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Pacific Electric Railway A Pictorial Album of Electric Railroading by Duke PE SC
Pacific Electric Railway A Pictorial Album of Electric Railroading by Donald Duke
Soft Cover stapled
Copyright 1958
63 Pages
During the war the Pacific Electric offered a fine service to Southern California, but at war's end the PE was faced with need for new equipment, track rehabilitation and declining patronage. PE's heritage as a passenger carrying electric interurban line was over. It now was a commercial railroad whose revenues were tons rather than tickets. Every siding, switch and yard indicated that freight was profit and passengers were red ink. PE wanted out, and the sale of all passenger services to the Metropolitan Coach Lines in 1953 brought about this end. Metro services, bus and rail, were taken over by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit authorities in March of 1958.
Today, Pacific Electric is the third largest originator of freight in California and growing daily. The un-interesting diesel has replaced the box-like electric locomotive and the scores of busy box motor schedules, handling small freight, baggage, Railway Express and U.S. mail were abandoned with the de-electrification program.
It might well be, had the dreams of the Pacific Electric come true, the "Big Red Cars" might yet be seen racing down the middle of the Santa Ana or Hollywood Freeways. Los Angeles and Southern California just grew and spread too fast. The silver rails which developed and built the suburbs were now unwanted. The citizenry wanted the ugly tracks removed for more streets and highways. Now weeds have taken over except for trackage still used for freight. Many oldtimers long for the return of the happy days when all you had to do was to hop a "red car" and reach any Southern California destination with speed - comfort - safety. It is hoped that this booklet will bring back the days when the "Big Red Cars" flashed along the rolling surf or through the orange groves under the singing trolley. This booklet is not intended to present a comprehensive history, but
to give a pictorial review when the PACIFIC ELECTRIC was the "World's Largest Interurban System".
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