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Passenger Trains on Harbor District
Author: Freericks
Date: 02-20-2011 - 07:23
There was passenger service on the northern end of the Harbor District, but it was put out of business, I believe by competition from the Los Angeles Pacific (one of the precursors of the Pacific Electric).
That line was originally a line from LA to Playa del Rey. The Playa del Rey idea failed immediately, and they then built to Santa Monica,where they built a dock. The Santa Monica train station was where the Rand Building stands today. The Ocean Park station was where the World Cafe stands today. I am not clear where the Venice station was.
The Santa Monica Branch failed to have much freight, but it did very good passenger business for a brief moment in time (until Los Angeles Pacific came into town and killed both Santa Fe's and Southern Pacific's Santa Monica passenger business).
Not long after building into Santa Monica, a fork was build in Inglewood and track was laid down to Redondo Beach. Again, passenger business was good to Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and El Segundo area. But that Pacific Electric (or a precursor) showed up and the passenger business dried up.
There's a great shot somewhere on the web of the Redondo Beach station, which looks like it was built to last for many many decades (but I think probably only stood 25 years or so).
That line was originally a line from LA to Playa del Rey. The Playa del Rey idea failed immediately, and they then built to Santa Monica,where they built a dock. The Santa Monica train station was where the Rand Building stands today. The Ocean Park station was where the World Cafe stands today. I am not clear where the Venice station was.
The Santa Monica Branch failed to have much freight, but it did very good passenger business for a brief moment in time (until Los Angeles Pacific came into town and killed both Santa Fe's and Southern Pacific's Santa Monica passenger business).
Not long after building into Santa Monica, a fork was build in Inglewood and track was laid down to Redondo Beach. Again, passenger business was good to Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and El Segundo area. But that Pacific Electric (or a precursor) showed up and the passenger business dried up.
There's a great shot somewhere on the web of the Redondo Beach station, which looks like it was built to last for many many decades (but I think probably only stood 25 years or so).
