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| I managed to capture this image back in August 2013 in anticipation of something happening to this engine while riding the Orange Line which is probably more popular for bike riders than bus riders. |
For the past couple of years, there have been rumors of a shutdown of the Rocketdyne plant in Canoga Park with all assets and resources being transferred to the Chatsworth plant as a result of the dwindling NASA activity. At one point, Rocketdyne employed over 25,000 engineers during the height of the Apollo missions in the 60's and 70's.
That shutdown appears to be more evident this past week, as the somewhat famous and historic Saturn V rocket engine that has been sitting as a testament to the hard work of the Rocketdyne folks on Canoga Avenue across from the Topanga Plaza has been moved from the Canoga Park to the Chatsworth plant.
There was also the possibility that this engine was going to be relocated to a museum outside of the SFV and forever be lost from its home base in Canoga Park. Thankfully, that hasnt happened and the engine will continue to remain in the SFV. Dont quote me on this but I believe there is also a similar engine in the Smithosian and possibly Disney's California Adventure, can anyone confirm?
Below is a pic of the move down De Soto courtesy ABC 7 News:
Below are pics of the engine at its new home in Chatsworth:
On a side note, the Woodland Hills area has undergone a significant transformation with lots of apartment construction as well as the Village coming in the near future in addition to the local Sierra's restaurant located across from Rocketdyne that closed down last year. I hope all these changes bring growth and prosperity to the West Valley compared to what it was before.
The list shown below is the current development activity in Woodland Hills which doesnt cover the other apartment development activity taking place throughout the SFV.
- The Village at Westfield Topanga which will add a Costco, 50 shops, office tower, hotel, and more shops. But there is a pending lawsuit so this could get delayed significantly or even cancelled.
- The Panavision site being converted to a 707 unit apartment complex at 6219 De Soto Ave.
- A 300 unit apartment complex near Canoga and Vanowen at 6701 Eton Ave.
- The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne site may also be developed into 4,000 multifamily units which is currently for sale.
- The former Catalina Yachts manufacturing site at 21200 Victory Blvd will be converted into 600 units.
View Woodland Hills Development in a larger map
You can review past posts about the Rocketdyne history below:
- A Bus Tour of Rocketdyne on June 29, 2013
- World's First Partial Nuclear Meltdown in the San Fernando Valley
- Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Laboratory Still Contains High Level of Radiation
