Pacific Electric Railway
Comfort - Speed - Safety World's Wonderland Lines 1901-1961 | |
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Pacific Electric Railway logo (1911) |
The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, is a former, privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electric railway system in the world in the 1920s. Organized around the city centers of Los Angeles and San Bernardino, it connected cities in Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County and Riverside County.
The system shared dual gauge track with the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge Los Angeles Railway, "Yellow Cars," or "LARy" system on Main Street in downtown Los Angeles (directly in front of the 6th and Main terminal), on 4th Street, and along Hawthorne Boulevard south of downtown Los Angeles toward the cities of Hawthorne, Gardena, and Torrance.
History
Historical timeline
- 1901: Interurban service from Los Angeles to Long Beach commences.
- 1903: An industrial strike between Mexican tracklayers and their employers resulted in the Pacific Electric Railway strike of 1903. The strike continued for six days, with the Mexican workers demanding equal pay to their European counterparts doing the same work. The strike was organized by Union Federal Mexicanos, representing about 700 workers.
- 1910: Henry Huntington sold interests of Pacific Electric to Southern Pacific Railroad, sparking consolidation of regional railways to Southern Pacific control. In exchange for selling his interests in Pacific Electric, Henry Huntington gained full (complete) control of Los Angeles local streetcar system, the Los Angeles Railway.
- 1913: Fire destroyed the Sherman (West Hollywood) carhouse.
- 1919: The 1919 Streetcar Strike of Los Angeles was a violent revolt to open shop policies of the Pacific Electric Railway. The strike resulted in a six-day breakout, before strikers were subdued by local armed police forces.
- 1921: A sweeping fire consumed the Redondo carhouse.
- 1961: The last interurban service from Los Angeles to Long Beach is replaced by motor coach route 39f.
Districts
The system had four districts:
- Northern District: San Gabriel Valley, including Pasadena, Mount Lowe, South Pasadena, Alhambra, El Monte, Covina, Duarte, Glendora, Azusa, Sierra Madre, and Monrovia.
- Eastern District: Pomona, San Bernardino, Arrowhead Springs, Riverside, Rialto and Redlands in the Inland Empire.
- Southern District: Long Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, San Pedro via Dominguez, Santa Ana, El Segundo, Redondo Beach via Gardena, and San Pedro Via Torrance.
- Western District: Hollywood, Glendale/Burbank, San Fernando Valley, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Manhattan/Redondo/Hermosa Beaches, Venice, Playa Del Rey.
Depots
This list is incomplete.
- Macy Street Yard:
- Redondo:
- Sherman Shops:
- Torrance Shop:
Rail lines
Numbered lines
This list is incomplete.
- 1-5 Los Angeles - Long Beach/San Pedro - Long Beach - San Pedro
- 2 Los Angeles - Glendale - Burbank
- 3 Los Angeles Local Lines - (Hollywood Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, Western-Franklin Motor Coach Line, Venice Blvd-San Vincente, Echo Park Av, Sierra Vista-Watts, Emery Park Motor Coach line)
- 4 Long Beach - San Pedro
- 5 Los Angeles - Santa Ana Line
- 6/7 Los Angeles - Long Beach via Compton.
- 8 Covina Rail Line
- ?10? Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena-Oak Knoll Line
- 11 Los Angeles - Bellflower Line
- A11 Los Angeles - Long Beach, Los Angeles-San Pedro, Long Beach-San Pedro
- 13 Los Angeles - Monrovia - Glendora Line
- 15 Alhambra - San Gabriel - Temple City Line
- 29 Glendale - Burbank Line
- A32 Long Beach Local Lines - Los Angeles - Redondo Beach
- 35 Garvanza and East 9th Street Line
- 36 Temple Street Line
- 37 Brooklyn Avenue Line
- 38 Arcade Depot Line
- 39 Belt, Angeleno Heights Line
- 45 Pasadena Line (Short Line)
- 46 Pasadena Line
- 47 Monrovia Line
- 48 Alhambra Line
- 49 Long Beach Line
- 50 Whittier Line
- 51 Mount Lowe Line
- 52 Ascot Park Line (seasonal)
- Calship Victory Specials (by United States Maritime Commission)
Northern and Eastern Divisions
Alhambra-San Gabriel, Annandale, Arlington-Corona, Arrowhead, Covina, East Washington, El Monte-Baldwin Park, Highland, Lamanda Park, Monrovia-Glendora, Mount Lowe, North Lake, Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena via Oak Knoll, Ontario-San Antonio Heights, Ontario-Upland, Pomona, Pomona-Claremont, Redlands, Riverside-Arlington, Riverside-Rialto, San Bernardino-Riverside, San Dimas, San Dimas Local, Shorb, Sierra Madre, Sierra Vista Local, South Pasadena Local, Upland-San Bernardino
Southern Division
American Avenue, Balboa, Bellflower, Catalina Dock, East Seventh Street, East Third Street, Fullerton, Hawthorne-El Nido, Hawthorne-El Segundo, Huntington Beach-La Bolsa, La Habra-Yorba, Linda, Long Beach, Long Beach-San Pedro, Redondo via Gardena, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Santa Ana-Huntington Beach, Santa Ana-Orange, Seal Beach, Seal Beach-Huntington Beach-Newport Beach, Terminal Island, Torrance, Watts, Whittier
Western Division
Beverly Hills, Brush Canyon, Coldwater, Canyon, Echo Park Avenue, Edendale Local, Glendale-Burbank, Lankershim-Van Nuys, Laurel Canyon, Owensmouth, Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey, San Fernando, Santa Monica Air Line, Sawtelle, Sherman Soldiers' Home, Venice-Inglewood, Venice-Playa del Rey, Venice Short Line, West 16th Street, Western and Franklin Avenue, Westgate
All-time roster
Rail (city, suburban and inter-urban)
This section is incomplete.
Car numbering scheme of 1911
Following the consolidation of numerous agencies into the Pacific Electric Railway fold, in 1911, many cars had repeated numbers, forcing the PE system to renumber received cars into a cohesive numbering scheme.
Although confusing at first glance, the PE renumbering scheme rationalized these cars into a simplified format, instead of a scheme encompassing hundreds of different types of cars.
- Deluxe cars (01-025) were reserved for business cars, excursion cars, etc..
- City cars (1-399) covered cars used in local service in cities, and Mt. Lowe.
- Suburban cars (400-699) covered cars on lower-patronized interurban lines.
- Interurban cars (700-1299) covered cars on higher-patronized interurban lines.
- Combine cars (1300-1399) covered cars with passenger/baggage areas.
- Box motor cars (1400-1499) covered cars with freight and RPO (Railway Post Office) capabilities.
- Locomotives (1500-1599 and 1600-1699) covered locomotive cars.
- Line/Maintenance cars (1700-1799)
- Miscellaneous cars (1800-1899)
- Wreckers (001-0010)
Fleet number(s) |
Thumbnail | Order | Build year(s) |
Builder | Type | Motors | Trucks | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10-17 | 1895 | Barney and Smith | ST Open | (4) 38B | DT PE 5' 3" rigid bolster | See fleet page for details. | ||
40 | 1903 | L&RR | Control Trailer | Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company 50, received in September of 1911. | ||||
41 | 1902 | L&RR | Control Trailer | Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company 51, received in September of 1911. | ||||
50-69 | 18579 | Jan 1913 | Brill | Hedley | See fleet page for details. | |||
70-74 | 18773 | Jan 1913 | Brill | Hedley | See fleet page for details. | |||
75-80 | 18771 | Jan 1913 | Brill | Hedley | See fleet page for details. | |||
90-99 | 20 | Dec 1898 | St. Louis |
| ||||
100-114 | 1543 | Apr 1930 | St. Louis | DT City |
| |||
145-146 | 756 | St. Louis | DT Los Angeles car | Ex-San Bernadino Valley Traction Company 21-22 , received in February, 1911. | ||||
146-149, 158-161, 120-127 | 99 | 1898 | American | Metropolitan |
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150-152 | 1333 |
| ||||||
152-154 | 473 | 1911 | Kuhlman | California | BR | See fleet page for details. | ||
155-158 | 287 | Mar 1902 | St. Louis |
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155-157 | 512 | 1911 | Kuhlman | California | BR | See fleet page for details. | ||
172-179 | PAYE | Ex-Southern Pacific Company. | ||||||
200-229 | 1909 | St. Louis | DT California | (2) PE 5' 3" rigid bolster | (2) 38B | Ex-Los Angeles Inter-Urban Electric Railway 912-941.
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230-249 | 840 | 1909 | St. Louis | DT Interurban |
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235-237 | 226 | Oct. 1901 | St. Louis | DT Combination |
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250-269 | 254 | Jan 1902 | St. Louis | 250-255 are ex-Los Angeles Inter-Urban Electric Railway 876-881.
256-269 are ex-Los Angeles Inter-Urban Electric Railway 892-905.
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270-299 | 351 | Dec 1902 | St. Louis |
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280-283, 288 | 226 | Oct. 1901 | St. Louis | DT Combination |
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284-287 | 287 | Mar 1902 | St. Louis | Previously numbered 01, 155-157. | ||||
291, 293-294, 297 | 1908 | Pacific Electric | Single-Unit Passenger Car | Westinghouse 38B | ||||
300-319 | 422 | 1903 | St. Louis |
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300-319 | 18579 | Jan 1913 | Brill | Hedley | Renumbered 50-69 in 1921. | |||
3##-3## | 1541
(314-317) |
1929-1930 | St. Louis | Interurban |
| |||
320-329 | 570 | Jun 1905 | St. Louis | DT 48' |
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320-339 | 1153A | Jan 1919 | American | Birney | see notes | BR 78M1F |
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335-386 | 664 | May 1906 | St. Louis | DT 49' |
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340-388 | 21115 | Jul 1920 | Brill | Birney | see notes | BR 79E1 |
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350-369 | 1153A | Jan 1919 | American | Birney | see notes | Brill
78M1F |
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364-373 | 570 | June 1905 | St. Louis | DT 48' |
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408 | Single Unit Passenger Car | Westinghouse 306-B | Ex-San Bernardino Valley Traction Company. | |||||
430-433 | 384 | Apr 1903 | St. Louis | DT Combination | McGuire
5' 4" |
Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Beach Railway 101-104, received in September, 1911. | ||
434-445 | 1904-1906 | L&RR | Passenger motor car | Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company 105-116. | ||||
446-447 | 1906 | L&RR | MU passenger motor car | Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company 117-118. | ||||
448 | 1907 | L&RR | Funeral motor car | Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company 200. | ||||
450-455 | 1908-1909 | L&RR | MU Passenger Coach | Westinghouse 306-B | Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company 201-206. | |||
456-465 | 1910 | L&RR | MU Passenger
Coach |
Westinghouse 306-B |
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466-467 | 850 | St. Louis |
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468-470 | 850 | St. Louis |
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470-474 | 1903 | St. Louis | DT Closed | (4) 101B | DT PE 5' 3" rigid bolster. |
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500-529 | 226 | 1901 | St. Louis | Baby Five MU Coach | Ex-Los Angeles and Pasadena Electric Railway Company 200-229, received in 1902. | |||
530-549 | 1909 | St. Louis | Medium Five MU Coach | |||||
550-559 | 443A | 1909 | St. Louis | DT 40' Combination |
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560-569 | 470A | Jun 1904 | St. Louis | DT 41' |
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570-579 | 533A | Mar 1905 | St. Louis | DT Combination |
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580-589 | 551A | May 1905 | St. Louis | DT Combination |
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590-599 | 569 | Jun 1905 | St. Louis | DT Combination |
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600-649 | 1270 | Mar 1922 | St. Louis | Hollywood | 600-638 renumbered to 5111-5149 (in reverse sequence) in 1950. + | |||
650-699 | 1317 | Jun 1923 | St. Louis | Hollywood |
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700-731 | 1924 | St. Louis | Hollywood | 700-731 renumbered to 5154-5180 in 1950. | ||||
732-749 | 22004 | 1925 | Brill | Hollywood | To Ferrocarril General Urquiza (Buenos Aires, AR) 3732-3749. | |||
750-759 | 1479 | 1928 | St. Louis | Hollywood
(750-class) |
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800-929 | 1902-1906 | St. Louis | Wood Interurban
(800-class) |
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912-941 | 841 | 1909 | DT City Car |
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950-993 | 1907 | St. Louis | (950-class) | Ex-Los Angeles Pacific Electric Railway | ||||
994-998 | 1911 | St. Louis | (950-class) | Previously deluxe cars 021-025, between 1911-1927. | ||||
999 | (950-class) |
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1001-1044 | 1913-1914 | Jewett | (Ten-Hundred or Tens-class)
|
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1045-1046 | 1908 | ACF | (4) Westinghouse 132C (160hp) | Baldwin 84-30A |
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1047 | Renumbered to 1045 in ... ? | |||||||
1050-1057 | All scrapped by 1950. | |||||||
1100-1149 | 1924 | Standard/ Hammond |
(Eleven Hundred-Class) | [2].
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1200-1221 | 1924 | Pressed Steel |
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1222-1241 | 1924 | Pressed Steel |
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1242-1251 | 1924 | Pressed Steel | Trailers |
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1252-1257 | 1924 | Pressed Steel |
Most scrapped in 1951 at Kaiser shops. | |||||
1258-1263 | 4093 | Sep 1913 | Pullman |
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1299 | 4096 | 1912 | Pullman | (4) GE 222D (125hp) |
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1300 | 1903 | L&RR | Passenger and Baggage combo | Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company 1. | ||||
1311 | 1907 | L&RR | Passenger and Baggage combo | Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company 2. | ||||
1372-1376 | 1924 | Pressed Steel | Ex-Oregon and California Railway 5001, 5011-5014. | |||||
1400 | 1903 | L&RR | Express (ex-Passenger) | Ex-Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company 3. | ||||
1417-1418 | Box motors |
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1509-1511
1554 1556-1557 1559 |
1898 | St. Louis |
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4500-4504 |
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4505-4511 | 1541 | St. Louis |
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4512-4516 |
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4517-4518 | 1542 | St. Louis |
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5000-5029 | W6642 | Jul 1940 | Pullman | PCC | WH-1432 | Clark B-2 |
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5066-5095 | 1924 | St. Louis | Hollywood |
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5111-5149 | 1922 | St. Louis | Hollywood |
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5154-5180 | 22004 | 1925 | Brill | Hollywood |
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Alabama | 414 | 1903 | St. Louis |
| ||||
Hermosa |
|
Bus
This section is incomplete.
Over its operation, the Pacific Electric Railway featured known buses from General Motors, Twin Coach, White Motor Company and Yellow Coach.
Fleet number(s) | Thumbnail | Serial Numbers | Year | Manufacturer | Model | Engine | Transmission | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
220 | 102933 | 1941 | Yellow Coach | PG-2505 | GMC 308 | |||
225-232 | 1950 | GMC | PDA-4101 | |||||
315-317 | 1940 | Twin Coach | 30-RG | |||||
1685-1694 | 88940-88949 | 1940 | Yellow Coach | PG-3701 | GMC 707 | |||
1910-1924 | 1940 | Twin Coach | 35-RL Special | |||||
2000-2023 | White | 788-6 | ||||||
2025-2049 | 1942 | White | 798-6 | |||||
2050-2094 | 1941 | White | 798-6 | |||||
2100-2124 | 1940 | Twin Coach | 41-G | |||||
2125-2129 | 22-26 | 1947 | Twin Coach | 44-D | Fageol 200hp | |||
2150 | 1 | 1950 | Twin Coach | 52-S2P | Single propane | Ex-Twin Coach 52-S2 demo; bought in 1950. | ||
2220-2289 | 1947 | White | 798 | |||||
2300-2319 | 1942 | White | 798 | |||||
2320-2324 | 1942 | White | 798 | |||||
2325-2379 | 1944 | White | 798 | Ex-Los Angeles Motor Coach Company. | ||||
2380-2394 | 1945 | White | 798 | |||||
2395-2409 | 1944 | White | 798 | |||||
2410-2422 | 1945 | White | 798 | Ex-Los Angeles Motor Coach Company 3361, 3366, 3369, 3372, 3376-3377, 3379-3380, 3383, 3386, 3356-3357, 3387; bought in 1949. | ||||
2500-2534 | 0103-0137 | 12/1941 | Yellow Coach | TD-4505 | DD 6-71 | |||
2600-2618 | 7-8/1947 | GMC | TDH-4507 | DD 6-71 | Ex-Los Angeles Motor Coach Company 4534-4538, 4533-4521; bought in 1949. | |||
2619-2638 | 0136-0155+ | 11/1946 | GMC | TDH-4507 | DD 6-71 | Ex-Los Angeles Motor Coach Company 4520-4500; bought in 1949. | ||
2639-2677 | 0049-0056
0057-0088 |
1940 | Yellow Coach | TD-4502 |
| |||
2678-2699 | 0018-0032
0125-0131 |
6-7/1945 | GMC | TD-4506 | Ex-Los Angeles Motor Coach Company 4341-4362; bought in 1949. | |||
2700 | 0501 | 1949 | GMC | TDH-4510 | Allison V Series | Ex-GM demo; bought in June 1950. | ||
2701-2824 | 0002-0125 | 7-9/1950 | GMC | TDH-5103 | DD 6-71 | |||
2825-2854 | 0302-0331 | 02-03/1951 | GMC | TDH-5103 | DD 6-71 | |||
2855-2886 | 0557-0588 | 06/1951 | GMC | TDH-5103 | DD 6-71 | |||
2887-2889 | 0589-0591 | 12/1951 | GMC | TDH-5103 | DD 6-71 | |||
2900-2934 | 0001-0035 | 05/1953 | GMC | TDH-5103 | DD 6-71 | |||
3000-3024 | 1948 | White | 798 |
References
- ↑ ERHA.org, Pacific Electric 1045 Steel Interurban
- ↑ ERHA.org, [http://www.erha.org/pe1100h.htm Pacific Electric 1100 Class History], accessed 5/4/2020.
- ↑ Electric Railway Historical Association (ERHA), Individual Car Histories, 1100 Class:].