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Pacific Electric Railway Company Records
70-DPGTL
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Library and Archives
Title: Pacific Electric Railway Company Records
Creator:
Pacific Electric Railway Company
Identifier/Call Number: 70-DPGTL
Physical Description:
4.80 linear feet,
14 boxes
Date (inclusive): 1908-1964
Date (bulk): 1940-1950
Abstract: The Pacific Electric Railway Company, established by Henry Huntington, connected cities across the Los Angeles metropolitan
area. The records in this collection consist of information about rules and regulations governing employees, timetables and
vehicle information, financial, operation, and service reports, as well as contracts and agreements made during the sale of
Pacific Electric Railway Company property and stock to Metropolitan Coach Lines.
Pacific Electric Railway (PERy) was created in 1901 with Henry Edwards Huntington as principal stockholder. Huntington completed
the first PE line in 1902 which ran from Los Angeles to Long Beach. He later sold his shares to Southern Pacific in 1910.
In 1911 the “Great Merger” took place. Although continuing to operate under the Pacific Electric name, Southern Pacific Railway
merged PERy with nearly all of the interurban railways in a four-county region of Southern California. PERy grew to connect
various cities across the Los Angeles metropolitan area. PERy vehicles were commonly known as the Red Cars, the most obvious
feature distinguishing PERy cars from the "Yellow Car" vehicles operated by the Los Angeles Railway.
As patronage on passenger rail lines declined after the second World War, PERy began converting rail routes to bus service.
Eventually, in 1953, PERy sold its passenger operations to the Metropolitan Coach Lines. Metropolitan Coach Lines continued
the conversion from rail passenger service to bus passenger service and the final former Pacific Electric Railway passenger
rail line was converted to bus service in 1961. Southern Pacific Railway eventually abolished the Pacific Electric Railway
Company in 1965, folding what little mileage remained of PERy’s freight operation into Southern Pacific’s own operation.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Pacific Electric Railway Company was sold to the Metropolitan Coach Lines bus company, which was later acquired by the
Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (LAMTA). LAMTA was superseded by the Southern California Rapid Transit District
(SCRTD) in 1964. SCRTD’s library and its materials were retained by the successor agency, Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority, also known as Metro.
Oversized material is located in the flat maps drawer.
Open for research. Digitized copies of selected photographs available online. Advance notice required for physical access
to collection. Contact LACMTA Research Library and Archive to make an appointment.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the LACMTA Research Library and Archive. Permission for reproduction
or publication is given on behalf of the LACMTA Research Library and Archive as the owner of the physical items. The researcher
assumes all responsibility for possible infringement that may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the
LACMTA Research Library and Archive collections.
[Identification of item], Pacific Electric Railway Company Records, 70-DPGTL. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation
Authority Research Library and Archive.
Processed by Denise Villegas, 2012.
Records created by the Los Angeles Railway Corporation, which operated local rail passenger cars at the same time as the Pacific
Electric Railway Company, and records created by Metropolitan Coach Lines, the company that acquired Pacific Electric’s passenger
rail cars and buses, may be found in this repository.
The collection is arranged in the following series:
- Reports, 1906-1954
- Employees, 1908-1953
- Vehicles and Line Locations, circa 1910-1950
- Maps and Routes, 1915-1957
- Public Relations, circa 1915-1950
- Corporate Culture, circa 1920 - circa 1940
- Facilities, 1940-1950
- Correspondence, 1952-1954
- Contracts and Agreements, 1953-1956
- Small Books, 1905-1951
- Miscellaneous, 1945-1964
This collection consists of records created during the operation of the Pacific Electric Railway Company. Such records include
examinations, application materials, and rules and regulations for employees, time tables, vehicle specifications, fare information,
and service announcements, 26 issues of “Pacific Electric Magazine,” reports on accidents, finances, operations, and service,
correspondence and interlining arrangements between the Pacific Electric Railway Company, Motor Transit Company, and Pacific
Greyhound Lines, contract containing the agreements made in the sell of Pacific Electric Railway Company rail passenger cars
to Metropolitan Coach Lines.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Electric railroads -- Cars
Labor unions -- California -- Los Angeles County
Local transit -- California -- Los Angeles County
Local transit -- Community relations -- California -- Los Angeles County
Local transit -- California -- Los Angeles County -- Maps
Pacific Electric Railway Company