April 9, 1961
The California-based Pacific Electric (PE) mass transit system ended its operations after nearly six decades of serving the Greater Los Angeles Area. At its zenith during the 1920s, this network was the world’s largest electric railway system. More than 2,100 PE interurban trains covered about 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) of tracks altogether, providing passenger service for cities throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, and Riverside County.
PE — also known as the “Red Car” system because of the trademark color of those trains — even had a featured role in Girl Shy, a 1924 silent movie starring legendary comedian Harold Lloyd (1893-1971). At one point during this movie, Lloyd takes over a PE Red Car and operates it at high speed through the streets of both Culver City and Los Angeles.
PE’s oldest passenger rail line was the one connecting Los Angeles and Long Beach. This line, which first went into service on July 4, 1902, was the last one in operation on that Sunday morning in 1961. The individuals taking the final rides on those Red Cars included members of the Electrical Railway Historical Association of Southern California, San Francisco Bay Area Railroad Association, and Pacific Railroad Society. (A couple of the PE Red Cars can be seen in the accompanying postcard created in 1910.)
Image Credit: Public Domain
For more information on the Pacific Electric mass transit system, please check out https://socalrailway.org/collections/pacific-electric/
A video of the final run of the last PE Red Car in service can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebboO52In1w
Transportation History 
Leave a comment