Western and Franklin Avenue Line

The Western and Franklin Avenue Line was a Pacific Electric streetcar line which traveled from Los Angeles to Hollywood. It operated from 11th and Hill Streets via Hill, Sunset, Santa Monica Boulevard, Western Avenue, Franklin Avenue, Argyle Avenue, Yucca Street, and Vine Street to end at Hollywood and Vine Boulevards. It operated from 1908 to 1940.[2][1] The Brush Canyon Line branched from this line at Bronson.[1]

Western & Franklin Ave.
Dash sign used on Hollywood bound trains
Overview
OwnerPacific Electric
LocaleLos Angeles
Termini
Stations19
Service
TypeStreetcar
SystemPacific Electric
Operator(s)Pacific Electric
Ridership1,935,583 (1926)[1]
History
Opened1908
ClosedMarch 17, 1940 (1940-03-17)
Technical
Line length9.08 mi (14.61 km)
Number of tracks2
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Old gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
ElectrificationOverhead line600 V DC
Route map

West Hollywood
evening terminus
until 1912
Hollywood and Vine
Vine Street
Yucca Street
Argyle Avenue
Vista Del Mar
Gower Street
Beachwood Drive
Stop (between Tamarind & Cahuenga)
Bronson Avenue
Van Ness Avenue
Wilton Place
St. Andrews Place
Franklin & Western Avenue
Russell Avenue
Hollywood Boulevard
Stop (between Harold Way & Carlton Way)
Sunset Boulevard
De Longpre Avenue
Fountain Avenue
Lexington Avenue
Western Avenue & Santa Monica Boulevard
 S 

History

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Tracks on Western and Franklin were built by the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad in 1908 and were converted to standard gauge only a month after completion.[1] Double tracking on Western Avenue was completed in 1910 and the line was acquired by Pacific Electric in 1911 as part of the Great Merger.[1]

Some outbound trips continued west on Hollywood Boulevard to terminate at the West Hollywood station following PE's acquisition, though this ended by 1912.[3] Between February 1922 and July 1924 the route operated as a shuttle service between Santa Monica/Western and Hollywood/Vine. Service was suspended from July 1924 to the following January owing to power issues throughout the system.[4][3] Through-routing to the downtown terminal was reestablished upon resumption of service, though it had been reduced to rush hours only by October 1932 and the line was through-routed with the Venice Boulevard Local.[3] Cars were terminating at Hill and 11th by 1935, and shuttle service on the outer segment of the line returned in 1938.[3]

Service was discontinued on March 17, 1940.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Western and Franklin Avenue Line". Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  2. ^ Walker, Jim (January 1, 1976). Lines of Pacific Electric: Southern & Western Districts (Special 60) (Second Printing ed.). Glendale, California: Interurban Press. p. 26.
  3. ^ a b c d e 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, California: Interurbans. p. 94. ASIN B0007F8D84. OCLC 6565577.
  4. ^ "Railways cut use of power". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Times. July 6, 1924. pp. 13, 14. Retrieved March 1, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.  
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