Nostalgia & History > Pacific Electric PCCs

Photo #1 - #5002. - Tony J.

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Photo #2 - PE5027. - Tony J.

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Photo #3 - PE5014. - Tony J.

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Nice pics! Anyone know the reason for the large square ties in the middle of the 1st track?

Thomas

My guess, is to discourage rubber tired vehicles from proceeding thru the intersection and beyond.

That was my guess too, but was surprised to not find such ties on the other track as well. Admittedly, the 1st track is in a better position to invite drunk drivers (Boy, this road sure *hic!* got rough since this morning! *hic!*).

Thomas

Great pics, Tony!! Sure wish they were still running!!

Toluca yard! Oh hail yea! I've stood on the platform of the substation there, (probably shouldn't have) and there are still rail fragments in the sidewalk. To bad I wasn't born 'til '63.....

Regarding the ties. Check the first picture. It looks like there are ties between the rails in the outbound track closer to the street.

Oh yes. Could be. If so, these "barrier ties" for the far track may have been located down a bit farther from the 1st track's ties so as to not be directly adjacent to the loading platform, I'm guessing. I am not a local guy ...so where is (was!) this scene (city and cross streets)?

Thomas

Glad I put smiles on your faces. I've got more PE photos somewhere I'll post later. - Tony J.

Thomas Wrote:
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> I am not a local guy ...so where is
> (was!) this scene (city and cross streets)?
>
> Thomas


PE's Toluca yard was located at the entrance to their Subway. Today the cross streets would be W. 2nd St., Beverly Blvd and Lucas St. The Tolucca substation, I believe, is still extant.

The ERHA website at: http://www.erha.org/ provides a starting point for more info.

Charlie

cewherry Wrote:
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> Thomas Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I am not a local guy ...so where is
> > (was!) this scene (city and cross streets)?
> >
> > Thomas
>
>
> PE's Toluca yard was located at the entrance to
> their Subway. Today the cross streets would be W.
> 2nd St., Beverly Blvd and Lucas St. The Tolucca
> substation, I believe, is still extant.
>
> The ERHA website at: http://www.erha.org/ provides
> a starting point for more info.
>
> Charlie
>


Yes, the substation is still there, albeit covered with graffiti. There is a group that is trying to get a PE museum going on the grounds of the Toluca yard, but I don't know how successful they've been. Thomas, Charlie is dead on about the intersection, I'll just add that the street the tracks run down under the overpass is Glendale Blvd north. I'm posting a Mapquest link that's shows the area. Look for the intersection of 1st, 2nd, Glendale, etc. Lucas St. will be running behind the substation in the photo. I've done some "urban arcaeology in the area, and the ROW is still very visible in the hills west of the Glendale freeway above Riverside Dr. The pilings for the Fletcher viaduct are still there, as are several platforms and stairways from the street below. The supports for the bridge over the LA river are still there too. Amazing what you can see in an urban environment when you use the right eyes.

Mapquest link:
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?pan=s&ovi=1&mapdata=OE4WNszgW9wPNV6Yxux%2bBWtWXgvH5Qrm4%2bTvUNTmd3A6a3kT7PmauNAtNsnBfGFs%2f8eY12%2blUgeHZB6Qw2RMnrGUQB%2bUJKkOpXSTp5JEqn2rgjOd%2fikLy%2b%2bJ3kbi9GeA%2fHJehwlRbw%2fWblhZnFRdfmqaVsquD9%2f5r3ED09mlGFDeg83zq42L08bAy8M4usM45yn%2fMvrH9f0k%2fzc7AwuczrNB%2bEHqtGVBImV9ZZ%2b4C5F4WL241bSpDMb0uBMR9ybMdlelSwzMQhVEYlSTMOX9siwxIcbna7rl2ViHyjxeruUNmn%2bWQv4Q5AxsxHiZDGcBgHDhDFkA8em9l%2b2rm3q0AtZDDc9kRfDz4m427f21zu4yRMc84byOiINxH8NPxfuvANUhzBU9YXC80R6ZIf0pj%2fY%2bVRgvjKQz%2fxhK4eHVDTcD0HWx6a6eaftsKkXc88RXYZpbjcMcq1QSQwuVzU1KgFvoO4ECbU4emo25mvynX8zmTsNE1l9GoeSEv7%2bsz%2bV6rQCNsfDq2Qc%3d

Actually, maybe one of you guys can answer a question for me. I can't seem to figure out where that tunnel exited on the other side. I know it was blocked by other construction, but the area is so completely different I can find no clues. Anyone? Oh, trivia for ya. If you've seen the movie "the Little Rascals", their clubhouse was on the hill that tunnel ran through.

The tunnel never really had the other end open to the outside. It ended at the Subway Terminal Building at Hill St & 4th. Here are some pictures I took of it last year. If you want to see more pics (including the substation at Toluca Yard, and inside the tunnel all the way until where it is blocked by the Bonaventure Hotel underground garage, you can go to http://missionwww.lamission.edu/derek/pacificelectric/

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Well no danged wonder I could never find it! I didn't know about the Bonaventure thing so thanks for that info.

What's about that LATL/LARy streetcar in the tunnel (in the pictures on the other website)?

The Subway Terminal Building is being converted into housing. Also, the plan seems to be to develop a large apartment complex at the Toluca Yard site. They could have their own subway to downtown!

They look like they are covering something running between the rails. Some kind of signal actuating device or? If they were gaurding against vehicles, you would think they would be more prominent to prevent cars turning into and heading toward oncoming cars. On the track they are on, the streetcar would be coming up behind a car and realistically you would prefer that it keep moving allowing the streetcar to slow behind it, whereas the closing rate and collision speed on the other side would be much greater.