PE 711 on Hollywood Boulevard in 1928

By Ralph Cantos

Pacific Electric Hollywood car no. 711 is seen here, inbound to the Subway Terminal at Ivar Street. As built, the Hollywood cars were fast accelerating, but had a top speed of just 28-30 mph. Although these versatile cars could be found providing dependable service on many 600-volt lines around the vast PE rail system, it was Hollywood Boulevard that they called home and where they would become world famous. It did not take the PE management very long to realize that they had a true winner with these cars.

Starting in 1938 and into 1940-41, the Hollywood cars were “speeded up” to meet ever faster schedules. At first, cars 735 to 749 were spruced up for service on the San Fernando Valley line. The 15 cars were given a large roof top roller destination sign salvaged from retired 800-class cars. These 15 cars all but replaced the last of the legendary 800s which had been a staple of the Valley line for decades. As a final touch, the “Valley 7s” as they became known, sported a new paint scheme. PE management were so pleased by the speeded up cars, that the company embarked on a system-wide “modernization” program of just about all of PE’s steel cars. All 160 Hollywood cars, Valley 7s included , were given a new, very attractive paint scheme inspired by parent company Southern Pacific Daylight passenger trains.

As the years passed, the Hollywood cars could be found holding down more and more runs that were peevishly served by larger cars such as the 950s, 1000s and the 1100s. Around 1949-50, the PE embarked on a cost-saving measure by making many of the Hollywoods “one man” cars. Car no. 711 would become no. 5161 and finished out her career on the Glendale – Burbank Line. The PE certainly got their money’s worth from these fine cars.

Ralph Cantos Collection

355 Headed North on Western Avenue

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1536412258766{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]By Steve Crise

This recently acquired print, dated February 1938, shows Pacific Electric Birney Car no. 355 headed north on Western Avenue moments away from turning left on to Franklin Ave near Griffith Park. The car will continue west on Franklin Ave where it will head south on Argyle Avenue to Yucca Street, continue for one block west and then turn left onto Vine Street where the line terminates.

The Western & Franklin Line dates all the way back to Pasadena & Pacific days in 1895 when eastern portions of this line were originally constructed as a 3 foot-6 inch narrow gauge line. Trackage from Western Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard were constructed by the Los Angeles Pacific in 1908. This was also built as a narrow gauge line but rebuilt as a standard gauge line a month after completion.

The Pacific Electric took over this line in 1911 as part of the Great Merger. There were numerous schedule changes to this line throughout the years. Perhaps the most interesting change was on July 4, 1924, when service was suspended due to a power shortage and bus service was temporarily established on a portion of the line. Full rail service resumed once again on January 2, 1925, almost seven months after its suspension.

Another unusual line connected with the Western & Franklin Line, this being the Brush Canyon Line. The Brush Canyon Line connected with the rest of the system at Franklin Avenue at N. Bronson Ave. This line was also originally built as a narrow gauge line by Los Angeles Pacific in 1908 and was standard gauged at the same time the Western & Franklin Line was. This line had a very brief passenger service history starting with the LAP in 1913 and ending with the PE in 1917. However this line was very important to both the LAP and the PE for the access to the Brush Canyon Quarry that was at the north end of the line. Rock from this quarry rolled down Bronson in wooden gondola cars and was used to pave Sunset Boulevard, Highland Avenue, Adams Boulevard, W. 6th Street and Wilshire Boulevard. A few photos of the Brush Canyon Quarry have surfaced in later years but I have yet to see a photo of a Pacific Electric or Los Angeles Pacific car anywhere on the Brush Canyon Line.

Also rare are photos of cars on the Western & Franklin Line, which is why were so happy to be able to share this image with you of PE 355 at Western and Franklin. As an extra feature, we’ve included a photo of an actual dash sign from the Western & Franklin Line courtesy of the Craig Rasmussen collection. The dashes sign provides a nice glimpse into the color and style that the PE employed on all their equipment throughout the system.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/crc_pe_dash-0336-white.jpg” image_size=”large” lightbox=”true”][/vc_column][/vc_row]