The first streetcar line on Pico Boulevard was short lived, running from an orangegrove at Lorde Street (present-day Harvard Boulevard) to the Plaza de Los Angeles by way of Pico, Maple Avenue, 7th Street, San Julian Street, 3rd Street, and Los Angeles Street. The company began running cars in January 1887 as the first electrified streetcar in the western United States.[1][2] but went under within a few years.[3]
The modern route
The Pico and First Street Line was one of the first routes built by the new Los Angeles Railway in 1895. Its route lay between Pico and Van Ness Avenue on the west and Brooklyn and Rowan avenues on the east, via Pico Boulevard, Main Street, Broadway, 1st Street, and Rowan Avenue. In 1919, Broadway was extended south from 11th and Main to Pico Boulevard, removing the line from Main Street entirely.
A trolley crosses Alameda Street at 1st Street in Little Tokyo as it heads for Boyle Heights, c.1918.
In the 1920 service rerouting, the western end of the West Pico and Santa Fe Station Line was combined with the eastern portion of the Boyle Heights and West 7th Street Line to form the West Pico & East First Street Line.[4] The new line ran from Brooklyn and Rowan via Rowan, First, Broadway, and Pico to Delaware.[5] It was assigned the letter designation P in 1921.[6][7] While the route was unchanged for the rest of its existence, the Rimpau Loop and Dozier loop were added in 1935 and 1936, respectively.[4]
As part of the Los Angeles Railway's expansion, a shuttle line was built north from Rowan and Dozier along Rowan, Hammel and Gage to Blanchard Street,[9] at the foot of what is now City Terrace. This service was designated as route 34.[10][11] Ridership was very low and the route was discontinued by LATL.
Rolling stock
In 1947, Los Angeles Railway purchased 40 PCC streetcars to replace the old rolling stock on the line.[12]
↑ "May 1: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History". Metro Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Library and Archive. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved February 16, 2022. 1921: Large letter signs indicating the routes of different lines are placed on top of Los Angeles Railway streetcars.
↑ "Cars To Have Letter Signs"(PDF). Two Bells. Vol.1, no.48. Los Angeles Railway. May 2, 1921. p.1. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
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.
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.
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.
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.
N was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1920 to 1950. The line ran from Spring and 2nd Streets to 8th Street and Western Avenue, by way of Spring Street, 9th Street, Vermont Avenue, and 8th Street.
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.
The Venice Short Line was a Pacific Electric (PE) interurban railway line in Los Angeles which traveled from downtown Los Angeles to Venice, Ocean Park, and Santa Monica via Venice Boulevard. The route was especially busy on Sundays, as Venice was PE's most popular beachfront destination.
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.
A refers to several streetcar routes in Los Angeles, California. The lines were operated by the Los Angeles Railway and its successor, Los Angeles Transit Lines, from 1920 to 1946.
C refers to two streetcar routes in Los Angeles, California. The lines were operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1910 to 1932.
H was a streetcar route in Los Angeles, California. It was owned and operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1912 to 1947.
L was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1920 to 1940.
M refers to several streetcar routes in Los Angeles, California. The lines were operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1917 to 1941.
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