Key System 2006 at South Park Shops in 1947

Ralph Cantos Collection

By Ralph Cantos

ACF Brill Trolley Coaches are seen here at South Park Shops in early 1947. Key System had ordered 40 TC’s new, but postponed their delivery to Oakland; the Key System had a change of mind. Trolley Buses were out, along with streetcars and Bridge Trains as soon as GM Diesel buses could be ordered and permission for rail abandonments granted.

Key System, being a National City Lines property, meant that the TC’s might have a better future in Los Angeles. The TC’s were loaded aboard railroad flat cars and headed south. Some of the Key System TC’s arrived in LA painted in pre-NCL paint and others in grey primer. In the end LATL had a total of 110 TC’s in service on two lines. Only a handful of the first order of TC’s that were numbered 8001 to 8040 made it into LAMTA two tone green paint colors. Most, if not all, of the 8000’s were out of service by the early months of 1962. One of the LATL 8000s was saved and is now at Seashore Trolley Museum undergoing a full restoration; the rest of the LATL TC’s were sold to Mexico City where they enjoyed a more productive life.

Ralph Cantos Collection