Rw's Pacific Electric Railway Remnants

Los Angeles aka city of angels once had a multi countywide streetcar system founded in 1887. Pacific Electric Railway consisted of Streetcars, Interurban, and Buses throughout Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties. The year was 1901 Henry Huntington  an railway executive, and Isalas Hellman with experience in Frisco's Trolleys (San Francisco) decided to consolidate the rail lines into one transit authority. Hellman a banker started the plan to build multiple lines throughout la's suburbs and satellite cities.

Here come the Yellow Cars

The Long Beach line was the first to open on July 4th, 1902. Pacific Electric Railway operated as a way to increase suburban development in the city of Los Angeles. The yellow streetcar lines in the 1920's mainly operated in la's city center and it's outer communities like Highland Park.  LARy  LA's local streetcar system at the time had its unique yellow scheme than the usual red color  on the original fleet. The 1940's population of LA was booming at the time with communities located within a half of mile of the streetcar lines. Central Los Angeles streetcar transit expanded as far as the wealthy city of Beverley Hills and Hawthorne Ca.

                               The Subway Terminal Building now Lofts.

                        Decline of Pacific Electric Railway

 In 1925 certain streetcar lines started to experience low ridership as a result was converted to bus routes. Interurban lines was still operating at the time to outlining cities like Pasadena running on private right of ways. Factors such as the age of the automobiles, urban street traffic eventually led to the construction of freeways this plan helped seal The already struggling railway's fate in the coming years.

                        Pacific Electric Railway's Closure

In the early 1960's the last streetcar line to Long Beach Ca had ceased operations marking an end to Pacific Electric Railway. 1970's  the original MTA transit authority was exploring some plans to bring rapid train service in the form of the Monorail during the 1973 oil crisis . The Monorail plan ended up being scrapped  for a Subway/ Light Rail transit system instead due to high costs. after 20 plus years without any rapid passenger transit system in place the metro blue line a light rail project opened in 1990 using the the now defunct Pacific Electric streetcar private right of way to Downtown Long Beach Transit Center.

                             Remains of Pacific Electric Railway

Traces of the now defunct streetcar transit system are still found throughout Los Angeles county. Watts Depot station in service from 1904-1961 was renovated in the late 90's and is now used as Metro's Dwp customer service center/museum the vacant lot south of the depot served as a streetcar storage yard.

Ivy sub station a historical landmark once housed power equipment for Pacific Electric Santa Monica Air Line til 1953. Even though the city of Los Angeles acquired the structure it was deserted for decades before seeing re usage as a 99 seat theatre ( The Actors Gang)

Soldiers Home Trolley shelter at Pershing Dr, and Dewey ave, VA Medical Center Campus or Hospital in West wood. The original 1908 trolley shelter for Pacific Electric Soldiers' Home Branch Line, was relocated a short distance from South Sepulveda blvd is now called building 66. 

                    The El Segundo PE Line from downtown Los Angeles(6th st ,and Main St) via Watts to downtown El Segundo ( Eucalyptus and Grand) now currently used by Union Pacific Freight Lines.

The Lynwood Depot Station at 3780 Martin Luther King blvd.. Originally built in 1917 on 11453 Long Beach blvd to serve the PE Santa Ana West Line this Mission Revival-style station was relocated due to the construction of the 105 freeway to Lynwood Park. The Depot is now the offices of the greater Lynwood Chamber Of Commerce.  

Toluca Sub Station at 1304 w 2nd st, West lake. Served as an electric power station for the streetcar subway Glendale/Burbank line from 1925- 1955. Located behind a newly built Apartment complex called Belmont Station.

      4 track speedway e 16th st, and Long Beach ave, downtown Los Angeles ca. Exposed track age on 16th st of the PE Long Beach trunk line that led from the 6th, and Main streets Terminal.