Alhambra–San Gabriel Line

The Alhambra–San Gabriel Line was a Pacific Electric interurban line which traveled between Los Angeles and Temple City.[1]

Alhambra–San Gabriel Line
Las Tunas Drive in Temple City, 1925
Overview
OwnerSouthern Pacific Railroad
LocaleLos Angeles, San Gabriel Valley
TerminiPacific Electric Building
Temple City, California
Stations18
Service
TypeInterurban
System Pacific Electric
Operator(s) Pacific Electric
Rolling stock1300 class (last used)
Ridership1,063,529 (1938)[1]
History
OpenedJune 21, 1902 (1902-06-21)
ClosedNovember 30, 1941 (1941-11-30)
Technical
Number of tracks1-4
Track gauge4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification600 V DC Overhead lines
Route map

Temple City
East San Gabriel
Rubio Wash
San Gabriel
Alhambra Wash
San Pasqual Wash
Alhambra
West Alhambra
multiple lines
Sierra Vista
Newton
Titus
Happy Valley
Soto Street Viaduct
El Sereno
Lincoln Park
Charlotte Street
Marengo Street
Valley Junction
State Street
Echandia
Brooklyn Avenue
 P 
Southern Division
6th/Main Terminal
 F 

History

The line was built by the Los Angeles & Pasadena Electric Railway starting in October 1901;[2] it was the first standard gauge interurban railway in Southern California. It opened on June 21, 1902 running between Los Angeles General Hospital and the San Gabriel Mission,[2] soon extended to the Masonic Home.[1] The service became a part of the Pacific Electric system by 1911, terminating at the Pacific Electric Building. Tracks were extended to Temple City on July 29, 1924. Cars began bypassing the Mission in 1928.[3]

The last trips occurred on November 30, 1941.[3] After passenger service ended, tracks were retained for freight until removed in 1951.[1]

Route

Between the 6th & Main Terminal and Sierra Vista Junction, the line followed the Northern District main line. At Sierra Vista Junction (where Huntington Drive and Main Street meet near the western border of Alhambra), the line diverged due east along the median of Main Street,[2] continuing down Main through Alhambra (with a freight spur running south on Palm Avenue to the Southern Pacific's Alhambra depot on Mission Road), into San Gabriel (where Main Street becomes Las Tunas Drive) and finally into Temple City, where the line had an off-street terminal at the northeast corner of Las Tunas Drive and Kauffman Avenue. Additionally, there was a branch that turned south on Mission Drive in San Gabriel, passed along the southern edge of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, then turned north on Junipero Serra Drive before rejoining the main line at Junipero Serra and Las Tunas drives.[4]

List of major stations

Station Major connections Date opened Date closed City
San Gabriel Southern Pacific Railroad 1901 1941 San Gabriel
Alhambra 1901 1941 Alhambra
Sierra Vista Monrovia–Glendora, Mount Lowe, Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena via Oak Knoll, Shorb, Sierra Madre 1901 1951
Covina Junction Monrovia–Glendora, Mount Lowe, Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena via Oak Knoll, Pomona, Riverside–Rialto, Sierra Madre, Upland–San Bernardino 1901 1951 Los Angeles
Echandia Junction Annandale, Monrovia–Glendora, Mount Lowe, Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena via Oak Knoll, Pomona, Riverside–Rialto, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena Local, Upland–San Bernardino 1895 1951
Pacific Electric Building Annandale, Balboa, Fullerton, Hawthorne–El Segundo, La Habra–Yorba Linda, Long Beach, Monrovia–Glendora, Mount Lowe, Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena via Oak Knoll, Pomona, Riverside–Rialto, San Pedro via Dominguez, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Santa Monica Air Line, Sierra Madre, Soldiers' Home, South Pasadena Local, Whittier
Los Angeles Railway B, H, J, R, 7, and 8
1905 1961

References

  1. "Alhambra-San Gabriel Line". Electric Rail Heritage Association. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  2. Orozco, Michael Anthony; Alhambra Historical Society (2012). Alhambra. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 41, 45–50. ISBN 9780738576077.
  3. 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). p. 8. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  4. Lines of Pacific Electric: Northern & Eastern Districts. Interurbans. 1976. pp. 48–51. ISBN 0-916374-21-1.


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