| San Pedro via Gardena | |
| Type: | Light rail |
| System: | Pacific Electric |
| Locale: | Los Angeles, and the South Bay |
| Start: | Downtown Los Angeles |
| End: | San Pedro, California |
| Stations: | 37 |
| Daily Ridership: | 101,461 (last count) |
| Owner: | Southern Pacific Railroad |
| Operator: | Pacific Electric |
| Stock: | PE 1200 Class (last used) |
San Pedro via Gardena (also known as San Pedro via Torrance) was an interurban line of the Pacific Electric Railway. This was the railway's original route to San Pedro. The line was essential in the establishment of light industry in Torrance. The route closely paralleled the present-day Harbor Transitway.
California Pacific, a subsidiary of the Los Angeles Traction Company, began interurban service to San Pedro over a narrow-gauge line in 1903.[1] [2] By 1908, Los Angeles Inter-Urban's San Pedro Line linked downtown Los Angeles to San Pedro, starting at Main and 3rd and running on 3rd, Hill, 16th, Burlington, Hoover, 24th, Vermont, then on a largely private right of way to San Pedro.[3]
Pacific Electric assumed control of the railroad in 1911; the tracks north of Delta Junction were turned over to the Los Angeles Railway and became part of the F line. The route was converted to standard gauge (with some cutoffs made), and began operations on March 19, 1912.[4] Cars also reached Torrance that year.[5] Trips initially ran between Delta and San Pedro. The Carson Cutoff had largely fallen into disuse for passenger service by 1917. Through service to Los Angeles via the Watts Line was established by 1921 (though could have occurred as early as 1918). This supplanted the need for the Torrance via Athens service, which was discontinued.
Commencement of the San Pedro via Dominguez Line had steadily eroded ridership on the line. Through service north of Hermosillo was discontinued February 26, 1939 and service to San Pedro was heavily curtailed. The line south of Torrance was reduced to a single round trip to Harbor City in 1939, and passenger service was fully discontinued the following January.
The remainder of the line has become the Union Pacific Torrance Branch.[6]
The line originated at the 6th and Main Street Station in Los Angeles and followed the Long Beach Line to Watts Junction, then the Redondo Beach via Gardena Line To South Los Angeles, and then the Hawthorne–El Segundo Line to Delta (Vermont Avenue at 117th Street). The line was entirely single track in private right of way from South Los Angeles to San Pedro.
The line turned south at Delta into the private right of way between the dual roadways of Vermont Avenue and ran to Strawberry Park (at Compton Boulevard). From Strawberry Park the line followed the double track Redondo Beach via Gardena Line south on Vermont Avenue, then turned west adjacent to 116th Street to Hermosillo (at Normandie Avenue).
From Hermosillo the San Pedro via Gardena Line turned south, crossed Normandie Avenue and entered private way on the west side of Normandie Avenue. The line ran south to Dolanco Junction (Del Amo Boulevard) where the Torrance loop line branched to the southwest. The line continued south to Ocean Avenue (228th Street) where the Torrance loop line rejoined the main line. The line continued south, crossed Sepulveda Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway, and then turned to the southeast as it crossed the intersection of Gaffy Street and Anaheim Street where Normandie Avenue ended.
After crossing Anaheim Street, the line turned southerly and ran on the east edge of Gaffey Street, then crossed Wilmington Road and joined the San Pedro via Dominguez Line (West Basin Line) to run to San Pedro.