Los Angeles Railway
Encyclopedia
The Los Angeles Railway (also Yellow Cars, LARy, latterly Los Angeles Transit Lines) was a system of streetcars that operated in central Los Angeles
, California
and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods between from 1901 and 1963. Except for two short funicular railways it operated on (narrow gauge) tracks. The company carried many more passengers than the Pacific Electric Railway's
'Red Cars' which served a larger area of Los Angeles. The two companies shared some dual gauge
/ track along Hawthorne Boulevard, on Main Street
and on 4th Street.
tycoon Henry E. Huntington
in 1898 and started operation in 1901.
At its height, the system contained over 20 streetcar lines and 1,250 trolleys, most running through the core of Los Angeles and serving such nearby neighborhoods as Echo Park
, Westlake
, Hancock Park
, Exposition Park
, West Adams
, the Crenshaw district
, Vernon
, Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights
.
, a company that was purchasing systems across the USA. The company, along with its investors that included, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California (now Chevron Corporation), General Motors were later convicted of of conspiring to monopolize the sale of buses and related products to local transit companies controlled by National City Lines and other companies in what became known as the Great American Streetcar Scandal. National City Lines purchased Key System
which also operated streetcars systems in California the following year and then the remains of the Pacific Electric Railway
in 1953.
The company was renamed as Los Angeles Transit Lines. The new company introduced 40 new ACF-Brill trolley buses
which had originally been intended for the Key System trolley bus system in Oakland
which was being converted by National City Lines to buses in late 1948.
Many lines were converted to buses in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
(a predecessor to the current agency, The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority) along with the remains of the Pacific Electric Railway in 1958. The agency removed the remaining five streetcar lines (J, P, R, S and V) and two trolley bus lines (2 and 3), replacing electric service with diesel buses on March 31, 1963.
, the city of Los Angeles, and several stakeholders began conducting studies and public meetings to identify the feasibility of restoring streetcar service downtown http://www.metro.net/projects/historic-streetcar-service/. The streetcar restoration efforts will further support in revitalizing Downtown Los Angeles
's historic core and connect people to employment centers, shopping districts, civic resources, cultural institutions, historic landmarks and entertainment venues within the project study area. A restoration of the streetcar service is anticipated to underscore the overall downtown renaissance occurring in the downtown area of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Railway also operated two short funicular railways: Angels Flight
at 3rd Street between Hill and Olive, and the lesser-known Court Flight at Court between Broadway and Hill.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods between from 1901 and 1963. Except for two short funicular railways it operated on (narrow gauge) tracks. The company carried many more passengers than the Pacific Electric Railway's
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
'Red Cars' which served a larger area of Los Angeles. The two companies shared some dual gauge
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
/ track along Hawthorne Boulevard, on Main Street
Main Street (Los Angeles)
Main Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, and is the east-west postal divider for that city. It begins as a continuation of Valley Boulevard west of Mission Road in Lincoln Heights and ends at the Port of Los Angeles. At 9th Street, it merges with Spring Street in...
and on 4th Street.
Early years
The system was purchased by railroad and real estateReal estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
tycoon Henry E. Huntington
Henry E. Huntington
Henry Edwards Huntington was a railroad magnate and collector of art and rare books. Born in Oneonta, New York, Huntington settled in Los Angeles, where he owned the Pacific Electric Railway as well as substantial real estate interests...
in 1898 and started operation in 1901.
At its height, the system contained over 20 streetcar lines and 1,250 trolleys, most running through the core of Los Angeles and serving such nearby neighborhoods as Echo Park
Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Echo Park is a hilly neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and southeast of Hollywood.-History:At the end of the 19th century, when the hills were still covered with native vegetation, a horse-drawn streetcar line served the dirt road that is now Echo Park Avenue...
, Westlake
Westlake, Los Angeles, California
Westlake is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It should not be confused with Westlake Village, an independent municipality in Los Angeles County near Thousand Oaks and close to the Ventura County line....
, Hancock Park
Hancock Park
Hancock Park is a park in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, area, which is the location of the La Brea Tar Pits, the George C. Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art . The park does not, however, lie within the Hancock Park neighborhood which is...
, Exposition Park
Exposition Park (Los Angeles)
Exposition Park is located in University Park, Los Angeles, California, across the street from the University of Southern California. Exposition Park houses the following:* Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum* Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena...
, West Adams
West Adams, Los Angeles, California
West Adams, also known as Historic West Adams, is a large district located in the center of Los Angeles, California, southwest of Downtown and west of USC...
, the Crenshaw district
Crenshaw, Los Angeles, California
Crenshaw is a neighborhood and district in southwestern Los Angeles, California. It derives its name from Crenshaw Boulevard, one of the city's principal thoroughfares....
, Vernon
Vernon, California
Vernon is a city five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, California. The population was 112 at the 2010 United States Census, the smallest of any incorporated city in the state....
, Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights
Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles, California
-Geography and transportation:Lincoln Heights is bounded by the Los Angeles River on the west, the San Bernardino Freeway on the south, and Indiana Street on the east; the district's Eastern border is unclear due to the area's uneven terrain...
.
Decline
The system was sold in 1945 by Huntington's estate to National City LinesNational City Lines
National City Lines, Inc. , was a controversial company founded in Minnesota, United States in 1920 as a modest local transport company operating two buses which was reorganized into a holding company in 1936 with equity funding from General Motors, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California and...
, a company that was purchasing systems across the USA. The company, along with its investors that included, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California (now Chevron Corporation), General Motors were later convicted of of conspiring to monopolize the sale of buses and related products to local transit companies controlled by National City Lines and other companies in what became known as the Great American Streetcar Scandal. National City Lines purchased Key System
Key System
The Key System was a privately owned company which provided mass transit in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, Piedmont, San Leandro, Richmond, Albany and El Cerrito in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area from 1903 until 1960, when the system was sold to a newly formed public...
which also operated streetcars systems in California the following year and then the remains of the Pacific Electric Railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
in 1953.
The company was renamed as Los Angeles Transit Lines. The new company introduced 40 new ACF-Brill trolley buses
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
which had originally been intended for the Key System trolley bus system in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
which was being converted by National City Lines to buses in late 1948.
Many lines were converted to buses in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Public ownership and finale
The last remaining lines were taken over by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit AuthorityLos Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority was a public agency formed in 1951. Its original mandate was to do a feasibility study for a monorail line which would have connected Long Beach with the Panorama City district in the San Fernando Valley via Downtown Los Angeles.The agency's powers...
(a predecessor to the current agency, The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority) along with the remains of the Pacific Electric Railway in 1958. The agency removed the remaining five streetcar lines (J, P, R, S and V) and two trolley bus lines (2 and 3), replacing electric service with diesel buses on March 31, 1963.
Restoration efforts of streetcar service
In May 2011, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityLos Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
, the city of Los Angeles, and several stakeholders began conducting studies and public meetings to identify the feasibility of restoring streetcar service downtown http://www.metro.net/projects/historic-streetcar-service/. The streetcar restoration efforts will further support in revitalizing Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
's historic core and connect people to employment centers, shopping districts, civic resources, cultural institutions, historic landmarks and entertainment venues within the project study area. A restoration of the streetcar service is anticipated to underscore the overall downtown renaissance occurring in the downtown area of Los Angeles.
List of Routes
- 2 Line - Rampart area of Echo ParkEcho Park, Los Angeles, CaliforniaEcho Park is a hilly neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and southeast of Hollywood.-History:At the end of the 19th century, when the hills were still covered with native vegetation, a horse-drawn streetcar line served the dirt road that is now Echo Park Avenue...
to Montecito HeightsMontecito Heights, Los Angeles, CaliforniaMontecito Heights is a small district in Northeast Los Angeles formerly known as an original East Los Angeles area of Los Angeles, California. The 2000 population is estimated at 16,768.-Geography and transportation:...
; by way of Belmont Avenue, Loma Drive, 3rd Street, Flower Street, 5th Street, BroadwayBroadway (Los Angeles)Broadway is a major thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, that runs from Lincoln Heights on the Eastside, through Chinatown, passing through Central Plaza and the Dragon Gate, the Los Angeles Civic Center, passing the Los Angeles Times building at First Street, and Broadway's historic commercial...
, Pasadena Avenue, Avenue 26, and Griffin Avenue. - 3 Line - Skid RowSkid Row, Los Angeles, CaliforniaSkid Row, officially known as Central City East, is an area of Downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2000 census, the population of the district was 17,740.-Description:...
to Hollywood; by way of 5th Street, 6th Street, private ROW, 3rd Street, and Larchmont Boulevard. - 5 and 6 Lines - HawthorneHawthorne, CaliforniaHawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. The city at the 2010 census had a population of 84,293, up from 84,112 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
to Eagle Rock; by way of Hawthorne Boulevard, private ROW, Crenshaw Boulevard, Leimert Boulevard, Martin Luther King Boulevard, Grand Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard, Main Street, Broadway, Pasadena Avenue, Avenue 20, Figueroa StreetFigueroa StreetFigueroa Street is a street in Los Angeles County, California named for General José Figueroa , governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835, who oversaw the secularization of the missions of California...
, Cypress Avenue, Eagle Rock Boulevard, and Colorado Boulevard. - 7 Line - South Los AngelesSouth Los AngelesSouth Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
to Los Angeles Plaza Historic DistrictLos Angeles Plaza Historic DistrictThe Los Angeles Plaza Historic District, also known as El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park, is a historic district located at the oldest section of Los Angeles, known for many years as "El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles"...
; by way of Broadway, Main StreetMain Street (Los Angeles)Main Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, and is the east-west postal divider for that city. It begins as a continuation of Valley Boulevard west of Mission Road in Lincoln Heights and ends at the Port of Los Angeles. At 9th Street, it merges with Spring Street in...
, and Spring Street. - 8 Line - Leimert Park to Los Angeles Plaza Historic DistrictLos Angeles Plaza Historic DistrictThe Los Angeles Plaza Historic District, also known as El Pueblo de Los Angeles State Historic Park, is a historic district located at the oldest section of Los Angeles, known for many years as "El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles"...
; by way of 54th Street, Broadway, Main Street, and Spring StreetSpring Street Financial DistrictThe Spring Street Financial District, sometimes referred to as the Wall Street of the West, is a historic district in Downtown Los Angeles. The historic district includes 23 financial structures, including the city's first skyscraper, and three hotels all located along a stretch of South Spring...
. - 9 Line - Leimert Park to the Wholesale DistrictWholesale District, Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe Wholesale District or more recently the Warehouse District, of Los Angeles, California is a group of warehouses located in the southeast part of Downtown Los Angeles. Most of the warehouses are industrial in nature and serve the greater Los Angeles area. Few people live in this neighborhood...
, by way of 48th Street, Hoover Street, Grand Avenue, Pico BoulevardPico BoulevardPico Boulevard is a major Los Angeles street that runs from the Pacific Ocean at Appian Way in Santa Monica to Central Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA...
, Broadway, and 2nd Street. - 10 Line - Leimert Park to Lincoln Heights; by way of Vernon Avenue, Dalton Avenue, Martin Luther King Boulevard, Grand, Pico Boulevard, Broadway, and Lincoln Park Avenue.
- A Line - Mid City to Echo Park; by way of Adams Boulevard, Kensington Street, Venice Boulevard, Broadway, Temple StreetTemple Street (Los Angeles)Temple Street is a street in the City of Los Angeles, California. The street is an east-west thoroughfare that runs through Downtown Los Angeles parallel to the Hollywood Freeway between Virgil Avenue past Alameda Street to the banks of the Los Angeles River...
, Edgeware Road, and Douglas Street. - B Line - Nevin to City Terrace; by way of Ascot Avenue, Hooper Avenue, 12th Street, Main Street, Brooklyn Avenue, Evergreen Avenue, Wabash Avenue, and City Terrace Drive.
- D Line - WestlakeWestlake, Los Angeles, CaliforniaWestlake is a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. It should not be confused with Westlake Village, an independent municipality in Los Angeles County near Thousand Oaks and close to the Ventura County line....
to Skid Row; by way of Bonnie Brae Street, 3rd Street, Alvarado Street, 6th Street, and 5th Street. - F Line - AthensAthens, CaliforniaAthens is an unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California. It lies at an elevation of 171 feet . Athens is located in the South Los Angeles region, near the intersection of the Century and the Harbor freeways...
to Boyle Heights; by way of Vermont Avenue, Hoover Street, Santa Barbara Avenue, Grand AvenueGrand Avenue-Places:*Grand Avenue or the Grand Avenue Project*Grand Avenue , New York City*Grand Avenue , Miami*Grand Avenue *Grand Avenue *Grand Avenue *Grand Avenue...
, Jefferson BoulevardJefferson BoulevardJefferson Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles and Culver City. Its eastern terminus is at Central Avenue east of Exposition Park. At its entrance to Culver City, it splits with National Boulevard. North of Sawtelle Boulevard, it merges with Sepulveda Boulevard...
, Main Street, 3rd Street, 4th Place, 4th Street, and Fresno Street. - G Line - Nevin to South Park; by way of McKinley Avenue, Jefferson BoulevardJefferson BoulevardJefferson Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles and Culver City. Its eastern terminus is at Central Avenue east of Exposition Park. At its entrance to Culver City, it splits with National Boulevard. North of Sawtelle Boulevard, it merges with Sepulveda Boulevard...
, Griffith Avenue, Washington Boulevard, and Main Street. - H Line - South Los Angeles to East Hollywood; by way of San Pedro StreetSan Pedro StreetSan Pedro Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, running from Little Tokyo in Downtown Los Angeles to West Compton....
, 7th Street, Broadway, 6th Street, Rampart Boulevard, Beverly Boulevard, Heliotrope Drive, and Melrose Avenue. - J Line - Jefferson Park to Huntington ParkHuntington Park, CaliforniaHuntington Park is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 58,114, down from 61,348 at the 2000 census.- History :...
; by way of Jefferson Boulevard, Central Avenue, Vernon Avenue, and Pacific BoulevardPacific BoulevardPacific Boulevard is a street and principal commercial thoroughfare in the city of Huntington Park, California. It runs from Vernon and Santa Fe Avenues in Vernon to Cudahy Avenue in South Gate before changing to Long Beach Boulevard. The Pacific Boulevard commercial district is the third highest...
. - K Line - Nevin to South Park; by way of Naomi Avenue and Olympic BoulevardOlympic BoulevardOlympic Boulevard is a major arterial road in Los Angeles, California. It stretches from 4th Street on the western end of Santa Monica to East Los Angeles—farther than Wilshire Boulevard and most other streets....
. - L Line - East Hollywood to Mid-City; by way of Lexington Avenue, Madison Avenue, Temple Street, Broadway, and Olympic Boulevard.
- N Line - Koreatown to South Park; by way of 8th Street and 9th Street.
- O Line - South Los Angeles to Lincoln HeightsLincoln Heights, Los Angeles, California-Geography and transportation:Lincoln Heights is bounded by the Los Angeles River on the west, the San Bernardino Freeway on the south, and Indiana Street on the east; the district's Eastern border is unclear due to the area's uneven terrain...
; by way of Main Street. - P Line - Mid-City to City Terrace; by way of Pico BoulevardPico BoulevardPico Boulevard is a major Los Angeles street that runs from the Pacific Ocean at Appian Way in Santa Monica to Central Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA...
, Main Street, 1st Street1st Street (Los Angeles)1st Street is an east-west thoroughfare in Los Angeles and East Los Angeles, California. It serves as a postal divider between north and south and is one of a few streets to run from West Los Angeles to East Los Angeles...
, Gage Avenue, Hammel Street, and Record Avenue. - R Line - Hancock Park to East Los AngelesEast Los Angeles, CaliforniaEast Los Angeles is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
; by way of 3rd Street, Vermont Avenue, 7th Street, Boyle Avenue, and Whittier Boulevard. - S Line - Watts to East Hollywood; by way of Central Avenue, Florence AvenueFlorence AvenueFlorence Avenue is a west-east street in Los Angeles County that starts off as Mills Road at Janine Drive in Whittier. At Telegraph Road, it changes to Florence...
, Avalon BoulevardAvalon BoulevardAvalon Boulevard is a north-south street in Los Angeles County.-Geography:Avalon Boulevard is formed after San Pedro Street intersects with Jefferson Boulevard east of Exposition Park. It passes through Southern Los Angeles County through cities and communities like Carson, Compton, Willowbrook,...
, Vernon Avenue, Vermont Street, 3rd Street, and Western AvenueWestern Avenue (Los Angeles)Western Avenue is a major four lane street slightly west of Downtown Los Angeles and the center portion of Los Angeles County. Besides Sepulveda Boulevard, it is one of the longest north/south streets in Los Angeles...
. - U Line - Nevin to West Adams; by way of Central Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard, Vermont Street, and 27th Street.
- V Line - Nevin to East Hollywood; by way of Santa Fe Avenue, 7th Street, and Vermont Street.
- W Line - Mid-City to Highland ParkHighland Park, Los Angeles, CaliforniaHighland Park is a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles.-Geography:Highland Park is located along the Arroyo Seco. It is situated within what was once Rancho San Rafael of the Spanish / Mexican era...
; by way of Washington Boulevard, Figueroa Street, 6th Street, Broadway, Avenue 20, Figueroa Street, and York Boulevard.
The Los Angeles Railway also operated two short funicular railways: Angels Flight
Angels Flight
Angels Flight is a landmark funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has two funicular cars, Sinai and Olivet ....
at 3rd Street between Hill and Olive, and the lesser-known Court Flight at Court between Broadway and Hill.
See also
- Angels FlightAngels FlightAngels Flight is a landmark funicular railway in the Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles, California. It has two funicular cars, Sinai and Olivet ....
- San Diego Electric RailwaySan Diego Electric RailwayThe San Diego Electric Railway was a mass transit system in Southern California, USA, using streetcars and buses.The SDERy was established by "sugar heir," developer, and entrepreneur John D. Spreckels in 1892...
- Southern California Rapid Transit DistrictSouthern California Rapid Transit DistrictThe Southern California Rapid Transit District , was the successor to the original Metropolitan Transit Authority after it virtually went bankrupt...
External links
- Restoration of Historic Streetcar Service in Downtown Los Angeles Current MTA efforts to restore the streetcars downtown
- goLAstreetcar An initiative to bring streetcar services back to downtown Los Angeles
- Los Angeles Transit Lines Training Film From YouTube
- Orange Empire Railway Museum official website
- Tours in a Bygone Era
- Electric Railway Historical Society list of ninety seven Ira Swett Interurban Press releases, including coverage of Los Angeles Railway.