1204 at Covina
Pacific Electric interurban no. 1204 pulls into the old Southern Pacific Covina station (used for a short time in 1946-47 by Pacific Electric). Note the “Azusa Ave. One Mile” sign in the foreground.
Description changed per comments
Jack Finn Collection
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This would be after the 1946 relocation of the San Bernardino line from the original PE route along Badillo St. to the SP LaVerne Branch. It is the old SP Covina station, which (I think) lasted into the 1960’s. Not sure why there’s a sign advising of Azusa Ave., there’s no particular railway significance. Service to the Covina depot lasted less than six months–from Nov. 1946 to March 1947. Today diesel powered Metrolink trains stop about a block west of here, with over 30 trains a day between LA and San Bernardino
Does anyone if it would have been possible in the late 1950s or early 1960s to board a passenger train near the today’s intersection of San Bernardino Rd. and Grand Ave. heading in the direction of Pomona?
As to the significance of the “Azusa Ave. One Mile” sign; SP’s Covina Branch, (which was the name of the track that PE purchased in 1946),
had a 25 car siding located at MP504.1 called “Azusa Ave.”. Covina, on that line was located at MP505.1. I believe what we are seeing is some SP ‘heritage’ signage left over from
pre-PE days. “Azusa Ave.” had disappeared by the time that the September 15, 1951 employee timetable was issued. It’s removal might have been before 1951 but thereafter there was no mention of it.
Correct name on SP timetables was
“AZUSA AVENUE”. Only the mile board used ‘AVE’.
Jim should be in the Northern District
Robert,
The answer is no, through passenger service to Riverside-San Bernardino on the Eastern District ended November 1, 1941.There was some service to the Fairgrounds after that, but service to Covina had ended prior to 1953 when the electric freight operation on the Eastern District was converted to diesel.
In the time since my first comment, my older daughter has changed work locations and now takes the Metrolink San Bernardino Line from Covina (station is on the other side of the tracks from the SP station site) to Los Angeles every weekday morning, following (for most of the trip) the route of the Big Red Cars.