Quick thinking saved the day when brakes on the Gold Line train froze and overheated at the Mission Meridian landing platform in South Pasadena.
First there was the smell. Then, the metal grinding on metal and then the smoke. It was the smoke that brought the train to a screeching and jolting halt. The conductor, who only identified himself as Lorenzo, jumped out and onto the landing area. He ran to the front of the train and discovered a massive amount of smoke bellowing out from underneath the front axle. Then he noticed something he wished he hadn’t: A small fire was burning underneath the train. He quickly grabbed the fire extinguisher and laid down a suppressive line of retardant and it immediately worked.
Photo by John Turk
The conductor hopped off the tracks, notified headquarters about the issue and waited for instructions.
In the meantime, officials had been dispatched to what was believed to be a vegetation fire, according to authorities.
Fire officials first thought it was a vegetation blaze but when they arrived, soon discovered it was a train issue and was all taken care of.
Fire officials made sure the blaze was out, and double checked to make sure there were not any hot spots.
A nearby business owner, John Turk, who owns Mission Antiques on Mission Street, thought the vegetation was on fire as well and nerves were on high alert momentarily.
“It did get pretty scary,” Turk said. “It was pretty scary because we didn’t know what was going on,” said Turk, whose business is next to the Gold Line stop. “There was a lot of smoke.”
The train sat on the tracks for about an hour before a technician arrived from headquarters, who made sure the brakes were cooled enough for the train to move. When the brakes cooled enough, officials slowly moved it in reverse to headquarters where the brake issue was resolved.
Three Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy sheriffs arrived to ensure no one was injured and to coordinate the situation. One track was taken out of service for about two hours until the situation was under control, authorities said.
There was no report of injuries during the incident.
