Pacific Electric Railway Company Roadway & Structures
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text margin_bottom=”0″ css=”.vc_custom_1782849326295{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]By Alan K. WeeksI thought it was time to share an item that I have had for decades. There is a story behind this little black book. Around 1952 we started hearing rumors that the P.E. Passenger service would be sold. Several Railfan groups began to Charter the PE’s 1299 for excursions. The 1299 was one of a kind. It was not in general service. It had carpets on the floor. Leather Chairs and a Couch.
There was a large table with chairs. Unlike the other 1200’s it had a small kitchen and a Restroom. It was used exclusively for the Board of Directors to take there monthly Inspection tours.
One time on a Railfan charter trip I was sitting at the big wooden table. I noticed it had drawers. Being a curious 20 year old I looked inside. There was the little black book. I was tempted but I did not steal it.
Maybe a month later I went to the P.E. Building to see some of the officials I visited kind of regularly. I went to the sixth floor and asked to see H.O. Marler. He was head of the Passenger Traffic Dept. He had a big corner office. You could see the trains down on Main & Sixth Sts. During our conversation I asked him if he could get a copy for me of the Black Book. He said I will see what I can do.
A few weeks later I returned to see him. He was sitting behind a big wooden desk. There was a Brass Spittoon on the floor. He lit up a big Cigar and said he could not find any copies of the Black Book. He then opened a drawer, pulled out “the Black Book” and said he hoped this would do. lol
Mr. Marler was an interesting person. He worked himself up from the bottom. He started emptying waste baskets as an office boy for the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad. A predecessor R.R. to the P.E.
I suspect the book is one of a kind. Maybe custom made for the directors.[/vc_column_text][mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”large” letter_spacing=”0″ url=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/pacific-electric-railway-roadway-structures-directors-5-26.pdf” target=”_blank” button_custom_width=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”15″ margin_right=”15″]DOWNLOAD PDF[/mk_button][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Pacific Electric’s Rio Vista Shelter Then & Now
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Steve CriseThe Rio Vista shelter was once situated along the west side Vineland Ave just a few feet south of Aqua Vista Street in North Hollywood. The wooded shelter probably dates as far back as the original building of the San Fernando Valley line in 1911. The shelter served the Pacific Electric Railway faithfully until the line was abandoned on Monday, December 28, 1952.
At some point after the line was abandoned by the P.E. some hearty railfans made a heroic effort to preserve the shelter and moved it to an area inside Griffith Park that is now known as the Travel Town Museum.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/sjc_pe_rio_vista-031a.jpg” image_size=”full”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1696790571453{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]It is within the confines of the Travel Town Museum that the Rio Vista shelter still see daily passenger train operations albeit on much a smaller scale, 16 inch gauge track to be precise. The locomotive is not electrically driven but instead is propelled by a propane motored replica steam locomotive named “Courage”. For practical reasons the motor is hidden away in the tender and provides the tractive effort through a hydraulic transmission inside the locomotive that moves the train along its large circular route that runs around the museum grounds.
The shelter is not a regular stop on the line nor is it even a flag stop on the Travel Town Railroad, but at least it survives in relatively good condition and can at least boast that might be the one and only surviving Pacific Electric shelter in Los Angeles that still see regular passenger service even if the train no longer make a stop there.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Alan Weeks Collection: “This Is Pacific Electric” (1944)
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]From Alan Weeks’ collection comes “This Is Pacific Electric,” a 1944 brochure promoting the state of the system.[/vc_column_text][mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”medium” url=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/this-is-pacific-electric-1944.pdf”]CLICK TO DOWNLOAD PDF[/mk_button][/vc_column][/vc_row] READ MOREAlan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway: Santa Anita Race Trains and San Vicente Shuttle, 1949
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Alan K. WeeksThis is a small group but two different subjects. The Santa Anita Race track trains, and the San Vicente Shuttle.
The Race Track trains only ran on the days that they held races. The San Vicente shuttle was a small leftover piece of the Santa Monica Via Beverly Hills Line.
Vineyard Junction was where the two Santa Monica Lines separated. They both ran from the Hill Street Station to the Junction and then went different routes to Santa Monica.
The Beverly Hills Line was abandoned in 1940 or ’41 (not sure). The Venice Short Line continued on until September 1950.
The little Shuttle ran from 1940 until the Venice Line was abandoned in 1950. It ran from the Junction to Olympic Boulevard using a long viaduct.
There was a horrible wreck at Vineyard in 1913. I am also attaching a report made at the time of the wreck.
NOTES
Image 468 – A bad negative for what ever reason that I tried unsuccessfully to restore. lol
Was it a light leak ? We will never know. Note the Vineyard Sub Station in the background.
The Santa Anita Trains were taken at the Main Street Station or in Arcadia where
the track still is.[/vc_column_text][mk_gallery images=”15281,15282,15283,15284,15285,15286,15287,15288″ column=”4″ height=”300″ hover_scenarios=”none” orderby=”title”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway: Substations, 1950s
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Alan K. WeeksA 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]
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Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway: Box Motors
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Alan K. WeeksA 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]
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Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway Tunnels in Los Angeles, 1950-51
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Alan K. WeeksWe 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]
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Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway: Whittier Line Charter Trip, October 17, 1948
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1611513176316{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]By Alan K. WeeksIn 1947 I saw in the paper that the City Public Utilities Commission were going to hold a hearing on the Pacific Electric’s plan to abandon one of their lines. I went downtown on the streetcar and visited the Public Utilities Department. I asked to talk to someone in the office about that plan. I wanted to find out the date of the meeting.
Surprisingly the head of the Agency came to the counter to talk to me. His name was Col. Bean. I was fifteen at that time and he could see that I had a interest in transportation. He went to his desk and came back with a publication called Interurbans. He suggested I sit down and look at it there because he wanted it back. He also mentioned that the Editor of the publication held meetings every Sunday at his house. He said many other people came and showed rail pictures on those nights.
I took the address down. It was 1414 Westmoreland Avenue. One day I took the P Line streetcar to that address. It was in the middle of a weekday but I thought someone might be there. Sure enough there was a very nice elderly lady watering the front lawn. She said yes, her son was at work but come over Sunday night at 7:00 PM. and I would see lots of young people who liked trains and streetcars.
That opened the door to a whole new world and hobby. Up until that time I thought that I and a friend in Junior High School were the only people in the world that liked rail.
I went to the Sunday meeting and learned that a rail club called Railroad Boosters was sponsoring a chartered trip on the PE Inglewood line. I contacted them and purchased a ticket for that trip in January of 1948. The editor was the well known railfan Ira Swett. He was considered one of the most recognized author, photographer and transit historian of the period.
That brings us to this new batch of pictures. These pictures were taken on the second or third chartered trip.
NOTES Looking back I am struck at how much open space existed in the L.A. area in 1948.
411 — This was taken at Slauson Jct. just after we come onto the Whittier -Fullerton-La Habra Line. This was a freight-only line so a chartered trip was the only way to ride it.
412 — La Habra was where the Whittier Branch turned North from the main line.
415 — The Fullerton Branch dropped South into Fullerton. It was early on the Sunday morning we arrived. It seemed like the whole town was still asleep.
416 Note the P.E. bus parked next to our car. It was laying over until the next A.M. An older friend of mine the late James N. Spencer worked for the Santa Fe and later the Union Pacific decided we should take a ride. I was sixteen and thought if would be risky. If my memory is correct he flipped a switch in the rear motor compartment. Three or four of us got in the bus. It was a stick shift. Jimmy had never driven a bus but the engine started and we drove three or four blocks around a totally quiet town. No people or cars. The only bus that was stolen and returned LOL.
419 — Yorba Linda end of the line. President Nixon lived here and his Library is here now. All in all it was a fun day as they say.
Alan Weeks (Photos) January 11, 2021[/vc_column_text][mk_gallery images=”15182,15183,15184,15185,15186,15187,15188,15189,15190″ column=”4″ height=”300″ hover_scenarios=”slow_zoom”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway: Torrance Shops 1948
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Alan K. WeeksAfter 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]
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Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway West Hollywood Car House and Shops
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Alan K. WeeksImage 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]
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