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Following the "Great Merger" of 1910 the Pacific Electric absorbed a great many smaller, and some not so small, electric railways. An effort was made by the shopmen to devise a rational car numbering scheme that could encompass hundreds of different types of cars. They did a splendid job of a difficult task and we follow their lead here in cataloging the PE roster for you.
| Service | 1911 Number | Classification |
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| Deluxe | 01-025 | Business cars, excursion cars, etc. |
| City | 1-399 | Local service within cities, Mt. Lowe cars |
| Suburban | 400-699 | Light Interurban Service |
| Interurban | 700-1299 | Heavy Interurban service |
| Combination | 1300-1399 | Passenger and baggage combines |
| Box Motors | 1400-1499 | Electric less-than-carload (LCL) freight, railway post offices (RPOs) |
| Light Locomotives | 1500-1599 | Switching locomotives |
| Heavy Locomotives | 1600-1699 | Road locomotives |
| Line Cars | 1700-1799 | Overhead maintenance cars |
| Miscellaneous | 1800-1899 | Supply cars, etc. |
| Wreckers | 001-0010 | Specially equipped box motors |
Exceptions:
- The suburban class took over the 700 Class when the last 60 "Hollywood" cars were added. To make room, interurban cars 700-749 were renumbered 950-999 in 1924.
- In 1931 the 1700 and 1800 Classes were terminated. Their cars were renumbered in the "00" Class: 00150-00199.
- In 1940 new PCC cars for suburban service were acquired and numbered in the new 5000-5029 Class. (A major break from the 1911 scheme.)
- The 600 Class was "one-manned" in 1949 and concurrently renumbered into the 5050 Class.
- In 1942 nineteen interurban cars were acquired from the Northwestern Pacific and numbered into the 4500-4518 Class. (Instead of becoming 1275-1293 as was originally planned.)
- In 1945, interurban cars acquired from the "United States Maritime Commission were renumbred 4600-4647; four combos became 4700-4703.
- In 1947 new diesel locomotives were purchased and numbered 1650-1654. At about the same time older gas-electric cars were cut down in length and used as switchers numbered 1648 and 1649.
- The postwar modernization of the 4500, 4600 and 4700 Classes brought about their renumbering into the new 300 and 400 Classes.
- Still another renumbering occurred under the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority regime; surving suburban cars becoming 1800s and interurbans becoming 1500s and 1700s.
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