The original routes of what would become the R line ran on a drastically different route. When it was first built in 1895, the route ran from a terminus at West Third Street down a private right-of-way between Wilton Place and Grammercy Place to Sixth Street. From there it continued down Sixth to Alvarado, Seventh Street, Figueroa, Sixth, Olive, and Fifth Street to Arcade Depot (later Central Station). When the competing Los Angeles Interurban Railway was purchased, the Sixth Street Line ran entirely down 6th Street between Wilton and Arcade Station. This was briefly a local route of the Pacific Electric Railway before the Great Merger of 1911.[citation needed]
Stephenson Avenue Line (1895–1920)
The Stephenson Avenue Line was also one of the original LARy routes. Though its Downtown terminus is unknown, this route ran to the city's eastern limit by way of First Street, Cummings Street, Boyle Avenue, and Stephenson Avenue (present-day Whittier Boulevard).[2]
The old R (1920–1931)
When the Los Angeles Railway was restructured in 1920, the Sixth Street and Stephenson Avenue lines were merged and streamlined. The western terminus was extended northwest along 3rd Street and Larchmont Boulevard to Melrose Avenue, while the eastern terminus was extended beyond city limits to a loop track between the Calvary and Beth Israel Cemeteries. The addition of new trackage over the Los Angeles River now allowed the route to run entirely on Seventh Street between Alvarado and Boyle, making trips across Downtown significantly shorter and quicker.[2] The route was designated "R" in 1921.[3][4]
In 1931, the construction of several linking tracks allowed R's western portion to run on an entirely new route, from East Los Angeles to the new Fairfax District by way of Whittier Boulevard, Boyle Avenue, 7th Street, Vermont Avenue, and 3rd Street.[5] The old western portion, which followed the new route closely, was re-christened 3, and terminated at Central Station. The new route was amongst the most used routes throughout its run.
In 1950, a branch line was run on Western Avenue between 3rd street and Santa Monica Boulevard. Previously this route had been serviced by the S line, but that route had been changed to terminate on 8th Street. In 1958 this branch line was eliminated, and two miles (3.2km) of the 3rd street portion were cut back to a loop on Wilton Place and 4th Street.[2]
1 2 3 4 "'R'". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
↑ "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.
Glendale–Burbank is a defunct Pacific Electric railway line that was operational from 1904 to 1955 in Southern California, running from Downtown Los Angeles to Burbank via Glendale. Short lines terminated Downtown and in North Glendale, including the popular Edendale Local.
The Pasadena Short Line was a passenger railway line of the Pacific Electric Railway. It ran between Downtown Los Angeles and Downtown Pasadena, California, through Eastside Los Angeles along the foot of the eastern San Rafael Hills to the western San Gabriel Valley. It was in service under the company between 1902 until 1951, though it had operated under different companies back to its beginnings as a horsecar line. The route, designated by the company as line 2, was the key component of the company's Northern Subdivision.
The Whittier Line was a Pacific Electric interurban line which traveled between Los Angeles and Whittier via Huntington Park, Rivera, and Los Nietos. Due to its indirect route, the line was eventually replaced by bus service on Whittier Boulevard.
The West Santa Ana Branch is a rail right-of-way formerly used by the Pacific Electric's (PE) Santa Ana route in Los Angeles County and Orange County in Southern California. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) owns the segment of the right-of-way in Los Angeles County, and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) owns the segment in Orange County.
La Habra–Fullerton–Yorba Linda Line was a Pacific Electric interurban line which traveled between Los Angeles and Yorba Linda.
The Fullerton Line was an interurban route of the Pacific Electric Railway. It ran between Downtown Los Angeles and Fullerton, California. It opened in 1917 and hosted passenger service until 1938; the line was retained for freight for some time thereafter. After abandonment, the right of way between La Habra and Fullerton was mostly converted to a rail trail or built over.
The Long Beach Line was a major interurban railway operated by the Pacific Electric Railway between Los Angeles and Long Beach, California via Florence, Watts, and Compton. Service began in 1902 and lasted until 1961, the last line of the system to be replaced by buses.
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.
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.
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.
2 was a designation given to several transit lines in Los Angeles, California. The number was assigned to a streetcar route in 1930 which lasted a year, then later reassigned to a new service in 1932. Trolley buses replaced streetcars on a 3rd line in 1948, and the line was converted to full motor coach operation in 1963.
The Riverside–Arlington Line is a former Pacific Electric interurban railway line in the Inland Empire. The route provided suburban service between San Bernardino and Arlington with a later extension to Corona. It operated between 1893 and 1943.
The Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey was an interurban railway route of the Pacific Electric. It operated between the Hill Street Terminal and Cliffton, south of Redondo Beach, through the company's Western Division.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
