Even though he was from North Carolina, Huell Howser basically provided lots of insight into California History, much better than what we were taught in school( 4th Grade, as I recall).

2:56 the epitome of style, grace, and being a solid human.

The famous BELMONT TUNNEL is not there anymore...but, If you can get access inside the apartment that were built on Lucus. Go to the back where the have preserved the actual tunnel. It's a small park behind the apartments. An area for residents to enjoy..Thanks Huell! This is a classic one right here. Big up to all the Original Graffiti legends from Los Angeles that painted the Belmont Station bk in the 80s and 90s. RIP HUELL LA LOVES YOU AND MISSES YOU!

It is a shame that LA got rid of what was an incredible transit network. I know lots of people who remember what it was like and lament what it was vs what it has become.

I remember the P E ...Thay should open it again. ...it would be great to have it again....my dad came through this in the 1940s.... when L A was a beautiful city!!!!

This was so homely. You would expect a man like Huell running a program like this in a small town but never on a large metropolis in CA, I feel like the Golden State lost a big deal the day Huell passed on.

@DanielinLaTuna

Жыл бұрын

I met him in the Larchmont neighborhood of LA (he lived nearby at the time, before moving to Palm Springs). He was always hungry for a story and immediately wanted to know what I did for a living (LA DWP, but he had already done a segment on our Power Plant One). A genuine curiosity about all things related to California history

@JuliaLong-lp1on

Жыл бұрын

Homely?? Are you calling him ugly? Thats a very odd use of that word.

@DanielinLaTuna

11 ай бұрын

@@JuliaLong-lp1on “homey”

I love Huell's fascination with EVERYTHING!

@Hotters9060

4 жыл бұрын

@K W May Huell Howser Rest In Peace. He passed several years ago 😭😭😭

He is very good at inviting all of them into the convo

The movie "Colors" was filmed at the exit of the tunnel & power station & surrounding area. You get great views of how it looked in 1985 when the movie was filmed. EXCELLENT movie too! Realistic LA gang story with real gang members. Robert Duvall, Sean Penn. Super MUSIC! Yes, they used real gang members! Excellent acting because they just had to be their selves !! The movie is a great tour of LA.

Huell and I were really good friends... I miss him....

Huel was one of my favorite shows to watch all time. I wish this Marine was still around.

@Hotters9060

3 жыл бұрын

@Justin Thompson If it wasn't for the automobile industry, the Pacific Electric trolleys or trains would still be running today.

@MountainFisher

3 жыл бұрын

@@Hotters9060 When I grew up in the 50s I remember there were electric trolleys on Alameda if I remember correctly.

@Hotters9060

3 жыл бұрын

@@MountainFisher I wonder if that is the same Alameda where the freight trains run today underground?? Pacific Electric railway even went to Orange County, Riverside, and parts of the valley too.

I think that the waiting lobby is a great representation of how our society has progressed. 1st it was built and decorated with great care, attention to detail, and pride. Then it was updated as cheaply, quickly, and as easily as possible. Lastly, in the end it has been stripped & abandoned.

I remember seeing a documentary on this old L.A. subway, back in the early 1980s called " Eye on L.A. " It had already been almost 30 years since they closed it.

I've been in that station many times with my mother when she went shopping. I loved the ride into the tunnel and watch the signals as the car sped along the tracks,liked even more when mom would buy popcorn from one of the vendors in the station.

What a treasure this man was. I'm still in awe of his natural ability to tell a story and make it memorable.

Incredible man that Huell Howser was may he RIP as he continues to educate us for generations to come

This man was a real legend, I know him from my childhood, California Gold 💗 good ol memories..

This is cool stuff from another era, another lifestyle.

Anything this man did was just awesome. loved California gold

When I was a kid, I visited San Francisco. In 1967. And the electric busses were still running. So cool!

@wetoolow8750

3 жыл бұрын

Do you remember San Francisco's double decker freeways prior to their 1989 earthquake?

@Kylehudgins

2 жыл бұрын

The busses are still electric trolly busses and they have international cable and street cars

Thanks Huell for deepening my affinity for the many long lost relics of our wonderful city, even the ones that still stand today! With all the these new half empty apartment buildings being built on top of historic areas, we have to appreciate our past and conserve what we can. Huell's voice was unique, much like Vince Scully in that it's very relaxing yet informatively entertaining. I love L.A.!

I miss seeing this TV show it was the best they need to bring it back. RIP Huell Howser

@TX3089

3 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure it still plays on all PBS channels.

4:29 I almost cried seeing what they did to that ceiling! OMG its so beautiful and they punched holes through it and covered it up! WTF! At least with the lofts it looks much better.

I rode those trains as a kid my memory the tale flood and walls.

Reminds me of the TV series "V" in the mid-80's...they shot most of the scenes there at Belmont Tunnel and Substation. - Red

Huell Howser handled it. What a man

Jay walking I love this guy what a criminal

@grimaceispurple

3 жыл бұрын

😂

@berzerker1100

Жыл бұрын

Jay walking 🚶‍♀️is Legal now 😂

I miss Huell

Huell's legacy is incredible.

I was lucky enough to grow up in Belmont tunnels. Played there with my cousins and watch the graffiti artist do great art. Once in a while we'll find spray cans and tag stuff on the walls while my uncles played a traditional mexican hand ball game.

I always wanted to meet him, and was sadwhenireadhe passed away. 😣. I’m so glad he’s living on in video! I learned so much of California from him. I live in Central California Fresno Ca. 👍🙏❤️🐾🐾

Belmont tunnels was a graffiti artist hangout back in the 80’s. As for being a subway I don’t think it’s similar to NYCs with stops along the way; a tunnel yes. My friend also worked at that building and got to go down there. As a kid we in the 90’s we would explore downtown on skateboards and found many hidden tunnel/fire escapes that looked like a wall not a door.

Huell - ALWAYS the BEST !

You never know what you had until you don't have it anymore ....thanks Huell

Graffity artist knew the the tunel at the end as the Belmont tunel. Because Belmont st runs by it.

Is this still here in 2020. I love this, so facinating.

@pinkmenjey7445

3 жыл бұрын

Yes it's an apartment building now

@MakeItWithCalvin

Жыл бұрын

when I was looking for a car years ago, I went to check one out that was being sold by a guy who lived in those apartments. I got to see the inside of it a little with my parent's and he mentioned it was the former Pacific electric railway building and how Huell Howser and others had done documentaries about it. Sadly the basement wasn't accessible for obvious reasons! Coles French Dip is there too and they have tried to maintain some of the old look and paid homage to the old street car lines with the artwork on the walls too.

This place is closed off now. Luxury condos were built in this place and are called “Belmont station apartments”.... you can still see the tunnel off the street...... Lost piece Los Angeles......

@papaeric1366

3 жыл бұрын

This tunnel also comes out in the movie “Colors”...... it’s one of the gangs hangout....

Railroad rails were and are made of high carbon steel like 1075 to 1080 alloy steel, the 75 part of 1075 means 0.75% carbon. Steel starts to get hardened at around 1040 steel. BTW in steel designations 4140, 4245, 12L20, 1018 and 1155 the last two digits designates the carbon content.

Amazing Piece of History

Belmont high-school is right next to this subway, now rhey build a complex of luxury apts called Belmont apartments. I had the chance to walk that tunnel, in my school days.

Part of the movie COLORS was filmed in that building the 21st street gang lol great history tho...

Incredible

23:30 that gets me thinking all the time. How close to history we are without knowing it.

26:26"well the Graffiti Artist have found a new Home" ( Hall of Fame )

It kills me that they cut holes in that beautiful high ceiling to hang that low ceiling. What a shame, and such a beautiful building just sitting all boarded up unused.

Here you have a solid tunnel under a major city and have not even utilized this as a subway with new cars, sure is amazing that city planners haven't continued to bring passengers to the city center using a subway what a waste we have done.

I love how the experts dont know that the tunnel entrance they show at the end of the episode is called Belmont Tunnel, nor that its called that cause Belmont High School sits on top of tha hill it comes out of, and the name of the switching yard was called the Toluca/Alameda switching station. Im a former L.A. Graffiti artist, and until the sealed the tunnel and built those high end gentrifying apts there had a mural in there, i also had tags on the roof of the old power station building, also a little unkown fact, in the movie colors, near the very beginning of the movie, when the old cop is show the new cop their beat, and goes to introduce him to the local OG gangsters the drive up a skinny narrow hill side street, that street runs right along side of that piece if property and goes by right behind the power station building and the gangs hangout interior and exterior are also the old power station building. L.A. History

@stepdev1

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Hebrew Loc, do you know of anyway to get down there at all?

@DT-sb9sv

3 жыл бұрын

@@stepdev1 The Belmont Tunnel Entrance has 2010ish generic cookie cutter apartments over it. They totally destroyed history.

@LOGICAL1

3 жыл бұрын

@@DT-sb9sv The Tartarian Empire built it. Intelligent giants.

@LOGICAL1

3 жыл бұрын

The giants built all the glorious structures.

@LOGICAL1

3 жыл бұрын

They make it up as they go along.

This is very informative thank you for this! always wondered where the tunnel went! This is also can be shown in the video game L.A. Noire

WONDER KCET

Lol! Everytime I see that last location in 'Glendale' with the box yard, I still expect to see the Acting Cast of the 'V-series' shooting there (Back in the 80's)... Heheheee!

This area is completely different...

I bet the start of some shaking would get them all scrambling to the surface!!!

Very interesting, hello from Lake Tahoe Go Dodgers

25:40 The movie "Colors" was filmed here.

I think this is where tupacs keep your head up video was filmed. Right at the end of the tunnel

@swanvargas4162

2 жыл бұрын

That video was filmed on Santa Fe off of 7th st. It has been built over now it's totally unrecognizable now.

So, if you work for DWP, you must wear matching neck ties??

they should of made that building a enter to the red line station that right across the street . that would be nice

@isaiguevara2871

5 жыл бұрын

hoodadvertisement xjew4ux I was thinking that too

@junkboxxxxxx

4 жыл бұрын

The tunnel was blocked in the 1970s when the Bonaventure hotel built their basement in it.

@KutWrite

4 жыл бұрын

Probably a lot of asbestos which would need abatement. Plus as the above comment says, the Bonaventure's subsurface structure would interfere.

@Hotters9060

3 жыл бұрын

@@junkboxxxxxx Los Angeles at the time made a very big mistake by dismantling their original Pacific Electric Trolley trains and instead depending on the automobile and the freeways for transport. Thanks to the company named General Motors for this.

@SuperheroJunior

Жыл бұрын

@@junkboxxxxxx General Motors bought the street cars and at the same time destroyed them but also the citizens of Los Angeles are the ones to blame for the demise of the Pacific Electric red cars and the Los Angeles Railway Yellow cars. The citizens of Los Angeles depended too much on driving their own cars and this is why the trolleys are no longer running anymore and now we have the worst traffic in the United States.

KCET, could you show on the title the date this episode was shot or first aired?

It’s sad that we modernized the architecture from back then because it was so beautiful What year was this filmed?

@joshuakalaniparks9084

4 жыл бұрын

We didn't

@joshuakalaniparks9084

4 жыл бұрын

1985

@sw8741

3 жыл бұрын

Look at the very end of the video, 1994. Which surprises me since I thought it was later. But 1994 is in the credits at the end.

When was this recorded what year

How were they able to stand in the road @0:45 and not even flinch with that truck driving past in the next lane. There's no way in hell I would have done that.

Where is the Glendale side entrance?

I used to see this tunnel back in the 90s and always thought this was just a spot to stay away from lol. Now its just a bunch of apartment or condo complexes.

What year was this shot in

I LIVED IN HOLLYWOOD IN THE SEVENTIES AND HAD TO DRIVE INTO LA DOWNTOWN DAILY ON CROWDED FREEWAYS...TODAY I KNOW THERE IS SUBWAY TRANSPORTATION AGAIN...DID THEY RE USE ANY OF THE TUNNELS SHOWN IN THIS EPISODE OR FILL EVERYTHING IN AND CREAT NEW TUNNELS..THE PEOPLE TODAY DO NOT KNOW HOW LUCKY THEY ARE TO HAVE THIS TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE TO THEM.....

@Greeneyedghost2020

4 жыл бұрын

No the city of LA and non natives love destroying anything old in LA

@Hotters9060

3 жыл бұрын

@@Greeneyedghost2020 Los Angeles made huge mistake by getting rid of their original rail cars operated by Pacific Electric from the early 1900's. After the last street car ran in Los Angeles in 1963, traffic, pollution, and congestion started and because of that, Metro decided to build the now modern Blue Line light rail system that runs from Downtown to Long Beach which opened in 1990 and the Red Line heavy rail subway which opened in 1993 that runs from Downtown to North Hollywood. These new trains that we have today now exist because of traffic and congestion.

@marcialsoto5059

3 жыл бұрын

Nope we did not reuse these tunnels. We have the Blue Line running from Downtown LA and Long Beach (soon to run from Azusa to Long Beach), Red Line North Hollywood - Downtown LA, Purple Line (Soon to West LA) Wilshire/Western to Downtown LA, Expo Line Santa Monica - Downtown LA (soon to East LA), Green Line Norwalk to Redondo Beach (soon to have connection to LAX), Gold Line Azusa - East LA (soon to be split into extensions of the Blue and Expo Lines)(Future Extension past Azusa to Claremont) and finally the soon to be finished Crenshaw Line from the Expo Line to LAX.

This episode was aired in mid 1996

@jessegordian2498

3 жыл бұрын

And it even looks like it! Seeing the old MTA buss pass by earlier in the video brought back nostalgia

@mohamadfaiz6935

3 жыл бұрын

@@jessegordian2498 since 2013 KCET continue to air the episodes of visiting with Huell Howser via reruns

The spaces for clearance are called 'nitches' the rocks on the ground is called ballast where the sleepers held the rails in place. I had now only wished this was still in place and the poles replaced with pantographs (the diampmd structure for current colletion. No need to change poles at each direction as the driver ('moterman' would only activate a pneumatic vale to raise or lower the pantograph. I am going to do a documentary project on electric transport in all its forms, I do hope doing a major documentary I can gain access (guided of course) for myself to film as well. Before GM now has gone all electric for vehicles (probable to atone for the former NCL Scandal which lead to the abandonment of this tunnel, the Pacific Electric and the Los Angeles railways (two seperate systems the gauage was different, the PE had 1,436 cm gauge whilst the Los Angelese railway ('Larry') had the 'Jade' gauage, 1.967 m for the LARY. The San Bernardino line exclusively used double voltage, hence 1200V all at V0Hz. Today the Metro uses 750V at 0 Hz. This production was done back in 1994 about a quarter century ago. I am afraid that this has been closes up here in 2022. I don't know. I have to find out on my next tour of the greater LA area.

9/26/94

Does anyone know where that building is located? Streets, address?

Does anyone know how to get in this tunnel? I’ve desperately being trying to get in there. I know the old station is now condos but there still is a way in somewhere. There is an art company that does tours but they’ve stopped because covid.

@ZK-cl7sb

2 жыл бұрын

Let’s go lmk if you get the 411 on that

@SuperheroJunior

Жыл бұрын

@@ZK-cl7sb I want to get into the tunnel too. How is it possible to get into this old Pacific Electric tunnel???

I searchd atv?Why did this show up??

Dude at 45 seconds a huge truck Flys by them, holy God be on our side Daaammmnnn! What? Are they standing in the street or am I tripping. Keep us safe lord. Amen 🙏 ✨️😳

This should be rebuilt.

They destroyed that beautiful original ceiling

@westabsupplyebay4093

3 жыл бұрын

My thoughts exactly, much more appealing then an ugly drop ceiling.

@Hotters9060

3 жыл бұрын

@@westabsupplyebay4093 These greedy rich bastards are always ruining everything. I can't stand people like that. Seriously. They really get on my nerves.

i bet when the building manager was told about this he assumed that he was just letting them in. sorry man! this is Huell Howser! he's going to interview you just like he would the owner of the building! he was sincerely interested in everyone's perspective, from the people at the top to the people doing the grunt work. and never patronizing!

It never did say when that line was shut down.

@Ripplesinthewaters

3 жыл бұрын

1961.

What year was this filmed?

@CT-vm4gf

3 жыл бұрын

1994

Somehow he reminds me of Will Sasso's Kenny Rogers haha

L.A. could of had an epic subway system....cars and earthquakes don't help I guess.

When was this filmed?

@juanm.huertasr.601

5 жыл бұрын

1994

@jaykid007

5 жыл бұрын

@@juanm.huertasr.601 tnx awesome vid

La noir has the tunnels

It's not the same with out huell. Bring back the show with someone who has as much interest as huell did.

If you have that man's job you have access to anything in los angeles life this under ground station

This would have been a massive undertaking. Why would they hide that ceiling? Why would they chip the finish off the pillars? Why would they not have noticed the groundwater problem when digging these tunnels? Why is so little information available regarding these old tunnels? Probably because it was not built by them. It's much older than they claim, and was originally an underground waterway or diversion, found by settlers and eventually repurposed as a subway, before realizing they could not keep the water out of the tunnels. You find the exact same thing all over North America. There was an ancient existing infrastructure in place when settlers arrived...

What year was this tapped in

@this_boy-gent_is_a_roy-den2660

4 жыл бұрын

They tapped, or otherwise excavated, those tunnels way back in the mid 1920's. Imagine Los Angeles back in the roaring '20's. Hot dang!

@luisbeltran937

4 жыл бұрын

It was either the 90 s or early to mid 2000's.

@this_boy-gent_is_a_roy-den2660

4 жыл бұрын

@@luisbeltran937 Oh, _taped_ ...the video itself. That would be 1994. It says so at the end - 27:03 - copyrighted 1994.

@luisbeltran937

4 жыл бұрын

@@this_boy-gent_is_a_roy-den2660 👍yea i figure .

@comfeefort

4 жыл бұрын

My friend Michael rented a Flat on Spring St. In 1991 1000 sq ft. for $500.00. The building had Punk Rockers and Artists, The Owner told us, You won't recognize DTLA in 20 years, We are bringing investors from all over the World. Yeah! was He right, I think this is why rents are so high.

this subway station may never have trains come into it ever again ?

@waynewright2886

4 жыл бұрын

Hell No... The Bonaventure Hotel at 5th & Figueroa, Also Sided by Flower St to the Eastside of the Hotel Killed Off the Tunnel with its Deep Foundation, when it was Constructed Between 1975 & it's Opening in January 77 in Time for the Super Bowl at the Rose Bowl Between the Raiders & Vikings, then Another Hi-Rise East of the Bonaventure that was Constructed in 1982 Also Killed the Tunnel with its Deep Foundation! The Direct Route Of the Tunnel Would Operate from the Glendale Side to About 4th & Figueroa Today! But it Couldn't Be Salvaged, so when a Developer Built Condos or Housing at the Mouth of the Glendale Opening, the Developer Sealed Up the Tunnel to Keep Out the Riff-Raff. Metro is Building the Regional Connector that will Extend the Blue, Expo, & Gold Line from 7th & Metro to Little Tokyo, & the Portion of the Line that Runs Under Flower St. was Tunneled within the Path of the Old P.E. Tunnel & Way Deep Under 2nd St. & Way Deep Under the Metro Red & Purple Line Tunnel. Under 2nd St. & The Regional Connector is Suppose to Open in 2022, it was to Be Open this Year, but Due to Cost Overruns & Hidden Utility Boxes & Pipes that Were Not Listed in the City Blueprints & Labor Shortages, Etc, it was Delayed from Opening this Year to 2020, & then 2021, Now... 2022.

@Hotters9060

3 жыл бұрын

@@waynewright2886 These bastards destroyed that original subway. Rich people get on my nerves.

so, what's his number?

That country bumpkin from Tennessee really enjoyed exploring California! Some of the questions he asked people were about as dumb as a kindergartner but that was part of his appeal.

@sneadh1

3 жыл бұрын

For example, on the glass bottom boat at Catalina, he's ask people what they thought they were going to see. Later he'd ask what they were seeing, then he'd asked what they had seen. He kept repeating prople's answers. Great subject matter, but there have been hosts on similar shows who were not creepy bumpkins.

@berzerker1100

Жыл бұрын

Well, Gaw- Lee Sarge 🪖😅

Filmed 1996

Taped 1996

those water and power dudes are sus af

Boo!! 👻

Asbestos WINS !

@luperamos7307

Жыл бұрын

Why

They abandoned a perfectly good.rail transit system so years later we could spend a bazillion dollars to build another one.

Huell was a United States Marine,Semper FI.

Thay should keep the subways and redcars....reinstate this service.. it was a mistake to remove it!!!

It's funny watching this. They're wearing suits and dress shoes walking through this abandoned subway terminal, but no one is wearing a hard hat or any safety equipment.

back in the day when heull was alive, He passed away do to his gayness. other wise, His programs werre great; we got to see things other wise wouldn't of.

Recently watched Uberx Offlimits video and it seems like nothing much really has changed from when Huell Howser went in compare to Uberx.