5 (Los Angeles Railway)

5
5
Overview
Other name(s)	E (1920–1932)
Owner	Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority
Locale	Los Angeles, Inglewood, Lennox, and Hawthorne
Termini	Colorado Boulevard and Townsend Street (1920–48); Colorado Boulevard and Eagle Rock Boulevard (1948–55); Hawthorne Boulevard and Broadway (Hawthorne);
Stations	112
Service
Type	Streetcar
System	Los Angeles Railway (1920–45); Los Angeles Transit Lines (1945–58); Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (1958–63)
Daily ridership	15,988 (1940)
History
Opened	1920
Closed	May 22, 1955
Technical
Line length	21.8 mi (35.1 km) (1920–48); 21.4 mi (34.4 km) (1948–55)
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Electrification	600 V DC overhead line
Route map
	Legend
1932–1955
	SR 11
	Pasadena Freeway
	US 101
	Hollywood Freeway
	Los Angeles
	Inglewood
	Inglewood
	Lennox
	Lennox
	Hawthorne
	This diagram: view ; talk ; edit ;

Last updated March 24, 2024

5 or the 5 Car was a streetcar line operated by the Los Angeles Railway, later named the Los Angeles Transit Lines, and by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority. From 1920 to 1932, this route was known as the E Car. This was changed as part of a method to distinguish routes that lacked loops at their termini. Consequently, the 5 Car was unique during the LAMTA era in that it did not use PCC streetcars. It used buses from 1955 to 1964, transferring from LATL in 1958, then splitting the line in two in 1961, until all lines were turned over to SCRTD in August 1964.

History

Inglewood Division (1887–1911)

Initially a steam railroad built in 1887,^[2] the southern portion of the route began as the Inglewood Division, one of the main lines of the Los Angeles and Redondo Railway. The railroad rebuilt and electrified the route in 1905.^[2] From a terminus at 2nd and Spring Streets, railroad ran to Redondo Beach via 2nd Street, Broadway, 7th Street, Grand Avenue, Santa Barbara Avenue, Leimert Avenue, Crenshaw Boulevard, Redondo Boulevard, Florence Avenue, Market Street, La Brea Avenue, Hawthorne Boulevard, Ripley Avenue, Anita Street, and Herondo Street.

In the Great Merger of 1911, the southern portion of the Redondo Railway were given over to the Pacific Electric Railway, while the northern portion became part of the Los Angeles Railway.^[3] The Hawthorne Line, as it was then called, terminated at the intersection of Hawthorne Boulevard and Broadway in the heart of Hawthorne, where one could transfer to two Pacific Electric routes. At some point in the 1910s, this route was merged with the Eagle Rock Line to become the longest streetcar route in the United States.^[2]

Eagle Rock Line (1906–1920)

The Eagle Rock Line was one of LARy's original routes, connecting Downtown Los Angeles to the small agrarian suburb of Eagle Rock by way of Main Street, Avenue 20, Dayton Avenue, a private right-of-way (on which was soon built Avenue 28), Eagle Rock Boulevard, and Colorado Boulevard to Townsend Street.^[4] At Eagle Rock and Colorado, one could transfer to a branch of the Glendale and Montrose Railway. Grading of the line commenced on February 5, 1906,^[5] with regular service beginning the following August 20.^[6]

In 1916, the renovation of the Broadway Tunnel allowed streetcars to run through it. Before this, all routes northeast had to run along Main Street at the Plaza de los Angeles, but now all of Broadway enjoyed direct, continuous service. It was along Broadway that the Eagle Rock Line was re-routed, bypassing most of Lincoln Heights, while increasing service to Solano Canyon and Little Italy.

E, 5, and 6 (1920–1963)

The E Line was the result of combining the Eagle Rock and Hawthorne Lines.^[7] At nearly 22 miles (35 km), it was the longest route of the Los Angeles Railway by far,^[2] and the route that extended further north, south, east or west than any other route. The route traversed a private right of way in Eagle Rock; Avenue 28; Dayton; San Fernando Road; Pasadena Avenue; North Broadway; Sunset; North Main; North Spring; First; Broadway; Broadway Place; Main; Jefferson Boulevard; Grand; another private right of way; Santa Barbara; and a final private right of way to Hawthorne.^[8]

In 1932, the route name was changed to 5.^[9]^[10] An additional line designated as 6 followed the same route,^[11] but short turned at Avenue 45 in Eagle Rock and Arbor Vitae in Inglewood and ran until 1937.^[12]

In 1948, the northern terminus of the route was cut back to the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Eagle Rock Boulevards in the heart of Eagle Rock. From this period onward, a bus following the same route supplemented the streetcar. Streetcar service was discontinued on May 22, 1955^[13] due to Harbor Freeway construction.^[2]

After rail service

The 5 bus route was split by LAMTA in 1961, the north portion to Eagle Rock Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard was served by route 7 from South Broadway. The 5 had its number changed to 40 by the Southern California Rapid Transit District in 1984 in anticipation of the 1984 Olympic Games.^[2]

As of 2022^[update],^{[ citation needed ]} the route is closely followed by Metro bus routes 40, 84, and a short segment of 81. The Metro K Line follows the same route between Leimert Park and Market Street in Inglewood.

Rolling stock

Type H cars were refurbished between November 1930 and January 1931 for use on the line. (Type H cars had originally been designed for service on the E Line in 1920, but were used elsewhere in the network after having tested poorly on the route shortly after delivery.)^[14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Electric</span> Southern California transit company

The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a 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 Los Angeles Railway was a system of streetcars that operated in Central Los Angeles and surrounding neighborhoods between 1895 and 1963. The system provided frequent local services which complemented the Pacific Electric "Red Car" system's largely commuter-based interurban routes. The company carried many more passengers than the Red Cars, which served a larger and sparser area of Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redondo Beach via Gardena Line</span> Pacific Electric streetcar line (1911–1940)

Redondo via Gardena was a line of the Pacific Electric Railway. One of two routes to Redondo Beach, this one was faster than the Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey Line as a result of its routing along the quadruple-tracked Watts main line.

The Hawthorne–El Segundo Line was an interurban railway route of the Pacific Electric Railway. It was built to transport oil from the Standard Oil Refinery in El Segundo and also saw passenger service. Unlike most corridors which hosted Pacific Electric passengers, the line remains largely intact as the Union Pacific El Segundo Industrial Lead.

J was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1911 to 1945, by Los Angeles Transit Lines from 1945 to 1958, and by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority from 1958 to 1963.

P was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1895 to 1958, and by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority from 1958 to 1963.

R was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway and its immediate corporate successor, Los Angeles Transit Lines, from 1895 to 1958, and by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority from 1958 to 1963.

V was a streetcar service in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1920 to 1958, and by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority from 1958 to 1963.

S was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1895 to 1958, and by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority from 1958 to 1963. The route was very popular due to its proximity to Hollywood as well as the sizable manufacturing district in South Los Angeles.

7 was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. The service was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1932 to 1955. It ran from Spring and 2nd Streets to Athens and 116th Street, by way of Spring Street, Main Street, Broadway Place, Broadway, and Athens Way. During its Los Angeles Transit Lines days, around 1950 to 1955, Line 7 was rerouted off South Broadway to Central Avenue, at least as far north as 7th Street across Olympic Boulevard to possibly Vernon Avenue, covering trackage that was abandoned rail by line U, when that line was converted to trolley bus August 3, 1947.

8 was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1932 to 1955.

9 was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1932 to 1955.

F was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1911 to 1955.

W was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway (LARy) from 1895 to 1956.

3 was the number assigned to two distinct streetcar lines operated by the Los Angeles Railway in Los Angeles, California. Combined, they operated from 1924 to 1947.

The B was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1920 to 1948, originally running from Ramona Boulevard and Miller Street in East Los Angeles to Ascot Avenue and 51st Street.

U was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. Also referred to as the University Line, it provided service to the University of Southern California.

E refers to two streetcar routes in Los Angeles, California which were operated by the Los Angeles Railway. The first incarnation was in service from 1920 to 1932 when it was redesignated as route 5. The second existed between 1920 and 1946, though it was initially assigned the route number 33. This article mostly deals with the latter.

The Venice–Inglewood Line is a former Pacific Electric interurban railway line in Los Angeles County, California. Service was very sparse, providing a suburban route between Venice and Inglewood.

L was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1920 to 1940.

References

↑ Breivogel, Milton; Bate, Stuart (1942). "Mass Transit Facilities and Master Plan of Parkways" (PDF). Los Angeles City Planning Commission. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Barrett, Matthew (2014). "Los Angeles Transportation Transit History – South LA" (PDF). LACMTA . Retrieved January 28, 2021.
↑ Veysey, Laurence R. (June 1958). A History Of The Rail Passenger Service Operated By The Pacific Electric Railway Company Since 1911 And By Its Successors Since 1953 (PDF). LACMTA (Report). Los Angeles, California: Interurbans. p. 55. ASIN B0007F8D84. OCLC 6565577.
↑ Wood, J. Henry (1907). Security Map And Street Railway Guide of the City of Los Angeles and Vicinity with Map of Beaches and nearby Points of Interest (Map). Los Angeles, California: Security Savings Bank. Retrieved September 4, 2021– via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
↑ "Garvanza". The Los Angeles Times . February 5, 1906. p. 15. Retrieved December 18, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Cars Running to Eagle Rock". Los Angeles Herald. August 19, 1906. p. 19. Retrieved December 18, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "'5' - Eagle Rock and Hawthorne Line (1932-1955)". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
↑ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain :Terrass, John (1922). Study and Plan of Relief of the Street Traffic Congestion in the City of Los Angeles, California (PDF) (Thesis). University of California. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
↑ Walker, Jim (2007). Los Angeles Railway Yellow Cars. Arcadia Pub. p. 95. ISBN 1531629415.
↑ H.P. Noordwal (1938). "Route Map Los Angeles Railway Electric Car and Bus Routes" (Map). Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc. Los Angeles Railway. "Alternate link" (Map). via Google .
↑ H.P. Noordwal (April 1, 1935). "Route Map Los Angeles Railway Electric Car and Bus Routes" (Map). Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Museum and Archive. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Los Angeles Railway. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
↑ "'6'-Eagle Rock and Hawthorne Line (1932-1937)". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
↑ "May 22: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History". Metro Primary Resources. Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Museum and Archive. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
↑ "Los Angeles Railway 1450". Southern Califorbnia Railway Museum. Retrieved July 23, 2022.

External links

5 Line Archives — Pacific Electric Railway Historical Society
E Line Archives — Pacific Electric Railway Historical Society
"Los Angeles Railway". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California.

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[1] Breivogel, Milton; Bate, Stuart (1942). "Mass Transit Facilities and Master Plan of Parkways" (PDF). Los Angeles City Planning Commission. Retrieved January 29, 2021.

[LATTH-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Barrett, Matthew (2014). "Los Angeles Transportation Transit History – South LA" (PDF). LACMTA . Retrieved January 28, 2021.

[1958History-3] Veysey, Laurence R. (June 1958). A History Of The Rail Passenger Service Operated By The Pacific Electric Railway Company Since 1911 And By Its Successors Since 1953 (PDF). LACMTA (Report). Los Angeles, California: Interurbans. p. 55. ASIN B0007F8D84. OCLC 6565577.

[SecurityBank-4] Wood, J. Henry (1907). Security Map And Street Railway Guide of the City of Los Angeles and Vicinity with Map of Beaches and nearby Points of Interest (Map). Los Angeles, California: Security Savings Bank. Retrieved September 4, 2021– via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.

[5] "Garvanza". The Los Angeles Times . February 5, 1906. p. 15. Retrieved December 18, 2022– via Newspapers.com.

[6] "Cars Running to Eagle Rock". Los Angeles Herald. August 19, 1906. p. 19. Retrieved December 18, 2022– via Newspapers.com.

[7] "'5' - Eagle Rock and Hawthorne Line (1932-1955)". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved September 19, 2020.

[8] One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain :Terrass, John (1922). Study and Plan of Relief of the Street Traffic Congestion in the City of Los Angeles, California (PDF) (Thesis). University of California. Retrieved January 29, 2021.

[9] Walker, Jim (2007). Los Angeles Railway Yellow Cars. Arcadia Pub. p. 95. ISBN 1531629415.

[10] H.P. Noordwal (1938). "Route Map Los Angeles Railway Electric Car and Bus Routes" (Map). Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc. Los Angeles Railway. "Alternate link" (Map). via Google .

[11] H.P. Noordwal (April 1, 1935). "Route Map Los Angeles Railway Electric Car and Bus Routes" (Map). Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Museum and Archive. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Los Angeles Railway. Retrieved January 29, 2021.

[12] "'6'-Eagle Rock and Hawthorne Line (1932-1937)". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved January 22, 2021.

[13] "May 22: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History". Metro Primary Resources. Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Museum and Archive. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved January 29, 2021.

[14] "Los Angeles Railway 1450". Southern Califorbnia Railway Museum. Retrieved July 23, 2022.

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