1054 to Alhambra-San Gabriel
Jack Finn Collection
Pacific Electric interurban no. 1054 moves down the street on the PE’s Alhambra-San Gabriel line in this pre-World War II photo.
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Jack Finn Collection
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This car is heading westbound toward Los Angeles, crossing SP’s Duarte Branch line between Electric and Bushnell Avenues. You can just barely make out the SP rails crossing the road and going under 1054’s rear truck, but the r/o/w between the buildings is unmistakeable.
The Andrew Crevolin Plymouth dealership on the left gave way to other owners and makes (including Barney Miller Chrysler-Plymouth in the 50s-60s, Century Motors Volkswagen 60s-80, and now Wondries Toyota). Even today the entire street there on the north side of Main is still the domain of new and used car salesmen, while both PE and SP have been gone from the scene nearly 70 years.
The photo has to be from before 1942, as the line was abandoned November 30, 1941.
This section of the SP Duarte Branch was not around much longer, either. It was abandoned between Alhambra and Arcadia in 1941, and cut into the PE Monrovia line at Arcadia (where the Mercedes-Benz dealer is now) in 1942. The right of way a few blocks south of this point is now occupied by the Alhambra Home Depot, and property lines on the south side of San Marino still reflect the SP route.
The photo on the Donald Duke Northern District book was taken about half a mile west of here. Unlike the buildings in this photo, the apartment building at Primrose and Main is still there. Even some of the electrical service equipment on the wall was there last time I looked. The main difference now is the Tops hamburger stand next door.
The pavement on Main still rises ever so slightly about where the SP crossing was. Amazing, considering there haven’t been rails there for almost 70 years.