Northern District – Page 5 – Pacific Electric Railway Historical Society

Alan Weeks at the remains of the Mount Lowe Railway, 1949

Remnants of the Echo Mountain Power House, photographed December 26, 1947 by Alan Weeks.

Remnants of the Mount Lowe Railway Great Incline, taken December 26, 1947 by Alan Weeks.

When I was fifteen I hiked up this abandoned railway with two friends. Took my trusty old Box Camera. Then again my father and I hiked it in 1949. The pictures are not that great but the historic value is important.

Even ten years after abandonment many items were still there. The power house wheel, some overhead, some rail and lots of poles and ties. The U.S. Forest Service in their wisdom blew it all up because it was a so-called hazard. Then they dismantled all the wooden tressels.

Glad I got to see it. Had the Tavern not burned down it might still be running today.

Climbing straight up that steep incline was a great effort. I remember it was the day after Christmas and the temperature was 93 degrees. Lucky for us there was still fresh cool water at Echo Mountain and the Mt. Lowe Tavern.

The final four images are are not my photos but help illustrate how things were before abandonment.

– Alan Weeks

Alan Weeks Photos, Alan Weeks Collection

Mount Lowe Railway right-of-way near the Circular Bridge. Photographed by Alan Weeks on February 22, 1949.

Abandoned overhead near the Alpine Tavern on the Mount Lowe Railway, photographed by Alan Weeks on February 22, 1949.

The ruins of the Alpine Tavern, photographed by Alan Weeks on February 22, 1949.

Remnants of the Alpine Tavern Bridge, photographed by Alan Weeks on December 26, 1947.

Remants of the Mount Lowe Railway bridge entering into Alpine Tavern, photographed by Alan Weeks on February 22, 1947.

An 1886 view of the Mount Lowe Railway. Alan Weeks Collection.

Historic image of the Great Incline Railway with Echo Mountain House in the background. Alan Weeks Collection.

Historic image of the Echo Mountain Power House. Alan Weeks Collection.

Historic image of the Echo Mountain House. Alan Weeks Collection.

PE 671-5078: Bound For Glory

By Ralph Cantos

The September 1951 abandonment of Pacific Electric’s Northern District brought about by freeway construction (in particular, the 10/101/5 interchange in East Los Angeles) suddenly made almost 50 recently refurbished Hollywood cars for the most part surplus. These Hollywood cars were the backbone of PE’s local and suburban Northern District rail operations.

Except for the 1200-volt Baldwin Park Line, the Hollywoods roamed far and wide across the San Gabriel Valley until the last day of operations. After abandonment, most of the cars were placed in dead storage at West Hollywood along with the 1100s, which the Hollywood cars themselves had bumped from service several month earlier.

So in the early months of 1953, the Portland Traction Company sent company representatives down to Los Angeles to look over the near-mint surplus Hollywood cars. Portland Traction was looking for some “newer” cars to spruce up the company image, and the Hollywood cars were just the ticket.

The Portland Traction reps had the “pick-of-the-litter”; eight cars were chosen and run through Torrance Shops before heading north. The beautifully refurbished cars were well received with much civic celebration and media coverage in Portland.

However, their days of glory would last only five short years. By 1958, Portland Traction was on the financial ropes as were so many other private transit systems across the USA. Even bus companies were not doing so well in a time of interstate highway construction. By the end of 1958, all but one of the cars were burned and scrapped.

The former PE 680 / 5069 / Portland Traction 4022 was saved and is now stored at the Seashore Trolley Museum.

In the above 1953 photo, the 4020 prepares to leave Torrance Shops for its new home in the ROSE CITY.

Ralph Cantos Collection