet of track with several switchable configurations, the club includes both private- and city-owned, 7 1/2 gauge (1/8-sized) engines, with the overriding requirement being "steam-only." The club provides free rides on the 2nd and 4th Sundays each month.

Previous

• RaincrossSquare.com - Riding the rails at Hunter Hobby Park (Jan. 2009)

Related

• Riverside Live Steamers

Sources: Riverside Live Steamers, The Press-Enterprise, City of Riverside

2011
University of California at Riverside

A short visit to UC Riverside on Friday afforded us some time to take a few photos.

Initially established at the base of Mount Rubidoux in downtown Riverside in 1907, the seeds for present-day UCR began when the Citrus Experiment Station -- forerunner to UCR -- relocated a few miles east to the base of Box Springs Mountain in 1918.

In 1948, the University of California Regents voted to fund planning and designs for the formation of a liberal arts college in Riverside. In 1954, the new campus -- dubbed the "Swarthmore of the West" -- began accepting students. In 1959, its mission was expanded and UCR was declared a general campus of the UC system. In 1960, the University's Graduate Division was established.

In October 1966, UCR's signature "bell tower" was dedicated*. The 161-foot tower -- one of only five true carillons in California -- was designed by the noted architectural firm of A. Quincy Jones and Frederick E. Emmons (one* | two*). The tower's 48 chromatically-tuned bells* located at the top were cast by Paccard Foundry of France.

Today, UCR hosts nearly 20,000 students in a park-like setting spread over 1,200 acres in northeastern Riverside.

Related

• UC Riverside


• UCR - Carillon Tower

2011
Carillon Tower
and Rivera Library

2011
Pierce Hall and
Science Labs

2011
Psychology

2011
Sproul Hall

2011
The "HUB"

2011
Carillon Tower

* Courtesy of UC Riverside

Sources: UC Riverside