3137 and 3165 at Palm Place Loop
Alan Weeks Photo, Alan Weeks Collection
Two Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority PCC cars – no. 3165 on J Line service to Huntington Park, and no. 3137 on Electric Railway Historical Association (ERHA) railfan special excursion service – meet up at the Palm Place Loop on a rainy January 20, 1963.
Alan Weeks Photo, Alan Weeks Collection
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Are you sure that this is the Palm Place Loop? It looks a lot like the loop at the wes end of the J line @ Jefferson and 10th Ave – the streets in this neighborhood were full of palm trees. The fact that the car on the inside track says “Huntington Park” on its destination sign also indicates to me that this is the west end of the line – the motormen usually changed the sign just before pulling in to the loop to return.
3165 is now preserved at Orange Empire; it was the last streetcar bought for service in Los Angeles. I’m not a “Yellow Car” expert, so maybe this is a mistaken impression on my part, but I thought that the P-3 cars (3126-3165) were assigned to the “P” line and rarely ventured elsewhere.
Right at the end of the streetcar era – the last week of service, MTA ran P-3’s on all lines. Prior to that week, P-3’s worked the P line exclusively except for special movements.
The reckoning of the LA Rail/Yellow Cars. Wherever this is, it’s a somber image of it’s eerie fate.
Just to beat a dead horse, this is definitely the 10th Ave loop at the west end of the J line. For those unbelievers, I refer you to a Pentrex video of the last years of the LARY/LATL lines, there is one view of the 10th Ave loop cllearly showing the palm trees in the background. Further, as of 2012, you can view satellite photos of 10th ave and see the shadows of the palm trees. Conversely, there seem to be no palm trees in the vicinity of the Palm Place loop despite the fact the street is named “Palm Place” (maybe the palms are elsewhere).
The idea was to use 3165 for the fan trip but when I showed up for the excursion Lazear Isreal ( head of the excursion committee ) announced instead two cars because of so many advanced ticket sales- the other car being another all electric PCC but with the yellow paint scheme. So one car “tagged” the other. It was getting very close to the end and interest was increasing in getting one last ride on the system. Even though it rained and poured that day we had a good crowd! Well it got awkward because rail fans being rail fans the end window got opened to let in all the luscious track sounds – however when the car stopped all the water slid off the streamlined roof and went thru the open window and drenched the back seats! But both cars were warm and snug even in the rain. The maintenance was good so no problems – it was hard to believe in a few months I would never get a chance to do this ever again.