1137 at Monrovia Station
Alan Weeks Photo, Alan Weeks Collection
Pacific Electric Santa Anita Racetrack service interurbans line up at Monrovia Station (led by no. 1137). The station was located at the intersection of Olive and Myrtle Avenues in Monrovia. The image is dated March 6, 1951.
Alan Weeks Photo
Alan Weeks Collection
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This photo was taken on the south side of Monrovia station. The photo “1123 on Olive Ave in Monrovia” shows a portion of a turnout in the foreground of the photo. This turnout was used for supplying freight cars to warehouses hidden by all of the interurbans. If the storage track between Shamrock and Mountain Ave was full, the red cars used these freight tracks for additional car storage during Santa Anita racing season (mainly on the weekends).
The red cars in this photo are waiting for their return trips to Los Angeles. When these cars were needed, they would have to travel east to the crossover switch just east of Shamrock Ave, to get onto the westbound track and deadhead to Santa Anita.
My brother and I used to ride from Fifth Ave. to San Marino on Saturday mornings to meet our dad, who worked a half day on Saturday at the Post Office. I recall riding 1137 two or three times on these trips. Walter Abbenseth told me that it was one of the 1100’s that didn’t get the modern “bulls-eye” interior lights but always had the original 1925 fixtures.
The 1100 cars appear to be signed up for LA County Fair service and are on Layover in Monrovia station yard.
The 1100’s could not be used for LA County Fair service since the line to Pomona was 1200 volts and the 1100’s were only equipped for 600 volts. If not stored for regular service, perhaps they might have been stored for Santa Anita specials as indicated by Mr. Adams.
1137 has a dash sign for the Santa Anita Race Track. Shortly after the end of the racing season (early April), the 1100s were sold off to Argentina and the 732-class unmodified Hollywood cars took over.