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Tomorrow's Transit
On the occasion of PE's 50th

WOur 50th anniversary is a significant milestone in the history of Pacific Electric Railway. It is an occasion for a survey of yesterday's achievements and for emphasizing that today's decisions will resolve the destiny of the transit industry. WThe 20th century introduced electricity to replace the horse car. The 21st century may bring jet and atom -powered mass transportation. No matter how it evolves, public transit will remain a fundamental need.
WIt is my hope that along with the inevitable progress in mechanical and traffic engineering will come a more sympathetic under standing of transit operations by the general public and governmental agencies.
W The opinion that a transit franchise is a political favor granted for a price must be corrected. Transit is no longer a monopoly but a governrnent- regulated industry in a critical financial condition chiefly as a result of severe competition from the unregulated private automobile.
WPacific Electric, like all privately owned transit companies, is waging a campaign for more consideration in traffic planning, tax relief and adequate fares.
WMost private operations are deep in the red as a result of increasing labor and material costs, high taxes, decline in off-peak riding and delays by government bureaus in granting necessary fare increases.
WInflation is a familiar headache, but taxation is usually con-fusing. The $2,750,000 in taxes Pacific Electric will pay in 1952 is the amount of revenue from riders and shippers over and above the running expenses. For neither Paciftc Electric nor any other company has any capacity for paying taxes, except as the money as furnished by the customer.
WJohn Q. Public pays ALL the taxes. Unless the tax burden is eased and government regulations modified so that increases in expenses can be met promptly by increases in fares, the private transit operator will soon be unable to carry on a reasonably satisfactory service.
WShould transit reach this stage in Los Angeles, the answer, in my opinion, is not outright municipal ownership, but the creation of some kind of public authority. Municipally owned and operated transit lines are among the most unsuccessful in the country.
WWhile these decisions are in the balance, Pacific Electric begins its 51st year by pledging its continued best efforts to provide transportation on the soundest possible economic basis.

O.A. SMITH, President
April, 1952


Service Is Our Business
WThe extensive service provided by Pacific Electric rail and motor coach lines, together with the importance of the area served, places this carrier among the foremost of its kind in the nation.
WService is our principal stock in trade and we are striving to please our patrons, whether they ride Pacific Electric lines once a year or twice a day; whether they ship a small package or a commodity in carload lots over our freight lines. In addition to the extensive passenger and freight operations, scores of rail cars and trucks are operated daily, handling small freight shipments, baggage, Railway Express and United States Mail to and from many Southern California communities.
WOur capable Information Bureau staff is ready, willing and able to give Information about most anything within the Pacific Electric service area that has to do with "Where is it?" " How far is it?" "What is it like?" or "How do I get there?" The next time you need travel information in or about Los Angeles, call TUcker 7272; from the Alhambra area, call ATlantic 4-3597; from the Glendale area, call CItrus 3 -4531.
WIn more than 50 cities, Pacific Electric maintains representatives at regular stations to help with your travel or shipping requirements. Southern Pacific is represented by Pacific Electric forces at many of these stations, where travelers may obtain information, buy tickets, check baggage and make Pullman and train reservations to all points reached by Southern Pacific and connecting railroads.
WA brief description of many of the points of interest in the territory served by Pacific Electric is contained in the map entitled "Pacific Electric Lines," which is available upon request to H. 0. Marler, Passenger Traffic Manager, Pacific Electric Railway Co., 208 E. Sixth St., Los Angeles 14, Calif.


More Than 100 Million Passengers a Year Carried by Pacific Electric
WA network of Pacific Electric motor coach and rail lines radiates from downtown Los Angeles and serves some 125 cities and communities criss-crossing through four Southern California counties, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino.
WThese passenger lines, mapped in this booklet, extend 70 miles east to Redlands, 44 miles south to Balboa, 17 miles west to Santa Monica, Ocean Park and Venice, and 28 miles north to the City of San Fernando in the San Fernando Valley.
WLongest are the Long Beach-Riverside motor coach line (61 miles), and the Los Angeles-San Bernardino via Foothill BIvd. motor coach line (60.6 miles). Shortest is the Western-Franklin motor coach line in Hollywood (2.7 miles).
WThere are 38 motor coach lines and eight passenger rail lines in the Pacific Electric system. Motor coach lines are divided into five districts:

  1. Northern, 9 lines
  2. Southern, 3 lines
  3. Western, 14 lines
  4. Motor Transit, 9 lines
  5. Los Angeles Motor Coach, 3 lines.
WThe eight rail lines are divided in the Southern and Western districts.
WThe company began the year 1952 with 660 motor coaches and 203 passenger rail cars.
WIn 1951, Pacific Electric carried 102,724,592 passengers and operated 29,070.735 vehicle miles. Motor coaches carried 65,962,520 passengers and were driven 21,860,729 miles over 1,021 highway route miles. Rail cars carried 36,762,072 passengers and were operated 7,210,006 miles. Of the company's 759 miles of track 72 miles are exclusively for passenger service, 145 miles are common to passenger and freight service and 542 miles are exclusively for freight service.
WThere are 19 interurban motor coach lines operating more than a million miles per month.
WTwelve of these lines operate from the Los Angeles St. motor coach terminal and/or the Sixth and Main St. station:
  • (Alhambra Temple City),
  • (Monrovia-GIendora),
  • (Sierra Madre),
  • (Hellman Ave.),
  • (Pasadena via Oak Knoll),
  • (Pasadena via Short Line),
  • (Newport Beach-Balboa).
  • (Sunland).
  • (Fullerton-Santa Ana),
  • (Riverside via Valley BIvd.),
  • (San Bernardino via Garvey BIvd.),
  • (Covina-Pomona).
WThe Redondo Beach line operates from the Olive St. loading zone in Los Angeles.
WSix interurban lines operate between the following terminals:
  • (Long Beach-Huntington Park),
  • (Long Beach-San Pedro),
  • (Long Beach-Riverside),
  • (Long Beach-Pasadena),
  • (Pasadena-Pomona),
  • (Riverside-San Bernardino-Redlands).
WThere are 19 local motor coach lines operating about 800,000 miles per month. Some of these lines operate from the Los Angeles St. and Main St. stations and from the Olive St. deck and loading zone. Other lines operate between local points where there are no terminal facilities.
WThe local lines area:
  • (L.A.-Beverly Hills-Santa Monica),
  • (L.A.-Culver City-Venice),
  • (Beverly-Sunset Blvds.),
  • (Hollywood-Beverly Hills-University),
  • (Western-Franklin Ayes.),
  • (Vermont Ave.-Echo Park-Hill St.-Venice BIvd),
  • (Hollywood-Ventura BIvd.),
  • (Van Nuys-San Fernando),
  • (Van Nuys-Canoga Park),
  • (Van Nuys-Birmingham Hospital),
  • (L.A.-North Hollywood-Van Nays via Riverside Dr.),
  • (North Hollywood-Studio City- Sherman Oaks),
  • (North Hollywood),
  • (Wilshire Blvd .),
  • (Sunset Blvd.),
  • (Fairfax Ave.),
  • (Garfield Ave.-Highland Park),
  • (Emery Park),
  • (L.A.-Sierra Vista).
WThere are three interurban rail lines operating 175,000 miles per month out of the Sixth and Main Sts. station and utilizing 71 cars:
  • (Los Angeles-Long Beach),
  • (Los Angeles-San Pedro),
  • (Los Angeles-Bellflower).
WThere are five local rail lines operating 310,000 car miles per month and utilizing 102 cars. The L.A.- Watts line operates from the Sixth and Main Sts. station. The others operate out of the Subway Terminal:
  • (Subway-Hollywood BIvd.-Beverly Hills),
  • (Subway-Santa Monica BIvd.-Van Nays),
  • (Subway-Santa Monica Blvd.-West Hollywood),
  • (Los Angeles-Glendale-Burbank).
WOn a typical weekday, Pacific Electric operates about 4,700 motor coach trips and 1,100 passenger rail trips.
WThe Pacific Electric building houses the company's general offices and the Sixth and Main Streets Station.


Pacific Electric, Friend of the Men and Women in Uniform
WSelectees, answering their call to military service, become acquainted with Pacific Electric passenger service. From their homes throughout Southern California they travel via Pacific Electric coaches or cars to the induction center in Los Angeles for physical examinations and other processing preparatory to actual military service.
WSailors from ships anchoring in the Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbors have found through the years that when they get a leave or a pass for a few hours on shore, Pacific Electric is at their service in providing transportation to points of interest in Southern California. Whether it's a show in Hollywood or a train connection at Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal for a "trip home," they have a friend and a service partner in Pacific Electric.
WThe resources of Pacific Electric, dedicated to victory in time of war by the transporting of troops, materiel and civilian workers, are now contributing to national security through cooperation with civilian defense and emergency relief organizations.


Freight Service Contributes to Industrial Development
WA vital contribution to the prosperity and growth of industry and commerce in Southern California is made daily by Pacific Electric Railway's freight service.
WWith 900 industries and packing houses on its lines in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, Pacific Electric operated 8,094,256 freight car miles in 1951 and handled about 180,000 loaded cars over its 687 miles of freight tracks.
WLarge celery fields and citrus packing houses are adjacent to Pacific Electric tracks and several hundred carloads of these products are originated on Pacific Electric lines each year for movement to points in eastern and southern states.
WCarloads of freight are interchanged daily with transcontinental carriers through Pacific Electric's Butte St. and State St. yards in Los Angeles and yards in San Bernardino and Colton.
WPacific Electric serves the harbors of Los Angeles and Long Beach expeditiously. The Harbor Belt Line Railroad is the operating agency at Los Angeles Harbor for Pacific Electric and the three transcontinental rail carriers in this industry, covering industries, canneries, steamship docks and berths at San Pedro, East San Pedro and Wilmington. Pacific Electric is the operating agency at Long Beach Harbor on behalf of itself and the three transcontinental railroads.
WAugmenting the company's electric and gasoline-electric locomotives are 21 diesel-electric units recently placed in operation as a step toward complete dieselization.
WPacific Electric is active in a perpetual encouragement of industrial development in Southern California and has been successful in locating a number of new industries on its lines.
WInquiries are welcomed in regard to industrial locations or general information.


Keeping 'Em Rolling
WBehind every motor coach operator and trainman are 800 experienced mechanics and maintenance workers in strategically located repair and reconditioning shops. They keep in safe and efficient running condition the 660 busses, 203 passenger rail cars, 30 boxmotors, 73 freight cars, 26 cabooses and 56 locomotives owned and operated by Pacific Electric.
WPrincipal motor coach shops are located at the recently remodelled Macy St. garage and the new $315,000 Ocean Park garage. Rail equipment overhauling is done at the sprawling Torrance shops spread over 46 acres and composed of 13 buildings, three of which are 400 feet long and 200 feet wide. Most of the rail equipment running repairs are handled at Watts. Other shops are located at West Hollywood, Long Beach, San Pedro, Riverside, San Bernardino and the Butte St. yard in Los Angeles.
WIn addition to repair, refueling, lubricating and cleaning facilities, the shops are equipped for body rebuilding, upholstering and painting.
WEqually important to the efficient operation of Pacific Electric's passenger and freight equipment are other departments: the schedule-makers who keep a constant check on passenger service; the communications department which keeps over 700 telephones in working order; and experts in the fields of engineering, electricity, research, accounting, law, personnel, employe training, traffic safety, industrial planning and public relations.
WThe combined efforts of these experts, coordinated by an executive staff with know -how gained by years of experience, assure efficient service.


Background in Brief
WThe name "Pacific Electric" first appeared on rail cars in Los Angeles in 1899. This was one of 72 separately-owned rail lines, most of them short-lived, which sprang up from the time the first horse car franchise was granted in 1873 until the turn of the century.
WHenry E. Huntington, wealthy nephew of Collis P. Huntington, president of Southern Pacific, reorganized the Pacific Electric Railway Co. in 1901, acquiring an interurban line to Pasadena and several local lines.
WHowever, Pacific Electric dates its origin from 1902 because it was in the spring of that year that Huntington began construction of the Long Beach Line, the Alhambra Line to San Gabriel, the Pasadena Short Line and the extension of the Venice Short Line from Vineyard to Santa Monica.
WMost of the system's other major lines were built during the following decade. The Monrovia Line, opened in 1903, reached Glendora in 1907. Lines to GIendale, Newport Beach and San Pedro were opened in 1904. The Whittier Line was opened the same year and reached Yorba Linda in 1911. The Santa Ana Line was opened in 1905; the Sierra Madre and Pasadena via Oak Knoll Lines followed in 1906. A line to Covina, opened in 1907, reached Pomona in 1911 and San Bernardino in 1914. The Van Nuys Line was opened and the Glendale Line extended to Burbank in 1911.
WA unified interurban facility was created in 1911 with consolidation of the primary systems Los Angeles Pacific, Los Angeles Redondo, Los Angeles Interurban and Pacific Electric.
WMotor coaches were introduced by Pacific Electric in 1917, on the San Bernardino-Highland-Patton Line. In 1923, Pacific Electric and the Los Angeles Railway set up a joint operation known as the Los Angeles Motor Coach Co., which was split between the two companies in 1949. In 1930, Pacific Electric bought a two thirds interest in the interurban Motor Transit Co. and in 1936 purchased the other third interest from Greyhound. In 1939, these lines were wholly merged with P.E. operations.
WThe rehabilitation program of 1939-40 further stimulated motor coach business, when bus substitutions were made on six rail lines.
WDuring an 18-month period in 1950-51, a $7,000,000 modernization featured by the purchase of 199 new motor coaches for a further change-over from passenger rail service, construction of garage and terminal facilities, a new freight line from Azusa to Baldwin Park and nearly complete dieselization of freight operations provided an impressive climax to a half century of transportation service in Southern California.

WWWWWInteresting Facts About Pacific Electric Railway

Rail Mileage of System (single track miles)759
Mileage of System Motor Coach Lines1,021
Number Cities and Communities Served125
Number of Employees4,700
Passengers Carried (Year ending December 31, 1951)102,724,592
Motor Coach Miles Operated, 1951 (Revenue)21,860,729
Rail Car Miles Operated, 19517,210,006
Passenger Equipment Operated:Passenger Cars
Motor Coaches
203
660
Average Present Daily Passenger Car Mileage:Rail
Motor Coach
15,865
60,741
Freight-Express-Mail
and Other Equipment Operated:
Electric Locomotives
Steam Locomotives
Diesel-Electric Locomotives
Gas-Electric-Locomotives
Express Cars (Box Motors)
Cabooses
Freight Cars (Owned)
27
6
261
2
3,206
26
*73
Number of Scheduled Trains Daily
from Various System Termini: Local Trains
855
Interurban Trains242
Freight Trains30
Express Cars (Mail).34
Total Number Scheduled Trains Daily1,161
Number Motor Coach Trips Daily
from Various System Termini:
Local Coaches 2,750
Interurban Coaches 1,948
Total Number of Scheduled Coaches Daily.4,698
Number of Power Substations in System29
*Does not include foreign line cars handled over P.E. Lines.
Additional copies of this booklet
and enlarged copies of map may be secured by writing H.O. Marler, Passenger Traffic Manager
Pacific Electric Railway Co.
208 East 6th Street
Los Angeles 14, Calif.

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