Pasadena Local Lines
Introduction:
LOCAL LINES OF PASADENA
CONTEXT,
PASADENA FACTS:
Pasadena, twelve miles
northeast of Los Angeles, early on became the second largest city in the county
and retained that distinction for many years.
In more recent times, Pasadena has been surpassed in size by other
cities, but during most of the Pacific Electric era, Pasadena ranked second
only to Los Angeles in passenger traffic importance.
The San Gabriel
Mountains and the San Rafael Hills surround Pasadena on the north and west
respectively. The land upon which the
city itself was laid out slopes gradually from the north toward the southeast,
and has an average elevation of 859 feet.
Pasadena is bounded on the
north by the City of Altadena, largely residential in nature. On the west, the deep gash of the Arroyo
Seco once formed a natural boundary. To
the south are the communities of South Pasadena and San Marino, with no natural
boundaries separating them from Pasadena or each other. Arcadia and Sierra Madre flank Pasadena's
eastern border, although considerable open countryside once separated these
cities.
Pasadena was served by three
railroads: The Santa Fe, the Union Pacific, and the Southern Pacific—the latter
two by branch lines only.
Pasadena streets are laid
out parallel to meridian and base lines with the exception of a small portion
on the west side. The city blocks are
rectangular, with the long measurements running north and south.
The main thoroughfare in
Pasadena is Colorado Street, running east and west. Crossing Colorado at approximate half-mile intervals are
secondary streets of importance:
Fair Oaks Avenue
Los Robles Avenue
Lake Avenue
Hill Avenue and
Allen Avenue.
Secondary streets
paralleling Colorado Street to the north are:
Orange Grove
Villa Street and
Washington Street;
to the south are Green
Street and California Street.
Pasadena was one of the
"Great Boom" cities, having been founded in 1886. In 1904 North Pasadena was annexed, and in
1906 East Pasadena met a similar fate.
San Rafael Heights and Linda Vista were annexed in 1914 and subsequent
annexations saw the city's area grow from 5.1 square miles (1886) to 19.68
(1938). The city is chiefly residential
in character, although World War II brought a considerable expansion of
manufacturing. Pasadena is self
sufficient to a degree not usually encountered in a smaller city so close to a
metropolis; it is remarkably independent in regards to civic, business,
financial, recreation and educational activities; its leading university, California Institute of Technology (CALTECH)
is world famous.
Population figures cannot
take into account the considerable number of people living in county territory
adjacent to Pasadena such as Altadena.
However, as of 1920, there were 45,000 residents in the city; in 1930
the figures had grown to 76,086; and in 1937, a good estimate was 82,500. Adding the county residents, the Pasadena
transportation service area that year probably was about 105,000 persons.
No words need be added
concerning Pasadena's tourist attractions.
Its Tournament of Roses, Rose Bowl Game, Mt. Wilson Observatory, Santa
Anita Racetrack, and Huntington Library keep it
continually in the national spotlight.
PACIFIC
ELECTRIC IN PASADENA:
The Great Merger brought the Pacific Electric Company to Pasadena. On September 3, 1911, it obtained ownership
of a general system of local and interurban rail passenger lines in the Crown
City, which had been developed since 1886 by a number of predecessor companies. Chief among these predecessors were the old
Pacific Electric and it’s associated company, the Los Angeles Inter-urban Railway Company,
henceforth LAIU. These companies traced
their lineage back to the Los Angeles & Pasadena, the Pasadena & Mt. Lowe, the
Pasadena & Los Angeles, plus a host of horse car companies such as the
Pasadena Street Railroad, the Highland Railroad, the Colorado Street Railway,
the City Railway of Pasadena, and the West Pasadena Railway.
|
To
give a thumbnail sketch of street railway development in Pasadena: |
|
|
1886 |
The
first horse car line opens; 3'-6" gauge. Pasadena Street Railroad. |
|
1893 |
The
first electric line opens; 3'-6" gauge. City Railway Company. |
|
1894 |
The
Pasadena & Los Angeles Electric Railway purchases all Pasadena street
railway companies. |
|
1895 |
The
P&LA opens the first interurban in Southern California: |
|
|
Pasadena
to Los Angeles. |
|
|
The
bulk of the horse car lines are rebuilt and electrified, 3'-6" gauge.
Additional electric lines built. |
|
1898 |
The
Los Angeles & Pasadena Electric Railway Company succeeds the
P&LA. By this time the Pasadena
city lines had grown to 32.17 equivalent single track miles. |
|
|
Last
horse car line abandoned. |
|
1902 |
Old
Pasadena Electric succeeds the Los Angeles & Pasadena. |
|
1903 |
Old
PE rebuilds practically all Pasadena electric railways, standard gauging
(4'-8˝") them, laying heavier rail and reconstructing trolley wire. |
|
1904 |
The
Pasadena & Mt. Lowe Railway is absorbed, many new lines built. This was a
period of intense activity and when completed, Pasadena had an exemplary
completed, local and interurban rail network. |
|
1911 |
Old
PE and LAIU jointly performed this work. |
|
1911 |
New
PE succeeds Old PE and LAIU. |
|
1912 |
Southern
Pacific Pasadena Station electrified for PE use; access trackage via Broadway
electrified. |
|
|
Numerous
extensions and new lines built, also three older line rebuilt. |
|
1923 |
PE
motor coaches replace all but four local rail lines; as these four lines are
through-routed, plus two rail lines remain of a strictly local character. |
|
1941 |
Remaining
local rail lines abandoned; PE sells its city lines to Pasadena City Lines,
Inc., a National City Lines property. |
CAR
ASSIGNMENTS:
Pacific
Electric official records show the entire history of the car assignments of the
Pasadena local service from 1911 to 1941.
Intervening
years wherein assignments remained substantially the same as the year or years
immediately preceding have been omitted.
|
Year |
Details |
|
1911 |
Twenty
five cars of the 200 Class provided all local service. These were operated by
two man crews, as were all Pasadena local cars until the advent of the
Birneys in 1920. |
|
1913 |
Seven
of the 120 Class, twenty-two of the 200 Class and six of the 430 Class. |
|
1914 |
Ten
of the 170 Class and twenty of the 300 Class. The 170s were steel,
center-entrance & exit. 600-1200 volt cars obtained from Southern
Pacific's Oakland Lines. The 300s were the famous "Dragons", steel,
center entrance & exit, low step cars designed by New Yorkers. Note that
in this year every Pasadena city car was steel, and of modern
design—undoubtedly the high spot of equipment assigned to the Crown City. |
|
1915 |
The
Dragons remained—all twenty of them—but the 170s left, needed in 1200-volt
territory. Replacing them came one 200 and ten 160s. brought in from Pomona
when that part of the PE system went over to 1200 volt operation.(This car
assignment remained constant for 1916, 1917 and into 1918; then one of the
Dragons was withdrawn, leaving nineteen). |
|
1920 |
Forty-five
Birneys (340 Class) came to town, but still there were ten 160s and six
Dragons retained. |
|
1922 |
Thirty-nine
340s, ten 160s, two 200s. |
|
1924-1941 |
Birney
Safety cars. How the years cut these down in number is noteworthy: 1924 (37);
1928 (36); 1929 (35); 1931 (35); 1933 (23); 1936 (25); 1938 (26) |
The
following local rail lines were operated by Pacific Electric in Pasadena
Pacific
Electric local rail lines in Pasadena were backboned by Colorado Street. Secondary trunk lines were North Fair Oaks
and North Lake.
East Colorado Street Line:
From Fair Oaks Avenue to Daisy Avenue in Lamanda Park, 3.29 miles, of which all
was double track except that portion from Lamanda Park Junction to Daisy
Avenue, 0.51 mile.
History: Horse car line built between Fair Oaks and city limits, then 688' east
of Lake Avenue, in 1886 by Colorado Street Railway Company. Electrified 1894 by Pasadena & Los
Angeles Railway Company. Standardized
and extended to Lamanda Park Junction by Old PE in 1903. Extended to Daisy Avenue in 1906 by
LAIU. Abandoned 1941 from Lake Avenue
to end. Abandoned 1950 from Fair Oaks
to Lake Avenue.
North Fair Oaks Avenue Line:
From Colorado Street north to Mariposa and thence east to Lake Avenue, 4.28
miles, all double track.
History: Horse car line from Colorado to Chestnut built 1886 by Pasadena Street
Railroad Company. Horse car line from
Chestnut to Mountain View Avenue built in 1887 by City Railway Company of
Pasadena. Electrified in 1894 by
P&LA from Colorado Street to Montana Street. Standard gauged and extended to Mariposa & Lake by Old PE in
1903; abandoned 1941 from Chestnut to Mariposa; abandoned 1952 from Colorado to
Chestnut.
North Lake Avenue Line:
Horse car line built by Highland Railroad Company in 1888 from Villa Street to
New York Avenue. It was later extended
to Altadena in vicinity of Mendocino Street.
From Villa south to Colorado built as horse car line at unknown
date. In 1894 electrified by P&LA
form Colorado Street to Villa as part of North Loop. Standard gauged by Old PE 1903 and extended to East Orange Grove
Avenue by Old PE 1904. Extended to
Mariposa by LAIU, probably 1906.
Abandoned 1941.
Mileage:
2.32 (Colorado to Mariposa) of which all but 0.49 was double tracked.
Lincoln Avenue Line:
From junction with the North Fair Oaks Line at Chestnut Street to Lincoln &
Montana, 2.30 miles, all double tracked.
History:
Built new in 1913 by Pacific Electric. Abandoned 1941.
West Colorado & Orange Grove Avenue Line:
From Colorado & Fair Oaks, west on Colorado to Orange Grove, north and east
on Orange Grove to Los Robles Avenue, 2.52 miles, of which all was single track
except 0.33 mile from Fair Oaks to Vernon on Colorado.
History: Horse car line on Colorado from Fair Oaks to Vernon (U.P. Station) was
built in 1891 by West Pasadena Railway Company. Electrified by P&LA 1894.
Standard gauged 1903 by Old PE and extended to Orange Grove Avenue the
same year. Orange Grove Avenue track
built by Old PE in 1903-04 from Colorado to Fair Oaks, and by LAIU in 1907 from
Fair Oaks to Los Robles. Abandoned
1923.
North Loop Line:
From North Los Robles & Colorado Street north on single track on North Los
Robles to Villa Street, thence east to Lake on double track, north on Lake to
East Orange Grove Avenue, and east on Orange Grove on single track to Allen
Avenue. Cars on this line operated on
Colorado Street to Vernon Avenue.
Mileage: 1.70 from Colorado & North Los Robles to Villa & Lake, of
which 0.47 was double track and 1.09 on Orange Grove East. Remainder of route was shared.
Trackage on Villa and North Los Robles was built in 1888 as a horse car line by
Highland Railroad; electrified in 1894 by P&LA at which time it was a true
loop, running via Los Robles, Villa, Lake and Colorado. Old PE standard-gauged the North Loop in
1904. LAIU built the East Orange Grove
extension in 1907. Abandoned 1923.
East Washington Street:
Shared trackage from Colorado & Fair Oaks via Colorado and North Los Robles
to Willa Street. Thence on own tracks,
north on Los Robles to Washington, east on Washington to Tierra Alta.
Mileage: 3.24 from Villa Street, all single track. The portion from Villa on North Robles to Washington and on
Washington to Lake was built in 1906 by LAIU; New PE built the Lake-Tierra Alta
segment on Washington in 1912. The Line
was abandoned in 1923.
Mendocino Avenue Line:
From Lake Avenue on Mendocino to Allen Avenue, 1.17 miles, all single track.
Built 1913 by New PE; abandoned 1932. This
was not a true line, but an extension of the North Lake Avenue Line.
South Loop Line:
From Colorado & South Los Robles via South Los Robles to California Street,
thence east to Tournament Park, 0.77 miles of single track and 0.85 of double
track. Los Robles from Colorado to
California and California from Los Robles to Lake was built in 1888 by the Colorado
Street Railway Company. This trackage
was rebuilt and electrified by P&LA in 1894 and operated as a true loop,
continuing north on Lake to Colorado, thence west to Fair Oaks. The Tournament Park extension was opened on
December 18, 1904. The South Loop was standard gauged that same year by Old
PE. The South Loop Line became the
Tournament Park Line in the late Teens and was abandoned in 1923.
Arroyo Seco Line:
On Raymond Avenue from Colorado Street to California Street, thence west on
California to Arroyo Drive on the brink of Arroyo Seco, 1.73 miles of which
1.04 was double track. Prior to 1914,
this line's downtown terminus was at Broadway & Colorado alongside the SP
Depot; route from there was south on Broadway to Bellevue, east to Raymond, thence
as above. The Highland Railroad built
trackage on Raymond Avenue from Colorado Street to Glenarm Street in 1888. In 1889 Raymond between Bellevue and Glenarm
was abandoned. P&LA rebuilt and
electrified Raymond from Bellevue to Chestnut in 1894. Old PE standard gauged this portion in
1904. In 1904 new double track was
constructed by LAIU on Raymond between Bellevue and California Street, and on
California Street from Raymond Avenue to Arroyo Drive, all double track except
the outer end. This line was abandoned
in 1923.
Columbia Street Line:
On Columbia Street between South Fair Oaks and Fair View Street, 0.77 miles,
double track. Built 1894 by P&LA as
part of the original interurban line between Los Angeles and Pasadena. Replaced by new trackage on Mission Street
in South Pasadena in 1903 and Columbia Street was abandoned on May 23,
1912. In the interim one car daily had
been operated between the Raymond Hotel (South Fair Oaks) and the Santa Fe's
South Pasadena Station.
Broadway Line: (Arroyo Seco Line)
This trackage on Broadway between Bellevue and
Colorado Street was built in 1904 by LAIU as part of the Arroyo Seco Line. In 1912 PE leased the paralleling SP track
on Broadway, electrified it, and used it thereafter. PE abandoned its own Broadway track on May 23, 1912.
South Lake Avenue, South Fair Oaks Avenue:
Interurban cars to Los Angeles operated over these tracks and picked up local
passengers within Pasadena city limits.
After the sale of PE local lines in Pasadena in 1941, PE made payments
to Pasadena City Lines for local passengers carried on its interurban
lines. Interurban operation on South
Lake Avenue was ended on October 6, 1950, and terminated on South Fair Oaks
Avenue on September 30, 1951.
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STATISTICS: PASADENA LOCAL LINES, PACIFIC
ELECTRIC RAILWAY |
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|
Year |
Total |
Passengers |
Car Miles |
Revenue |
Revenue/Car Mile |
Revenue/Passenger |
|
1913 |
7,710,888 |
1,447,260 |
$326,164 |
$0.225 |
$0.042 |
|
|
1914 |
8,011,622 |
1,546,461 |
332,843 |
.215 |
.042 |
|
|
1915 |
6,858,506 |
1,463,555 |
270,947 |
.185 |
.040 |
|
|
1916 |
6,742,288 |
1,524,664 |
263,518 |
.173 |
.039 |
|
|
1917 |
6,540,028 |
1,453,746 |
253,118 |
.174 |
.039 |
|
|
1918 |
6,377,363 |
1,466,266 |
248,680 |
.170 |
.039 |
|
|
1919 |
6,246,405 |
1,469,845 |
251,986 |
.172 |
.040 |
|
|
1920* |
7,773,402 |
1,454,836 |
370,293 |
.255 |
.047 |
|
|
1921* |
8,473,912 |
1,804,252 |
455,885 |
.253 |
.054 |
|
|
1922* |
8,135,136 |
1,817,733 |
423,007 |
.233 |
.052 |
|
|
1923* |
10,792,025 |
2,558,356 |
531,254 |
.207 |
.049 |
|
|
1924* |
12,704,548 |
3,058,600 |
602,700 |
.197 |
.047 |
|
|
1925* |
12,476,273 |
3,056,450 |
592,924 |
.194 |
.048 |
|
|
1926* |
12,351,531 |
3,035,790 |
606,325 |
.200 |
.049 |
|
|
1933* |
3,610,651r |
970,104r |
176,313r |
.18r |
|
|
|
3,397,309b |
1,421,292b |
153,319b |
.11b |
|
|
|
|
1935* |
4,069,516r |
927,930r |
193,358r |
.21r |
|
|
|
3,296,669b |
1,192,605b |
144,264b |
.12b |
|
|
|
|
1937* |
4,280,861r |
872,407r |
200,803r |
.23r |
|
|
|
3,961,334b |
1,305,209b |
174,941b |
.13b |
|
|
|
|
* Calendar year. |
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1923 ABANDONMENTS:
One of PE's earliest large-scale abandonments of electric railway lines in
favor of busses took place in Pasadena in 1923. This action came about due to the following causes:
By 1922 PE was suffering from directly paralleling bus competition in
Pasadena. To make matters worse, not
enough traffic existed to support the competing operations. PE was faced with the necessity of making an
expenditure of approximately $750,000 for track renewals. A vociferous faction opposed elimination of
competing busses. Another faction
endorsed the city's bonding itself to establish a municipal bus system, which
would supplant PE's rail operations entirely in the local field. An election was called on a municipal bus
system proposal and after a spirited campaign; the bus issue was defeated by a
two-to-one margin.
With the air thus cleared, PE and the city were able to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement. All paralleling bus competition within the city was eliminated. A 6 cents local fare was established (ten tickets for 50 cents) with free transfers within the city limits. Track was rehabilitated on the heavier lines, but under a temporary permit, PE bus operation was established on Los Robles Avenue where track renewal would have cost $350,000. This "temporary" substitution became permanent, and other lightly patronized rail lines were similarly converted.
Lines involved and dates they were converted to bus operation:
North Loop (July 3, 1923)
Tournament Park (July 22, 1923)
North Orange Grove (July 29, 1923)
East Washington (July 29, 1923)
Arroyo Seco (September 6, 1923)
To establish a bus system in Pasadena, PE spent $500,000 for a garage
and parking area at Broadway and Bellevue, plus 45 new busses.
1941 ABANDONMENTS:
On January 19, 1941, PE sold its Pasadena local lines, rail and bus, to
Pasadena City Lines, a new company and a subsidiary of Pacific City Lines, a
National City Lines subsidiary. Busses
were in readiness to take over the four local rail lines:
Lincoln Avenue, Altadena, North Lake Avenue and East Colorado Street and local rail service, except for the few local riders on the two interurban lines, ceased as of this date. Pasadena City Lines paid PE $223,400 for its rails, overhead, Altadena substation, garage with equipment, and busses. The Birney cars were not included, nor was property still required for operation of the Oak Knoll and Short Line interurban services. Pacific City Lines also purchased local PE bus lines in the city of Glendale at the same time. Previously, Pacific City Lines had purchased other Southern Pacific-owned streetcar companies in San Jose, Fresno and Stockton—all of which properties were speedily converted to 100% bus operation.
A survey of trackage to be sold was made by PE in
1940 and revealed:
Lincoln Ave Line:
128 lb. girder rail between Fair Oaks and Grove
Avenue, about 2,125 feet, then 72 and 75 rail to Prospect Boulevard,
approximately 3,160 feet, from here to Forest Avenue, 128 lb. and 93 lb. rail,
a distance of 176 feet; then 128 lb. girder rail to end, Montana Street, 6,724
feet, in concrete pavement. Total: 4.66
Equivalent single track miles.
Colorado Street Line, east from Lake Avenue:
A total of 9,100 feet of 128 girder rail in
asphaltic concrete pavement to Huntington Drive (Lamanda Park Junction.); then
184 feet of 93 lb. rail crossing the Sierra Madre Line; followed by 2,665 feet
of single track, 128 lb. girder rail to end of Daisy Avenue. Total: 4.02 Equivalent Single Track miles.
Lake Avenue Line:
302 feet of 128 lb. girder rail at Colorado Street, followed by 66 feet of 91 lb. rail; then 8,199 feet of 75 lb. rail to Washington Street, followed by 3,042 feet of 128 lb. girder rail to Woodbury Road; here single track began, continuing north 3,845 feet to Mendocino Street, including substation spur, then came 428 ft. of double track 60 lb. rail to Mariposa, junction with Altadena Line. Total: 5.29 E.S.T. miles.
Altadena Line:
11,566 ft. of 128 girder rail from Walnut Street to
Montana Street except 70 ft. of 72 lb. rail at Chestnut Street, then 2,569 ft.
of 60 lb. rail from Montana Street to Mountain View Avenue, followed 1,486 ft
of 70 lb. rail to Mariposa; then 5,948 ft. of 60 lb. rail on Mariposa to end of
Lake Avenue. Total: 8.20 E.S.T. miles.
All of the above trackage and PE's interest in overhead facilities were
sold in place to Pasadena City Lines and that company then resold them to scrap
dealers who effected their removal—EXCEPT Lake Avenue north from Woodbury Road
(north city limits of Pasadena) to beginning of private way at Las Flores
Avenue was quitclaimed to the County of Los Angeles and abandoned in place. The Birney cars were taken to Torrance Shops
and either scrapped or turned back to SP.
After the 1941 abandonment, no more cars were stored at the South Fair
Oaks Yard, and the Railway Express Agency box motors were handled at Pasadena
Car House, enabling abandonment of trackage on Broadway and on Bellevue. Trackage on Raymond from Bellevue to the Car
House was also abandoned and the Car House was then, perforce, single end.