San Pedro via Dominguez Line

San Pedro via Dominguez was a 25.39-mile (40.86 km) interurban transport route, part of the Pacific Electric system in Greater Los Angeles. Its termini were the Pacific Electric Building in Downtown Los Angeles and San Pedro in the south.

San Pedro via Dominguez
The San Pedro Pacific Electric Railway station, located at 510 S. Harbor Boulevard, 1921
Overview
OwnerSouthern Pacific Railroad
LocaleLos Angeles and the South Bay
TerminiDowntown Los Angeles
San Pedro, California
Stations30
Service
TypeInterurban
SystemPacific Electric
Operator(s)Pacific Electric (-1953)
Metropolitan Coach Lines (1953-1958)
Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (1958)
Rolling stockPE 1200 Class (last used)
Ridership1,002,051 (1958)[1]
History
OpenedNovember 4, 1904 (1904-11-04) (to Wilmington)
Closed1958 (1958)
Technical
Line length25.39 mi (40.86 km)
Number of tracks1-4
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in) standard gauge
Electrification600 V DC Overhead lines
Route map

Pacific Electric Building
to Northern Division
 J   R   S 
 J   S 
to
Sierra Vista–Watts &
South Pasadena Local
Amoco
Vernon Avenue
 V 
Slauson Junction
Fleming
Florencito Park
Florence
Nadeau
Graham
Latin
Watts
end of
local service
to Bellflower & Santa Ana
Abila
Springdale
Willowbrook
Sativa
Winona
Compton
Dominguez
Dominguez Junction
to Long Beach
223rd Street
Elfman
Dolores
Bangle
Watson
Thenard
Wilmington Park
G Street
Wilmington
Canal Street
bridge destroyed 1955
Wilmington Road
San Pedro

History

Engineering studies began under Pacific Electric in 1902, but the line was turned over to the Los Angeles Interurban Railway in January 1904, who built the line to Wilmington by November 24. Service to San Pedro began the following July 5th.[1] The route became the preferred route to San Pedro over the San Pedro via Gardena line (to the extent that line was discontinued in 1940).

Pacific Electric again regained control of the service after the Great Merger of 1911. They replaced the low trestle to San Pablo with a drawbridge. During World War II, the drawbridge was bypassed as a defense measure; trains used the West Basin Line as a bypass.[2]

The line was transferred to Metropolitan Coach Lines in October 1953. A ship strike in 1955 necessitated removal of the drawbridge, and trains were rerouted back on the West Basin Line. In 1958, the service finally came under the operation of Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority,[2] after which the service was replaced by buses.[1]

Route

From the 6th and Main Street station in Los Angeles to Dominguez Junction, the San Pedro via Dominguez followed the same Route as the Long Beach Line. From Dominguez Junction to San Pedro, the line was entirely in private right of way. At Dominguez Junction, the line branched southerly on dual tracks, immediately on the west of Alameda Street. The dual tracks ran south, crossing Del Arno Boulevard to reach Dominguez Street. Here, the Southern Pacific San Pedro Branch Line crossed over from the east side of Alameda Street to run on the west side of Alameda Street, thereby placing the Pacific Electric dual tracks immediately to the west of the Southern Pacific Line.

From Dominguez Street, the dual tracks on private way ran southerly, just west of the Southern Pacific Branch Line and parallel to Alameda Street, crossing Carson Street, and Sepulveda Boulevard to a point approximately one-half mile (0.8 km) farther south. At this location, the dual tracks veered away from the Southern Pacific Tracks (and Alameda Street) southwesterly toward Wilmington, crossing a Santa Fe Branch Line and Pacific Coast Highway to reach Flint Junction, where the Long Beach–San Pedro Line joined from the east.

From Flint Junction, the dual tracks continued southwesterly into Wilmington, crossing Anaheim Street, where the Catalina Dock Line branched off to the south. Next, the Wilmington Station was reached at Avalon Boulevard and "B" Street, where the West Basin Line branched off to the west. From "B" Street the dual tracks continued south-westerly across the peninsula in Los Angeles Harbor known as "Pier A", paralleling Neptune Street on the west to the peninsula's southerly end. There the dual tracks reduced to a single track to cross the Southern Pacific Draw Bridge over the entrance to the West Basin.

Once across the drawbridge, the line expanded again to two tracks for the run into San Pedro on a long trestle. At 1st Street in San Pedro, the West Basin Line joined after completing its loop around the West Basin. The dual tracks continued southerly four blocks to the terminus of the line at the San Pedro Pacific Electric on 5th Street. An electrified line continued further to Outer Harbor, but saw very little passenger service.[1]

List of major stations

Station Major Connections Date Opened Date Closed City
Pacific Electric Building Alhambra–San Gabriel, Annandale, Balboa, Fullerton, Hawthorne–El Segundo, La Habra–Yorba Linda, Long Beach, Monrovia–Glendora, Mount Lowe, Pasadena Short Line, Pasadena via Oak Knoll, Pomona, Redlands, Redondo Beach via Gardena, Riverside–Rialto, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Santa Monica Air Line, Sierra Madre, Soldiers' Home, South Pasadena Local, Upland–San Bernardino, Whittier
Los Angeles Railway B, H, J, R, 7, and 8
1905 1961 Los Angeles
Amoco Balboa, Fullerton, Hawthorne–El Segundo, La Habra–Yorba Linda, Long Beach, Redondo Beach via Gardena, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Santa Monica Air Line, Soldiers' Home, Whittier 1902 1961
Slauson Junction Balboa, Fullerton, Hawthorne–El Segundo, La Habra–Yorba Linda, Long Beach, Redondo Beach via Gardena, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana, Whittier 1902 1961
Watts Balboa, Hawthorne–El Segundo, Long Beach, Redondo Beach via Gardena, San Pedro via Gardena, Santa Ana 1902 1961
Compton Long Beach, Balboa 1905 1961 Compton
Dominguez Junction Long Beach, Balboa 1905 1961 Rancho Dominguez
Wilmington 1905 1961 Wilmington
San Pedro San Pedro via Gardena, San Pedro Local Lines 1905 1961 San Pedro

References

 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 on Wikimedia Commons. Text taken from 1981 Inventory of Pacific Electric Routes, California Department of Transportation, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. To learn how to add open license text to Wikipedia articles, please see this how-to page. For information on reusing text from Wikipedia, please see the terms of use.

  1. "San Pedro via Dominguez Line". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  2. 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: Interurbans. pp. 71–73. ASIN B0007F8D84. Retrieved 19 September 2020.


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