Western District – Page 3 – Pacific Electric Railway Historical Society

A Blue Goose on a Red Car Line

By Steve Crise

Over the years there have been a good number of steam and diesel locomotives displayed along Exposition Boulevard courtesy of Pacific Electric Railway’s Santa Monica Air Line. Several examples of forthcoming railroad technology and in some cases complete passenger train sets have been exhibited for public review on this busy section of track. Cross country passenger trains from the three railroads that served Los Angeles took advantage of this prime location to show off their latest equipment right in the heart of the city. Passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads at some point had all displayed their newest passenger trains in this area. Even General Motors showed off their “Train of Tomorrow” by making an appearance here in 1947.

This location was an obvious choice for such a public event since the area was directly across the street from Exposition Park and the campus of the University of Southern California. Streetcar service was provided by no less than four lines of the Los Angeles Railway including J, K, U and the V-Line on Vermont Avenue. All combined, they provided plenty of service to this location from almost any point in the city. The PE was also able to handle passengers that wished to visit the exhibits by providing service on their Santa Monica Air Line route.

Early on the morning of February 20, 1938, a photographer caught one of these Exposition Boulevard display events in the making as Pacific Electric freight locomotive 1616 hauls Santa Fe’s 3460, their one and only streamlined steam locomotive, across South San Pedro Street at 30th Street, once again using the Air Line rails to tow the beautiful new engine to the display area. The train seems to have paused in the middle of the crossing perhaps to give the photographers a moment to make their shots before the procession continues on its journey and proceeds to rattle across the tracks of Los Angeles Railway’s S-Line.

It is interesting to note that two key features in this photograph still remain in place at this intersection. The building at the northeast corner, 2916 S. San Pedro Street, mostly remains in its original state. And, the unusual steel lattice-work power pole is also a feature that remains in place making this an easy location to verify on Google Earth.

3460 remained in service for the Santa Fe until 1957 when she met the cutting torch at Sheffield Steel in Kansas City, Missouri, at the ripe old age of 20. She died with most of her streamlining features still intact, although by this time her beautiful two-tone blue paint job had become dirty and faded.

Pacific Electric 1616 was a Baldwin – Westinghouse product and came to the railroad as part of the last two locomotives ordered from them to be delivered to the PE in 1920. The 1616 has appeared in many photos over the years probably due to the fact most of her working life was spent in the Terminal District of downtown Los Angeles and in West Hollywood. As one would expect, the 1616 was ill-fated to a similar end that would take place in February of 1955 at Lipsett Steel Company of Huntington Park. The 1616 fared a bit better than the 3460 in terms of longevity, lasting a total of 35 years in service to the PE.

This wonderful photo came to us from the Craig Rasmussen Collection as part of his Joe Moir photo collection. Unfortunately the photographer’s name was never recorded, so it remains a mystery as to who the actual creator of this interesting photo was.

(6/15/2022)

All that remains of the Santa Monica Air Line, 2011

Abandoned Pacific Electric Air Line trackage near Amoco Tower

By Steve Crise

This abandoned Pacific Electric Railway right of way was once part of the route that was affectionately known as the “Santa Monica Air Line”. In this 2011 view we are looking east from Nevin Avenue toward the former location of the Amoco Tower at Amoco Junction. Amoco Junction was located on the Four Track mainline of Pacific Electric Railway’s Long Beach Line.

This was all that remained of the once vital freight and passenger route when I made this shot for our “Pacific Electric Railway Then & Now” book. Presently the right of way seems to be occupied by a police impound yard, how ironic.

Originally surveyed and built by the Los Angeles & Independence Railroad which opened the line for business in 1875. The line was then sold to the Southern Pacific Railroad on July 4^th, 1877. The Southern Pacific leased a portion of line to the Los Angeles Pacific on July 1^st, 1908. This lease only included trackage that ran from the Port of Los Angeles (in Santa Monica) to Sentous, a point just west of present day La Cienega Blvd. where the La Cienega / Jefferson Metro station is now located. Los Angeles Pacific eventually fell under the control Pacific Electric Railway in the Great Merger of 1911 and the line was henceforth operated by the PE.

The Pacific Electric effectively ended passenger service on the Santa Monica Air Line in 1953 and removed the overhead wire in that same year. From this point forward, diesel locomotives assumed the responsibility handling all of the freight traffic on the line.

The majority of the western section of Santa Monica Air Line, which was officially known as the Santa Monica Branch on the SP, was abandoned in 1988 with only a short segment of the line just west of Amoco Junction retained for service to a customer that was located near the Nevin Avenue crossing. With the SP’s abandonment of the Santa Monica Branch it brought to a close of over 100 years of passenger and freight traffic service to West Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

Presently the remaining section of the Santa Monica Air Line west of the 110 Harbor Freeway is utilized by its modern day counterpart the Expo Line, E Line or Line 806 as it is now officially named by the LACMTA.

In this now dated 2011 view we can see a LACMTA Blue Line train racing past the old location of Amoco Junction on its northward journey to downtown Los Angeles. Now in 2021, even the Blue Line car in this photo has become part history.

Alan Weeks’ Pacific Electric Railway: Santa Anita Race Trains and San Vicente Shuttle, 1949

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

This 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]

Pacific Electric’s Hill Street Tunnels: An LA Icon

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

Pacific Electric Hollywood car no. 614 poses for the camera at 1st & Hill Street in this 1923 photo. The south end of the Hill Street tunnel portals dominate the scene. For almost four decades, the twin tunnels stood proudly at the top end of the Hill Street business district.

The rail portion of the twin tunnels was first proposed in 1903. Then as now, bureaucratic “BS” delayed the start of construction for almost 4 years. Finally in 1907, the LA & Pacific took matters into their hands, secured the necessary permits and began construction. Construction of the rail tunnel was completed in 1909.

The rail tunnel saved LAP cars 15 minutes by not having to go around the ‘The Big Hill.” So impressed by the time saved by LAP cars using the tunnel, LA City officials got off their duffs and built an identical auto tunnel in 1913.

Around 1939, the LARY began using the rail portion of the twin bore for car lines 2 and L.

The last use of the tunnel by the LARY cars was in late 1947 thanks to the dirty deeds of the new LATL. PE cars continued to roll through the tunnel until the end of 1950 with the last Echo Park Avenue franchise car.

City of Los Angeles management wasted no time in converting the rail portion of the tunnel for auto and bus use.. The end of the iconic tunnels would come in 1954 when the BUNKER REDEVELOPMENT Project leveled the entire hill over the tunnels. By the end of 1955, there was no trace of the tunnels to be found.

Ralph Cantos Collection[/vc_column_text][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/lary-71-at-1st-hill-a-line.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=”Los Angeles Transit Lines no. 71 in 1947″ desc=”LATL car no. 71 burst into the sunlight shorty before the A Line was abandoned in August 1947.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pe-670-at-1st-hill.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=”Three LA icons in one photo.” desc=”Hollywood car no. 670 stops at 1st & Hill Street. An ACME traffic light guards the intersection while the South portals stand proud.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pe-hill-st-tunnel-after-abandonment-1952.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=”Rails gone” desc=”By mid-1951, the PE and LARY rails had been removed.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pe-hill-st-tunnel-the-end.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=”Demolition underway” desc=”By mid 1954, demolition of the land mark tunnels was well underway. A new Metro Coach Lines 400-class GM bus working the Hollywood Blvd. line trespasses over what was once sacred ground.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″][mk_image src=”https://www.pacificelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/1st-hill-then-now.jpg” image_size=”full” lightbox=”true” title=” The Hill Street Tunnels” desc=”Now you see them-1954, and now you don’t-2014.” hover_image_overlay=”false”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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

[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]