Pacific Electric

The City of Long Beach commissioned local artist Patrick Vogel to create this rendition of Pacific Electric no. 1001 as a new installation at the refurbished Orizaba Park, which is bisected by [...]

Pacific Electric no. 1299 overtakes a Watts Local near Eastern Avenue in El Sereno in 1949. Ralph Cantos Collection

Pacific Electric no. 1107 rolls to a stop at Oneonta Park in South Pasadena in this 1949 image. Ralph Cantos Collection

A lineup of Metropolitan Coach Lines (ex-Pacific Electric) blimps, lead by no. 455, sits patiently at the Catalina Docks in San Pedro. The image dates from the 1957-1958 period. L. Swanson Photo [...]

Long before “In Like Flint” and “Austin Powers,” there was “Comrade X,” a 1940 spy comedy starring Clark Gable and Hedy Lamarr. Per our regular contributor Bob [...]

Check out Pacific Electric no. 868 starring in this scene from the 1935 musical comedy “Music is Magic” starring Alice Faye. The PE scene (which starts at about 2:45) was filmed on [...]

It’s 1948 and Pacific Electric car no. 1201 is captured at Macy Street Yard. Note the PE tower car in the background. Ralph Cantos Collection

It’s the last days of the Northern District and Pacific Electric 5050-series cars handle all the duties in this undated shot. Ralph Cantos Collection

Pacific Electric PCC 5011 visits the 7th Street Yard as part of a fan trip in this undated photo. Pacific Electric no. 1459 sits idly by, flanked by gleaming new General Motors buses in PE [...]

Pacific Electric cars, lead by no. 1028, sit staged at Third Street on January 2, 1949. Ralph Cantos Collection