Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway: Torrance Shops 1948

408 - Torrance Shops of the Pacific Electric, Torrance, California.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Alan K. Weeks

After a little detour we finally got back to Torrance Shops. I was surprised that I did not take more pictures while I was there. Then I remembered my Box Camera used a roll of Kodac Film with only eight exposures. I was sixteen at the time and my income from a paper route limited how many pictures I took.

I mentioned before that I had met O. A. Smith President of the PERy. I asked him if I could go to Torrance. He said sure. Wrote out a pass so I could ride the morning Shop train. It was a two or three car train of Blimps. I was told just be careful but could go where I wanted. I brought a brown bag lunch and spent the whole day there. I heard a whistle at 3:50 PM signaling the eminent departure of the Shop Train. We left for Los Angeles at 4:00 PM This day left me with wonderful memories.

As Railroad Shops go I think Torrance was quite large. They built wooden Street Cars there in the early days. Also all the necessary repairs and modernizing of their other cars.

NOTES

402 – Here are three steel Box Motors bought by the P.E. to rebuild and use. But it never happened. Beside it is 4661 that came from the Interurban Electric Railway in the Bay Area. These were 60 Ton cars and crossed the Bay from Oakland to San Francisco using the Oakland – SF Bay bridge. The State of California owned the Bridge and were unhappy that the heavy cars would shake the bridge. It all came to a sad end July 25, 1941. In January 15, 1939 the Bridge Railway opened up for service. The Southern Pacific Railroad built and ran the IER. When the New Bridge opened in 1939 it was renamed IER because the State had financial investment in the Bridge Railway and yards. Interesting that three Interurban RR used this Bridge for a short time. The IER used the 1200 v Overhead wire along with the Sacramento Northern Railroad which could use 1200 v or 1500 V. The Key System Lines used the 600 v third rail. World War 2 came five months to late to save this operation. Some surplus cars were sold to the P.E. and the United States Maritime Commission. The rebuilt 4600 and 4700’s were renumbered in the 400 series.

403 – These steel Box Motors came from the Central California Traction Co. when they de-electrified. They were never rebuilt or used on the Pacific Electric.

405 – These cars were used to dump rock ballast when rebuilding track.

406 – Wooden cars awaiting scrapping.

This winds up another year we are all glad to see go. Hopefully 2021 will be
a much better year for us all. I am aiming and on schedule to wrap up sending
out my P.E. collection by June of 2021.

Happy New Year – Alan

Alan Weeks Photos and Collection[/vc_column_text][mk_gallery images=”15158,15159,15160,15161,15162,15163,15164,15165″ column=”4″ height=”300″ hover_scenarios=”slow_zoom”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway West Hollywood Car House and Shops

PE West Hollywood Car House

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Alan K. Weeks

Image 98 – The 100 class cars were really neat cars. They were shorter than most but they rode very well. Big leather seats inside. They eventually ended up in Vera Cruz Mexico. It was so nice to ride them again in 1959 when I was there. They had repainted some of them yellow. Some people called them Double Truck Birneys.

Image 99 – 900 Class Cars built some time in the 1920’s They were made out of wood did not hold up well in wrecks. They were used on the Venice Short Line along with the Wooden 1000 class. Both classes ran M.U.

Image 100 – Class 1000 Wooden Interurban cars. These ran in Multiple Units. I remember seeing three car trains on Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles.

Image 104 – Locomotive 1616 was used at night time on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood and in Hollywood / Los Angeles. There were numerous freight spurs that they switched cars in and out. They had a large freight house at Highland and Santa Monica Blvd. The work was all done at night. (There was a famous hotel I think it was the Hilton, still there at Santa Monica and Beverly Drive, that complained about the noise but the line kept on running.

Image 108 – If you can look closely in the right side of the Car Barn you can see a lone 5000-type PCC. The last new cars the PERy bought just before World War II. They ran on the Glendale-Burbank Line but must have been there for maintenance.

These Shops were the original Shops for the Los Angeles & Pacific Railway, one of the first interurban lines built in Los Angeles. General Sherman built this railway and West Hollywood at that time was named Sherman, hence the Sherman Shops. In 1911 the Southern Pacific bought both the LA & Pacific and the PE Railway from Henry Huntington and combined the two into the new Pacific Electric Railway. Through changes and mergers the MTA acquired the property and Built a new Bus Division 7 on the site. That was after all was abandoned in 1954.

Alan Weeks Photos and Collection[/vc_column_text][mk_gallery images=”15144,15145,15146,15147,15148,15149,15150,15151,15152,15153,15154″ column=”4″ height=”300″ hover_scenarios=”slow_zoom”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

LA’s streetcars under festive Christmas decorations: Span wires made convenient

LARY no. 3029 at 7th & Grand, 1940

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Ralph Cantos

Over the decades, Christmas time always meant Christmas decorations  mounted to street lights and more often, hanging from LARY-LATL-MTA and PE overhead span wires.

The overhead span wires made it very easy to hang decorations along many important avenues and boulevards when LA’s once-vast streetcar system covered the city.

In later years, Hollywood Boulevard, Pacific Boulevard in Huntington Park, and Brand Boulevard in Glendale always displayed beautiful, often illuminated holiday decorations.

Before the out break of World War II, Broadway and 7th Streets in Downtown Los Angekles also went all-out to celebrate the  Christmas season with decorations hanging from LARY span wires.

Its believed that Christmas 1941 was the last time Downtown LA went all out with  the decorations.

In this 1940 colorized black-and-white photo, LARY no. 3029 working the J line turns off of 7th street onto Grand Ave.  Holiday shoppers add to the festive atmosphere.[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/lary-3007-on-broadway-x-mas-1940.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=”Los Angeles Railway no.3007 on Broadway, Christmas 1940.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1607959857060{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Incredible crowds fill the sidewalks and streetcar safety zones at Broadway & 7th at Christmas time 1940. Decorations hanging from span wires add to the festive season. A near-new P-1 PCC working the P line takes on passengers.[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/pe-5150-at-hollywood-highland-1953.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=”Pacific Electric no. 5150 at Hollywood and Highland, 1953.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1607959999051{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The last Christmas for the PE cars on Hollywood Boulevard: Its Christmas time 1953 on Hollywood Blvd. Festive decorations hang form PE’s overhead, a yearly seen that took place for decades.[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/pe-5028-christmas-1954.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=”Pacific Electric no. 5028, Christmas 1954.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1607960107311{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The last Christmas for Pacific Electric cars on Brand Boulevard: It’s Christmas time on Brand Boulevard. Decorations hang from PE’s magnificent catenary overhead. The beautiful decorations eclipsed only by the beauty of the 5028. Roger Titus photo.[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/latl-3165-on-east-first-st.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=”LATL no. 3165 on East First Street.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1607960196073{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Los Angeles Transit Lines no. 3165 rolls along East First Street in this  Christmas 1957 photo. Today, the 3165 rolls on at the OERM museum in Perris, California.[/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/img254-2.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=”LAMTA no. 3046 on Pacific Boulevard in Huntington Park, 1962.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1607960326443{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The last Christmas for LA’s PCCs in Huntington Park: this beautiful photo take by Harry D. Peat shows LAMTA no. 3046 as she swings off of Pacific Boulevard and onto Florence Avenue at Christmas time 1962. The motorman stopped the 3046 momentarily and smiled so Harry could get this timeless photo.

This is it for decorations of any type that will hang from overhead span wires along Pacific Boulevard. The J line will become history just 4 months after this photo was taken.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway 6th and Main Street Headquarters

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Alan Weeks

You might all be tried of the Main St. Station but I think this is the last batch. It really was the most important facility of the Railway. It was a grand hub of the whole system.
Millions of people must have gone thru the station from 1908 – 1961.  Downstairs was and is the oldest continuous operating business in LA, Cole’s Cafe. It closed for one year for remodeling. I liked the original layout much better. But the food is still good. It had a beautiful old antique bar that became a famous “Watering Hole. Many railway people from the PERy, Southern Pacific Railroad, Santa Fe Railroad and later SCRTD.
When working at RTD on Main Street I some times went there for lunch and the bar was jammed. I guess Rule G no longer mattered.
NOTES    # 383    Trolley Bus on fifth St. at Main St.
                #  385    Looking down from the Viaduct at track removal in 7th St surface
                              tracks. The yard had a connection from both 6th & 7th Sts.
                #  391    Pasadena Short Line turning North from 6th St. onto Main St.
                              Before one way streets took effect.
                #  392    PERy Headquarters Building on the right. Also shared with the
                              Southern Pacific Railroad.
                #  393    Double Exposures were always a concern with a wind up Box
                              Camera. This might have been the only one I remember doing.
                              Unfortunately you always lost two pictures. This does not happen
                              with 35 mm or Digital cameras.
                #  398    View beneath the Viaduct. This was the freight and baggage loading
                              Area. Box Motors would load here and had access all three Districts,
                              North, South and West, The track connection ran to the left of this
                              picture. I think they were removed when Fifth & Sixth Sts. were made
                              One Way. That was August 3, 1947
                              Ariel photo of Sixth and Main St. Station provided by Yorkman Lowe

[/vc_column_text][mk_gallery images=”15105,15106,15107,15108,15109,15110,15111,15112,15113,15114,15115,15116,15117,15118,15119,15120,15121,15122,15123,15124″ column=”4″ height=”300″ hover_scenarios=”slow_zoom”][/vc_column][/vc_row]