Westgate Line

Last updated
Westgate
West Los Angeles Streetcar Depot on the grounds of the Sawtelle Veterans Home.jpg
Overview
Owner Southern Pacific Railroad
LocaleLos Angeles
Termini
Stations18
Service
Type Interurban
System Pacific Electric
Operator(s) Pacific Electric
Ridership263,017 (1926)
History
Opened1906
ClosedNovember 18, 1940 (1940-11-18)
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Old gaugenarrow gauge
Electrification Overhead line,  600 V DC
Route map

Contents

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Hill Street Station
Subway Terminal
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Vermont Avenue
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Berendo Street siding
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Western Avenue
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3rd Avenue siding
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Vineyard
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Rosemary
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Genesee
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Big Barn
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Sherman Junction
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Alpers
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Beverly Hills
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Country Club
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Buenos Ayres
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High Bridge
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Wolfskill
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Santa Monica
and Sepulveda
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Westgate
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Westgate
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Arcadia Street
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Brentwood Park
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26th Street Santa Monica
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Palisades
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Santa Monica

The Westgate Line was a suburban route operated by the Pacific Electric Railway from 1911 to 1940. This line was one of four lines connecting Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica that did not run through Hollywood. The line is notable for taking a circuitous route towards its end, along San Vicente Boulevard, mainly because it was built to encourage construction of new homes near Pacific Palisades.

Many riders were veterans and employees of the Soldiers' Home, Sawtelle, stopping at the Streetcar Depot, West Los Angeles.

History

The electrified line was built and operated by the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad, opened in 1906 with narrow gauge rails. [1] On March 19, 1906, an agreement was reached to sell all the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad lines to Henry Huntington’s Pacific Electric Railway for $6 million (equivalent to $203 million in 2023).[ citation needed ] The line was converted to standard gauge in early 1908. [2] [3]

Service was reduced to a single franchise car by July 1, 1940, with full abandonment following on November 18. [4]

Route

The Westgate Line followed the Sawtelle Line as far as Sawtelle. From Sawtelle (Santa Monica Boulevard between Purdue and Butler Avenues) the Westgate Line branched northwesterly into an unimproved private way. Dual tracks ran in the center of the private way, across Ohio Avenue, and then along the westerly edge of the U.S. Government Soldier's Home property to a location near Rochester and Butler Avenues.

Here the dual rails entered the grounds of the Soldier's Home and continued north-westerly on private way, across Wilshire Boulevard to enter another section of unimproved private way in the center of San Vicente Boulevard.

The dual tracks followed San Vicente Boulevard, between twin roadways, in a sweeping curve to the west, crossing out of the Soldier's Home property at Bringham Avenue. Continuing in the center of San Vicente Boulevard, [5] the rails ran west crossing Barrington and Montana Avenues, and Bundy Drive to reach the Santa Monica city limit at 26th Street. Once into Santa Monica the dual tracks, still on private way between twin roadways, ran approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) southwesterly, across the various numbered streets of Santa Monica, to Ocean Avenue. The dual tracks then ran southeasterly in the pavement of Ocean Avenue, crossing the major intersections of Montana Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard to reach the terminus of the line, one block farther south at Broadway.

Traffic

Passengers (Fare and Transfer) [3]
YearPassengersCar milesRevenue
1913394,283246,195$ 30,541
1916337,709201,66919,984
1918319,991202,11020,130
1920340,953178,60822,424
1922305,325178,12023,390
1924350,688183,00027,133
1926263,017193,75631,410

See also

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References

Definition of Free Cultural Works logo notext.svg  This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under the public domain as a work of the State of California .( license statement/permission ). Text taken from 1981 Inventory of Pacific Electric Routes , California Department of Transportation , . Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority .

  1. Schwieterman, Joseph P. (2004). When the Railroad Leaves Town. Kirksville, MO: Truman State University Press. pp. 75–79. ISBN   9781931112130.
  2. "Notable feat sharply done". Los Angeles Times . 1 April 1908. p. 23. Retrieved 28 July 2022 via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  3. 1 2 "Westgate Line". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California.
  4. 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. pp. 80, 82. ASIN   B0007F8D84. OCLC   6565577.
  5. Nathan Masters, Nathan (21 February 2014). "Many L.A. Boulevards Began as Trolley Lines". KCET. Retrieved 7 February 2021.