Redondo Beach via Gardena Line

Last updated

Redondo via Gardena
PELogo.svg
Overview
Owner Southern Pacific Railroad
LocaleLos Angeles, and the South Bay
Termini
Stations40
Service
Type Interurban
System Pacific Electric
Operator(s) Pacific Electric
Rolling stockPE 1000 Class (last used)
Ridership319,602 (1938)
History
OpenedNovember 12, 1911 (1911-11-12)
ClosedJanuary 15, 1940 (1940-01-15)
Technical
Line length22.26 mi (35.82 km)
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Electrification Overhead line,  600 V DC
Route map

Contents

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Pacific Electric Building
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to Northern Division
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  J    R    S  
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  J    S  
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to
Sierra Vista–Watts &
South Pasadena Local
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Amoco
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Vernon Avenue
  V  
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Slauson Junction
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Fleming
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Florencita Park
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Florence
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Nadeau
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Graham
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Latin
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Watts
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multiple
lines
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Centralia
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South Park Avenue
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Main Street
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South Los Angeles
(Forest)
  7  
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Delta
  F  
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Athens
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Delphi
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143rd Street
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Strawberry Park
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Gardena
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Hermosillo
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Broadacres
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Moneta
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Bridgedale
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La Fresa
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Perry
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Hickman
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Selby
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El Nido
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Monterey Park
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Maddex
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Coyote Avenue
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Redondo Beach
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Clifton

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.

History

The southern half of this line was built by the Los Angeles and Redondo Railway Company (not to be confused with similarly named Los Angeles, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Railway Company) as part of the narrow gauge Los Angeles and Redondo railroad between Los Angeles and Redondo Beach. When the Pacific Electric Railway acquired the Los Angeles and Redondo Railway, the northern half (north of Broadway and Hawthorne in the city of Hawthorne) went to the Los Angeles Railway and Pacific Electric converted the southern portion to standard gauge to be used as part of the Redondo Beach via Gardena Line. [1] [2] [3] Full standard-gauge service to Redondo Beach began on November 12, 1911 with cars making the run to Clifton the following October. [4] [3] [5] Inbound cars initially terminated at the front of the Pacific Electric Building, [3] but the inbound terminal was changed to the rear in 1914 and then to the elevated concourse in 1916. [5] On October 26, 1933, the line was split in the center segment, with half of all trips routed through Delta to increase service in that area following the abandonment of the Redondo Beach via Hawthorne Line. [5]

The line between Delta and Strawberry Park was abandoned after February 26, 1939, effectively resuming the former frequency along the remaining line between Athens and Gardena. [5] Passenger service ended on January 15, 1940. [5] No replacement bus service was deemed necessary. [6] By 1981, the remainder of the line had become the Southern Pacific Torrance Branch, with the segment between Gramercy Place and Clifton almost entirely removed. [7] As of 2022 Union Pacific (successor to the Pacific Electric system) operates a small section in Gardena as a freight spur. [8]

Route

The line started at the Pacific Electric Building in Los Angeles and shared the Long Beach Line to Watts and the Hawthorne–El Segundo Line to the South Los Angeles Station. This line was originally double-tracked mostly within a private right of way on its entire length from Watts to Clifton (South of Redondo Beach). [7]

Starting from the South Los Angeles Station (Broadway at 117th Street), the double track line ran south on private way east of and parallel to Figueroa Street. At 149th Street the private way turned southwesterly and ran parallel to and south of that street to Vermont Avenue and Compton Boulevard (Strawberry Park Station). [7]

From Strawberry Park station, double track line turned south (left) and went on private way centered in Vermont Avenue south of Gardena Boulevard, the track curved to the west (right) parallel to and south of 166th Street. At Hermosillo Station (Normandie Avenue) the San Pedro via Gardena Line branched south on private way along the west side of Normandie Avenue. [7]

The Redondo Beach via Gardena Line continued west as a single track on private way parallel to 166th Street until reaching the Bridgedale Station (Crenshaw Boulevard) where it turned Southwest (left) and became double track.Crossing Prairie the line changed to single track and turned west (right) parallel to and north of 182nd street and continued within private way. [7]

At El Nido Station (Kingsdale Avenue) the line joined the El Segundo–El Nido–Redondo segment from the north, turned southwest and became double track once again. The line crossed Prospect Avenue at Del Almo street, went westerly along what is now Del Almo Street, then turned southwesterly and leaving private way went along the center of Diamond street to Catalina Avenue where the single track Catalina cut-off went south (left) along Catalina Avenue to Pearl Street where it rejoined the Redondo Line. [7]

The Redondo Line went one block further down Diamond street to Pacific Avenue where it joined the Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey Line at the Redondo Beach Station (Diamond & Pacific) across from what is now Fisherman's Wharf. [7]

On the remainder of the line, the Redondo Beach via Gardena Line followed the route of the Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey Line to its terminus at Clifton. [7]

The length of the line was 9.88 miles (15.90 km) from 6th and Main to South Los Angeles Station and 12.38 miles (19.92 km) from South Los Angeles Station to the Southern Terminus (Clifton) for a total length of 22.26 miles (35.82 km). [7]

List of major stations

StationMile [9] Major connectionsDate openedDate closedCity
Pacific Electric Building 0 Alhambra–San Gabriel, Annandale, Balboa, Fullerton, Hawthorne–El Segundo, La Habra–Yorba Linda, Long Beach, Monrovia–Glendora, Mount Lowe, Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena via Oak Knoll, Pomona, Redlands, Riverside–Rialto, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Santa Monica Air Line, Sierra Madre, Soldiers' Home, South Pasadena Local, Upland–San Bernardino, Whittier
Los Angeles Railway B, H, J, R, 7, and 8
19051961Los Angeles
Amoco Junction [ dubious discuss ] Balboa, Fullerton, Hawthorne–El Segundo, La Habra–Yorba Linda, Long Beach, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Santa Monica Air Line, Soldiers' Home, Whittier 19021961
Vernon Avenue 3.26 Balboa, Fullerton, Hawthorne–El Segundo, La Habra–Yorba Linda, Long Beach, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Whittier
Los Angeles Railway V
19021961
Slauson Junction 4.27 Balboa, Fullerton, Hawthorne–El Segundo, La Habra–Yorba Linda, Long Beach, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Whittier 19021961
Watts 7.45 Balboa, Hawthorne–El Segundo, Long Beach, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana 19021961
South Los Angeles
(Forest)
9.88 Hawthorne–El Segundo, San Pedro via Gardena
Los Angeles Railway 7
19111940
Delta 10.76 Hawthorne–El Nido
Los Angeles Railway F
Athens10.31 San Pedro via Gardena
Strawberry Park12.75 San Pedro via Gardena
Gardena13.57 San Pedro via Gardena 19111940 Gardena
El Nido17.84 Hawthorne–El Nido 19111940 El Nido
Redondo Beach20.89 Hawthorne–El Nido, Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey 19111940 Redondo Beach
Cliffton22.26 Hawthorne–El Nido, Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey 19111940 Torrance

See also

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References

  1. "Los Angeles & Redondo". www.erha.org. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  2. Railway, Los Angeles and Redondo. "Los Angeles and Redondo Railway records". csrm.andornot.com. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Veysey 1958 , p. 56
  4. "Broad gauge line for Redondo cars". Los Angeles Evening Express. November 11, 1911. p. 3. Retrieved December 12, 2022 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Veysey 1958 , p. 57
  6. "Redondo Beach via Gardena". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : "1981 Inventory of Pacific Electric Routes" (PDF). Caltrans. February 1982. pp. 100, 148. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  8. Freericks, Charles (June 2022). "Ghosts of the Pacific Electric". Railfan & Railroad. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  9. "Pacific Electric Time Tables" (PDF). wx4's Dome of Foam. Pacific Electric. September 1, 1934. p. 11. Retrieved September 1, 2021.

Bibliography