Wikipedia

L (Los Angeles Railway)

This article is about a former streetcar service. For the discontinued modern light rail line, see L Line (Los Angeles Metro).

L was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1920 to 1940.

L
Overview
OwnerLos Angeles Railway
LocaleLos Angeles
Service
TypeStreetcar
SystemLos Angeles Railway
History
OpenedMay 9, 1920 (1920-05-09)
ClosedMay 26, 1940 (1940-05-26)
Technical
Track gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
ElectrificationOverhead line, 600 V DC
Route map

Legend
 Fountain and Edgemont
Fountain and Vermont
Fountain and Virgi
 L 
 Virgil and Santa Monica Pacific Electric
Virgil and Clinton
Hoover and Silver Lake
Temple and Rampart
Temple and Alvarado
Temple and Belmont
 2 
 Temple and Edgeware
Temple and Beaudry
Temple and Figueroa
Pacific Electric
 Hill and Temple
 A 
 Broadway and Temple
 2   5   10   W 
 Broadway and 1st
 P 
 Hill and 1st
Pacific Electric
 Hill and 2nd
Hill and 3rd
Angels Flight Angels Flight
 Hill and 4th
Pacific Electric
 Hill and 5th  D   U   3 
Hill and 6th
Pacific Electric
 Hill and 7th  J   R   S 
Hill and 8th
Hill and 9th  N 
Hill and 11th
 A   W 
 11th and Olive
11th and Grand
 J 
 11th and Hope
11th and Flower
11th and Figueroa
 U 
 11th and Georgia
11th and Alvarado
Olympic and Hoover
Olympic and Vermont
 V 
 Olympic and Harvard
Olympic and Western
Olympic and Wilton
Olympic and Crenshaw
Olympic and Murfield
Los Angeles Railway lines
Pacific Electric lines
This diagram:

History

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The West 11th and Lincoln Park line began service on May 9, 1920, as a through routing of the San Pedro and W. 11th Street Line and trackage on Main Street.[1] The eastern end of the route formed a large counterclockwise loop through Lincoln Heights,[2] with the complementing clockwise service through the segment routed to the West Adams and Lincoln Park line. It was given the letter designation L in 1921.[3][4] In August 1924 loop was eliminated, with line now running bi-directional on Mission Place and the A Line taking over tracks on Broadway.[5] That December the west end was rerouted to Spring and Ord Streets. L service took over the branch line which was built to serve the Glendale and Montrose Railway in 1925 — O and E cars initially had served been routed along the line. Tracks between Spring and Main Streets were eliminated in April 1926 to facilitate construction of the new Los Angeles City Hall.[5] The following July, service to the Glendale and Montrose Railway depot was discontinued and the line was rerouted downtown to terminate at Spring and Court Streets. Cars followed a detour on P line tracks at the end of 1927 and routed to Spring and Temple Streets following construction of the 1st Street Viaduct.[5]

On June 12, 1932, the line was rerouted downtown to terminate at Fountain Avenue and Edgemont Street[6][7][8][9] — cars ceased running on Flower Street, 10th Street, Main Street, and Spring Street. Cars were briefly run through the new Hill Street Tunnel in 1939 before again being rerouted downtown.[10][11] The final iteration of the L line began at Olympic Boulevard and Mullen Street and ended at the Civic Center, running via 10th (which was being rebuilt as Olympic), Country Club, Victoria, Hoover, 11th, Main, and Spring. The western end of the line was cut back to Menlo Avenue in April 1940, shortly before the service was discontinued on May 26.[5][12]

Sources

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  1. ^ "Street Car Rerouting". Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. May 5, 1920. p. 10. Retrieved February 7, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ Terrass, John (1922). Study and Plan of Relief of the Street Traffic Congestion in the City of Los Angeles, California (PDF) (Thesis). University of California. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  3. ^ "May 1: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History". Metro Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Library and Archive. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved February 16, 2022. 1921: Large letter signs indicating the routes of different lines are placed on top of Los Angeles Railway streetcars.
  4. ^ "Cars To Have Letter Signs" (PDF). Two Bells. Vol. 1, no. 48. Los Angeles Railway. May 2, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d "'L'". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  6. ^ "Spring Street Extension to be Opened This Week". Los Angeles Times. June 19, 1932. p. 17. Retrieved February 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ "Transit Routes to Change". Los Angeles Times. June 3, 1932. p. 17. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  8. ^ "New Street Car Routes in Effect". Los Angeles Times. June 13, 1932. p. 13. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  9. ^ H.P. Noordwal (1938). "Route Map Los Angeles Railway Electric Car and Bus Routes" (Map). Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc. Los Angeles Railway. "Alternate link" (Map). via Google.
  10. ^ "Timepoints The Southern California Traction Review · Volumes 1-7". Southern California Division, Electric Railroaders' Association. 1950. p. 7.
  11. ^ Walker, Jim (2007). Pacific Electric Red Cars. Arcadia Publishing. p. 68. ISBN 978-1531628581.
  12. ^ "Olympic Blvd. Coach Service to Begin Sunday". Los Angeles Times. May 24, 1940. p. 35. Retrieved February 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
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