List of Pacific Electric lines explained

The following passenger rail lines were operated by the Pacific Electric Railway and its successors from the time of its merger in 1911 until the last line was abandoned in 1961. One count indicated that the company and its successors operated as many as 143 different routes in that time.

List of lines

There were three primary terminals in downtown Los Angeles:

6th & Main Station, opened 1905 on the south side of 6th Street between Main and Los Angeles Streets; served the Northern and Southern Divisions via several approaches including an elevated line from Santa Fe Street. This elevated station was not built until about 1916.
Hill Street Station, opened 1908 on the west side of Hill Street between 4th and 5th Streets; moved to the south side of the Subway Terminal in 1926; served the Western Division via both directions on Hill Street
Subway Terminal, opened 1925 on the west side of Hill Street south of 4th Street; served the Western Division via the Hollywood Subway

Division	Name	From	Via	To	Abandoned	Post-rail history
S	Walker		Long Beach Avenue, Randolph Street	Walker (west shore of the Los Angeles River)
S	Whittier		Long Beach Avenue, Randolph Street, private ROW, Philadelphia Street	Whittier	(cut back to Walker)	MTA Line 18, Montebello Bus Lines Line 10 (part of MTA Line 18 until 2004)
S	La Habra–Fullerton–Yorba Linda		Long Beach Avenue, Randolph Street, private ROW	Yorba Linda		MTA Line 18, Montebello Bus Lines Line 10 (part of MTA Line 18 until 2004), Foothill Transit Line 285 (MTA Line 471 until 2004), Orange County Transportation Authority Line 29 (replacement buses only went to Brea)
S	Fullerton		Long Beach Avenue, Randolph Street, private ROW	Fullerton		MTA Line 18, Montebello Bus Lines Line 10 (part of MTA Line 18 until 2004), Foothill Transit Line 285 (MTA Line 471 until 2004), Orange County Transportation Authority Lines 29, 47
S	Bellflower		Long Beach Avenue, Santa Ana Boulevard, private ROW	Bellflower
S	Santa Ana			Santa Ana	(cut back to Bellflower)	MTA Line 460, Orange County Transportation Authority Line 83
S	Santa Ana–Orange	Santa Ana		Orange		Orange County Transportation Authority Line 53
S	Santa Ana–Huntington Beach	Santa Ana		Huntington Beach
S	Huntington Beach–La Bolsa	Huntington Beach		La Bolsa
S	Seal Beach–Huntington Beach–Newport Beach		Long Beach Avenue, Willowbrook Avenue, private ROW, Electric Avenue, Pacific Coast Highway	Newport Beach		Orange County Transportation Authority Line 1
S	Balboa		Long Beach Avenue, Willowbrook Avenue, private ROW, Electric Avenue, Pacific Coast Highway, Balboa Boulevard	Balboa	(cut back to Newport Beach)	Orange County Transportation Authority Lines 1, 71
S	Long Beach		Long Beach Avenue, Willowbrook Avenue, private ROW, Long Beach Boulevard	Long Beach		MTA Line 60 and Blue Line
S	Watts Local		Long Beach Avenue	Watts		MTA Line 56 (discontinued in 2003)
S	Long Beach–San Pedro	Long Beach	Private ROW	San Pedro		MTA Line 232
S	Terminal Island		Long Beach Avenue, Willowbrook Avenue, private ROW, Henry Ford Avenue	Terminal Island
S	San Pedro via Dominguez		Long Beach Avenue, Willowbrook Avenue, private ROW	San Pedro		MTA Line 202
S	Catalina Dock		Long Beach Avenue, Willowbrook Avenue, private ROW	Catalina Dock	(also had service from Long Beach via the Long Beach-San Pedro Line until 1949-04-30)
S	Torrance		Long Beach Avenue, Lanzit Avenue, Vermont Avenue, 166th Street, Normandie Avenue, Torrance Boulevard	Torrance
S	San Pedro via Gardena		Long Beach Avenue, Lanzit Avenue, Vermont Avenue, 166th Street, Normandie Avenue, Torrance Boulevard, Cabrillo Avenue, Plaza del Amo, Normandie Avenue, Gaffey Street, private ROW	San Pedro	(cut back to Torrance; Carson Cutoff along Normandie Avenue had been abandoned on 1927-10-19, taking all trips through Torrance)
S	Redondo via Gardena		Long Beach Avenue, Lanzit Avenue, Athens Way, private ROW, Vermont Avenue, 166th Street, private ROW, 182nd Street, private ROW, Diamond Street, Catalina Avenue	Clifton
S	Hawthorne–El Segundo		Long Beach Avenue, Lanzit Avenue, private ROW, Grand Avenue	El Segundo
S	Hawthorne–El Nido	Hawthorne	Hawthorne Boulevard	El Nido
N	South Pasadena Local		Aliso Street, private ROW, Daly Street, Pasadena Avenue, Figueroa Street, Pasadena Avenue, Mission Street, Fair Oaks Avenue	Pasadena	(remained south of Mission Road until 1942-10-17)	MTA Line 176
N	Annandale		Aliso Street, private ROW, Daly Street, Pasadena Avenue, Figueroa Street, Avenue 64	Annandale	(1926-11-13 north of Adelaide Place)	MTA Line 256
N	Pasadena Short Line		Aliso Street, private ROW, Soto Street, Huntington Drive, Fair Oaks Avenue	Pasadena		MTA Line 260
N	Pasadena via Oak Knoll		Aliso Street, private ROW, Soto Street, Huntington Drive, Oak Knoll Avenue, Lake Avenue	Pasadena		MTA Line 485
N	Mount Lowe		Aliso Street, private ROW, Soto Street, Huntington Drive, Fair Oaks Avenue, Colorado Boulevard, Lake Avenue, Mount Lowe Drive	Rubio Canyon (connecting with the Mount Lowe Railway)
N	Sierra Vista Line		Aliso Street, private ROW, Soto Street, Huntington Drive	Sierra Vista		MTA Lines 78 and 79
N	Lamanda Park	Pasadena	Colorado Boulevard	Lamanda Park	(cut back several blocks from Lamanda Park on 1936-03-01)	MTA Line 181
N	Sierra Madre		Aliso Street, private ROW, Soto Street, Huntington Drive, Sierra Madre Boulevard	Sierra Madre		MTA Line 487
N	Monrovia–Glendora		Aliso Street, private ROW, Soto Street, Huntington Drive, Olive Avenue, Royal Oaks Drive, private ROW, 9th Street, private ROW	Glendora		MTA Line 79, Foothill Transit Line 494
N	Alhambra–San Gabriel		Aliso Street, private ROW, Soto Street, Huntington Drive, Main Street, Las Tunas Drive; loop through San Gabriel via Mission Drive, Junipero Serra Drive	Temple City		MTA Line 78
N	Shorb	Pasadena	Fair Oaks Avenue, Huntington Drive, Main Street, Palm Avenue	Shorb
N	El Monte–Baldwin Park		Aliso Street, private ROW, Ramona Boulevard	Baldwin Park		MTA Line 490
N	Covina		Aliso Street, private ROW, Ramona Boulevard, Badillo Street	Covina	(cut back to Baldwin Park)	MTA Line 490
N	San Dimas		Aliso Street, private ROW, Ramona Boulevard, Badillo Street	Lone Hill	(cut back to Covina)	MTA Line 490, Foothill Transit Line 492
N	San Dimas Local	Lone Hill	Private ROW	San Dimas
N	Pomona		Aliso Street, private ROW, Ramona Boulevard, Badillo Street, private ROW, White Avenue	Pomona	(cut back to Covina)	MTA Line 490, Foothill Transit Line 492
N	Pomona–Claremont	Pomona	Garey Avenue, private ROW, 1st Street	Claremont		Foothill Transit Line 492
N	Upland–Ontario	Ontario		Upland
N	Ontario–San Antonio Heights	Ontario		San Antonio Heights	(cut back from San Antonio Heights to La Cima on 1924-07-03)
N	Upland–San Bernardino			San Bernardino		MTA Line 190, Foothill Transit Line 492, Omnitrans Lines 66, 14
N	Redlands			Redlands		MTA Line 190, Foothill Transit Line 492, Omnitrans Lines 66, 14, 8
N	Highland	San Bernardino		Highland	(branch to Patton on 1924-06-01)
N	Arrowhead	San Bernardino		Arrowhead Springs
N	San Bernardino–Riverside	San Bernardino		Riverside		Omnitrans Line 215
N	Riverside–Rialto Line			Riverside
N	Riverside–Arlington	Riverside		Arlington		Riverside Transit Agency Line 1
N	Arlington–Corona	Arlington		Corona		Riverside Transit Agency Line 1
W	Redondo Beach via Playa del Rey		Hill Street, Venice Boulevard, Culver Boulevard, Vista del Mar Avenue, The Strand, Hermosa Avenue, Harbor Drive, Catalina Avenue	Clifton		Culver CityBus Line 7 (MTA Line 220 until 2006)
W	West 16th Street		Hill Street, Venice Boulevard (16th Street), San Vicente Boulevard	Vineyard (extended 1940-07-07 to Genesee Street)	(Vineyard-Genesee Street shuttle remained until 1950-10-01)	MTA Line 733
W	Venice Short Line		Hill Street, Venice Boulevard, Pacific Avenue, Neilson Way, Ocean Avenue	Santa Monica		MTA Line 733
W	Sawtelle		Hill Street, Venice Boulevard, San Vicente Boulevard, Burton Way, Santa Monica Boulevard	Santa Monica		MTA Line 4; also Line 27 (Burton Way) until 2002
W	Venice–Inglewood	Ocean Park	Private ROW, Ballona Street	Inglewood
W	Venice–Playa del Rey	Venice	Pacific Avenue	Playa del Rey
W	Westgate		Hill Street, Venice Boulevard, San Vicente Boulevard, Burton Way, Santa Monica Boulevard, private ROW, San Vicente Boulevard, Ocean Avenue	Santa Monica		Big Blue Bus Line 4 (MTA Line 22 until 2003)
W	Santa Monica Air Line		Long Beach Avenue, private ROW, Exposition Boulevard, private ROW	Santa Monica		Expo Line in 2016-5-20
W	Beverly Hills		Glendale Boulevard or Hill Street, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, Marshfield Way, private ROW, Santa Monica Boulevard	Beverly Hills		MTA Line 217
W	Venice via Hollywood		Glendale Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, Marshfield Way, private ROW, Santa Monica Boulevard, Ocean Avenue, Neilson Way, Pacific Avenue	Venice
W	Laurel Canyon		Hill Street, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, Marshfield Way, private ROW, Sunset Boulevard	Laurel Canyon
W	Soldiers' Home	Sawtelle	Private ROW	Soldiers' Home
W	Coldwater Canyon	Beverly Hills	Rodeo Drive	Coldwater Canyon (Beverly Hills Hotel)
W	South Hollywood–Sherman		Glendale Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard	Sherman		MTA Line 4
W	Western and Franklin Avenue		Hill Street, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Western Avenue, Franklin Avenue	Hollywood (Hollywood and Vine)		MTA Line 26 (removed from Franklin Avenue in 2006)
W	Brush Canyon	Hollywood	Bronson Avenue, Canyon Drive	Brush Canyon
W	Lankershim–Van Nuys		Glendale Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Highland Avenue, Hollywood Freeway, Vineland Avenue, Chandler Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard	Van Nuys		MTA Line 156
W	Owensmouth		Glendale Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Highland Avenue, Hollywood Freeway, Vineland Avenue, Chandler Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard, Sherman Way	Canoga Park (Owensmouth)		MTA Line 163
W	San Fernando		Glendale Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Highland Avenue, Hollywood Freeway, Vineland Avenue, Chandler Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard, Parthenia Street, Sepulveda Boulevard, Brand Boulevard	San Fernando		MTA Line 234
W	Echo Park Avenue		Hill Street, Sunset Boulevard, Echo Park Avenue	Elysian Heights		Downtown Area Short Hop Pico Union/Echo Park
W	Edendale Local		Glendale Boulevard	Edendale	(served Arcade Station via 6th Street, Figueroa Street, 2nd Street rather than Subway Terminal until 1940-09-08)	MTA Line 92
W	Glendale		Glendale Boulevard, Brand Boulevard	North Glendale		MTA Line 92
W	Burbank		Glendale Boulevard, Brand Boulevard, Glenoaks Boulevard	Burbank	(cut back from Eton Drive on 1940-11-24)	MTA Line 92
W	East Broadway		Glendale Boulevard, Brand Boulevard, Broadway	Glendale

Local lines

The Los Angeles Railway operated most local lines in central Los Angeles, but the Pacific Electric had local systems in a number of other areas:

East Washington Long Beach Pasadena

Dual gauge track

The PE and the Los Angeles Railway shared some dual gauge / track along Hawthorne Boulevard, on Main Street and on 4th Street.

References

Web site: Pacific Electric . Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California . January 20, 2008.
Web site: A Chronology of Changes in Rail Passenger Operations of the Pacific Electric Railway Company . Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California . January 20, 2008.
Book: McGraw Electric Railway Directory . McGraw-Hill Publishing Company . 1920 . 11 .

Notes and References

(Pacific Electric Railway Lines in Riverside, California) . 19 January 2021 . Pacific Electric . June 20, 1911 . Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc..