Western Railroad Discussion > SP/PE

When did SP start running trains on the 10freeway? When did SP abandon the route west of Railto to Clairmont? Thank you for your information. Jonathan

Rialto and Claremont. Those wonderful Red Cars. And the cranky SP locals. For me, they were all part of the 50's. I grew up 200 yards from those tracks in Claremont and went into the military in 1960. It was all changed by the time I returned four years later. I'll let the experts give you the exact dates. In addition to passenger service east on the PE, the ATSF (with tracks about 30 yards south of the SP) had a daily mail local to San Bernardino with one passenger car. I rode both as a kid in the early 50s.

The tracks on 10 freeway were origianlly PE Tracks.. called the state street branch.. probalbyaround 1900 or so. will have to consult a reference book. Rialto to Claremont.. in the 80's i believe or early 90's

I believe the portion of SP's Baldwin Park Branch (ex-PE San Bernardino line) between Rialto and Claremont was abandoned about the same time Metrolink started up operation in late 1992. Maybe a year before or after. An SP engineer friend of my dad's used to work the job from Bench to Claremont occasionally. He said it would take hours to make the trip, with the 10mph (or less) speed restrictions on the line. For more info on the line in the PE days, check out the site:

http://www.erha.org/pensb.htm

Rich

Here's a picture of one of the Wig-wags on the line in Upland, on October 16, 1991. I believe the furthest west industry switched on the line at this time was in Claremont, just north of the current Metrolink Montclair station. The Baldwin Park branch industries in San Dimas and Pomona were worked from the west end, with a job out of Industry, same as today, but with the line between Basset and Claremont now part of Metrolink's San Gabriel Sub (San Bernardino Line).

Rich

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I think there is a dvd out on the history of this line and what remnants are left today.....

This was Pacific Electric

try

skycityproductions.com for info?

The line between El Monte and Los Angeles that was in the center of the Berdoo Freeway for part of the way was the PE's San Bernardino line. Technically the SP started running on the line when the PE was merged into the SP in 1965. However, the PE used SP motive power before the merger and there was not significant difference at that time. IN the 1970s the SP upgraded the line to main line standards and called it the State Street line and the other route to LA was the Alhambra line.
The SP sold the line from LA to Bench to the county transportation agencies just before the formation of Metrolink. When the Santa Fe sold the Pasadena Sub. to the transportations agencies, it was decided to use the ex Santa Fe between Claremont and Berdoo and abandon most of the ex PE east of Claremont.
The SP usually work the lines from both ends. The areas work by the locals shanged from time to time with a "no mans land" between the work districts (train orders were required to use the section of track). At time the gap was between La Verne and San Dimas and at other times it was between Etiwanda and Fontana.