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

A book was published a few years ago about the P.E.R.y Sub stations. It sold out in months and I never got a copy. I did not take pictures of them all but did manage to get pictures of quite a few.

I am now able to compare the different stations in this content. I am surprised at the big variety of architectural differences. No two are exactly alike. They used both the power from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) and Southern California Edison, depending on location.

The two utilities supplied high-voltage electricity to each substation. Then the high voltage was converted from AC to DC 600V current. They either used a Rotary Converter or a Motor Generator sets. Today the aubstations are all alike but are now solid state and do a good job.

NOTES:

Image 441 – Funny I can’t remember where this Sub was located in Arcadia (Arcadia Sub no. 7).

Image 442 – Same problem. Note how wide-open the land is around the Azusa Sub no. 19.

Image 443 – Glendale-Burbank Line. Burbank Sub #no. 39 on Glenoaks Boulevard.

Image 444 – Venice Short Line. Note the three rails in the street, the Standard gauge Venice Short Line shared Venice Boulevard with LARY narrow gauge Yellow Car U Line for a few blocks. (Burlington Sub no. 36).

Image 445 – Ivy Sub no. 38 in Culver City on the Venice Short Line Junction with the
Redondo Beach Line.

Image 446 – Hawthorne Sub no. 16 on the El Segundo Line.

Image 447 – Ivanhoe Sub no. 28 on the Glendale-Burbank Line, Riverside Drive near Hyperion.

Image 448 – Whittier Line Los Nietos Sub no. 10.

Image 449 Newport-Balboa Line. Los Patos (Ducks) Sub no. 17. This substation was abandoned six years before I took the picture.

Image 450 – Newport-Balboa Line. Newport Beach Sub no. 18 This sub was also abandoned six years before I took the picture.

Image 451 – Van Nuys Line North Hollywood Sub no. 30.

Image 452 – Pasadena Short Line Pasadena Sub no. 2 Some of the building is still there. It is used by the Pasadena Power Light. On South Fair Oaks near Glenarm Street.

Image 453 – Pasadena Short Line Pasadena Sub no. 2 Some of the building is still there. It is used by the Pasadena Power Light. On South Fair Oaks near Glenarm Street.

Images 454-455 San Bernardino Line, Romona Sub no. 20.

Image 456 – San Bernardino Line. San Bernardino Sub no. 24.

Image 457 – Santa Ana Line, Santa Ana Sub no. 14.

Image 458 – Northern District Lines, Sierra Park Sub no. 52,  Huntington Drive in El Sereno.

Image 459 – Van Nuys Line, Van Nuys Sub no. 31.

Image 460 – Santa Ana Line, Stanton Sub no. 13.

Image 461 – Northern District Lines. Valley Junction Sub no. 3. Possibility this could be the second building here.

Image 462 – Van Nuys Line Vineland Sub #no. 21.

Image 463 – Venice Short Line Vineyard Sub no. 37 at Vineyard Junction.

Image 464 – Hollywood Boulevard Line, West Olive Sub no. 35 On Sunset Boulevard.  The building is still standing today.

Image 870 – MTA Expo Line, Clairington Sub (Don’t know if MTA uses numbers) in Mar Vista (First Sub on the New Extension of the Expo Line).

Image  877 – Different view of same sub.[/vc_column_text][mk_gallery images=”15252,15253,15254,15255,15256,15257,15258,15259,15260,15261,15262,15263,15264,15265,15266,15267,15268,15269,15270,15271,15272,15273,15274,15275,15276,15277″ height=”300″ hover_scenarios=”slow_zoom” orderby=”title”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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

A few people have asked me what Box Motors were used for. Most of you know but for those that don’t, they were used to haul less-than-a-car-load of freight all over Southern California. Trunks, large boxes, bicycles and very importantly bundles of the Los Angeles Times.

More and more trucks were being used and this business dwindled down. The PERy carried millions of passengers in its heyday but not to be forgotten millions of pounds of freight were carried in Box Motors and trains with electric locomotives. Long trains of tank cars caring oil to and from the Harbor, and much more.

NOTES:
Image 430 – Baldwin Park was the terminus for the LA Baldwin Park Passenger service. The freight line continued on to Claremont and San Bernardino. Note both trolley poles have been removed. That tells me they might have ended up in the Indio scrap track.

Image 431 – This is the yard under Main St. Station Viaduct. Tracks ran between 6th & 7th Streets.

Image 432 – July 1, 1950 and the same yard as 431

Image 433 – The end of track for the Los Angeles-Newport Balboa line ended in Newport. Picture taken 1948.

Image 434 – Sad row of abandoned Box Motors. Driving East to Colorado I was shocked to see this sad row of cars on a Southern Pacific Siding in Indio. I have no idea where they were going. Most likely burned. 1953.

Image 435 – Sorry if this is a duplicate. Taken at Macy St. Shops 1950.

Image 436 – I should have thrown this one away but I tried to restore a photo 80% not there lol. I left it in because it is the only picture I have of Box Motors at the Main St. Station loading dock. 1950.

Images 437 & 438 Both taken in 1955. Abandoned cars at 8th St. Yard.

Image 439 – Taken at the Santa Ana Station on the L.A. Santa Ana Line 1950.

Image 440 – Taken in 1950 at the Surface tracks at Main St. Station Los Angeles,

Alan K. Weeks Images and Collection[/vc_column_text][mk_gallery images=”15234,15235,15236,15237,15238,15239,15240,15241,15242,15243,15244,15245″ column=”4″ height=”300″ hover_scenarios=”slow_zoom”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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

We now move back to downtown Los Angeles. The Pacific Electric had more than one line that ran on Hill St. Downtown. From 16th Street on the south, north to Sunset Boulevard. There were tracks going into the surface tracks of the Subway Terminal Bldg. between 4th and 5th Streets. The Venice Short Line terminated in that surface yard. The Echo Park Boulevard line ran from a turn back at 11th and Hill Streets north to Sunset Boulevard.

There were two Tunnels on Hill Street. Dual tunnels ran from about 100 feet north of 1st Street to 100 feet south of Temple Street. Automobiles used the adjoining tunnel. The LARY/LATL had a narrow gauge A Line that ran on Hill Street in dual gauge mode — 3 feet-6 inches — and they both shared three rails thru the first tunnel from 1st Street to Temple. The LARY A Line turned west on Temple Street.

The PE line crossed Temple onto private right-of-way and went through the North Tunnel to Sunset. The LARY also had a tunnel on Broadway that started north of Temple Street and continued north to Sunset Boulevard. They shared the tunnel with Auto traffic.

NOTE

Image 421 North end of the South Dual Tunnels near Temple St.

Image 422 North end of the South Dual Tunnels near Temple St.

Image 423 South end of PERy North Tunnel near Temple St.

Image 424 North end of PERy North Tunnel at Sunset Bl. Look to the wall to the right of the tunnel entrance and you see a faded paint advertisement for the World
famous Mt. Lowe Line. The line was abandoned fifteen years before I took this picture. Ironically the line never ran thru this tunnel.

Image 426 PERy North Tunnel after demolition. Looking South to Temple St.

Image 427 South end of the PERy North Tunnel looking to Temple St. NOTE this is the new Hill St. bridge over the Hollywood Freeway then under construction. The bridge was designed before the rail line was abandoned. You can see they left room to restore the ballast and rails on the bridge.

Image 428 Box Motor 1407 on the Alhambra Branch freight line. Alhambra

Image 429 PE / SP Interchange looking North from Mission Road.[/vc_column_text][mk_gallery images=”15222,15223,15224,15225,15226,15227,15228,15229,15230,15231″ column=”4″ height=”300″ hover_scenarios=”slow_zoom” orderby=”title”][/vc_column][/vc_row]